I'm guessing some regular readers will have noticed the blog has been undergoing a bit of a resurgence of late and the sharp-eyed might have noticed that having gently passed 10 million towards the end of last year, we've sailed past 11 and 12 million in no time at all and are now making rapid progress towards 13 million. I wish this meant something, but sadly a bit of analysis shows the bulk of traffic as coming from Vietnam and unlikely to be real readers but rather 'bots' for some purpose or other. Despite this, I do detect a bit of engagement with real readers and contributors, for which I'm very grateful and especially given the parlous state probation currently finds itself in.
A recent wag wryly pointed out the following:-
1000 new probation officers. That old chestnut!
2025: 1,300 new probation officers to be recruited next year
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/probation-service-to-cut-crime-by-focusing-on-dangerous-offenders
2024: Prisons crisis: Probation Service to get 1,000 extra trainee officers
https://www.civilserviceworld.com/news/article/prisons-crisis-probation-service-to-get-1000-extra-trainee-officers
2023: We have hired a record 4,000 probation officers since 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66431061.amp
2022: 1,500 new probation officers to protect the public
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/1-500-new-probation-officers-to-protect-the-public
2021: One thousand probation officers recruited to protect the public
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/one-thousand-probation-officers-recruited-to-protect-the-public
2020: Public safety boosted with 1,000 new probation officers
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-safety-boosted-with-1-000-new-probation-officers
But of course some new recruits are coming through all the time and its been suggested that the following article by our recent essay winner and published in Probation Quarterly last December might be of particular interest to the new cohort of PQiP's:-
Probation and Community Supervision: A 'Magic' Journey
A good starting point to explain why I feel I have an informed opinion about probation and community supervision begins with my history and what brought me to a career as a supervisory practitioner in the Probation Service. I grew up in and around inner cities, and as with many places, there were varying experiences and influences. The reality was that crime, deprivation, disadvantage, and adversity were apparent. Still, there were opportunities, and positive influences from family, friends and existing or future graduates, professionals, community leaders, and so forth. I found that life was partly about choices and opportunities, and at times, we all navigate complex situations and circumstances. I think that when I learnt to do this for myself, I fell into a career in which I could help others to do this too. Subsequently, I trained as a probation officer approximately 21 years ago, so my HMPPS Long Service Medal is well overdue.
The work we do as probation practitioners relies on the belief that people can change and requires the building of good working relationships with people on probation. The probation supervision setting can provide a vital opportunity for individuals to be supported to identify, pursue, and review necessary or desired changes in their lives (Rex, 1999; Ministry of Justice, 2012). As a probation officer, I’ve seen first-hand what helps people to move away from offending and to change their lives for the better. I have learned that past behaviour is not the only predictor of future behaviour, because it is important to recognise current behaviour and future potential too (Hylton, 2014). Sometimes there isn’t any immediately observable or measurable success, and sometimes individuals reoffend. This is because changing behaviour and overcoming problems is rarely a straightforward development, where problematic behaviours and circumstances suddenly stop, and positive or desired ones will instantaneously follow (Hylton, 2015).
The key drivers of offending are yet to be fully understood at the individual level, as are the types of interventions that could be most effective (Home Office, 2018). Many will desist from offending after identifying or making changes which enable them to establish a position of stability, safety, and the building of social capital, therefore helping them to legitimately connect and reconnect with society (McNeill, 2006; Weaver and McNeill, 2007; Home Office, 2018). This can include personal, circumstantial, and situational factors such as maturity, education, homelessness, unemployment, finance, debt, mental health, addictions, relationships, and other factors that can be supported in principle (May, 1999).
Findings suggest that individuals supported by tailored interventions and access to specific services can be assisted to improve circumstances through professionals building open, trusting, and consistent relationships with them (Rex, 1999; Phillips et al, 2024). I’d like to see more of this ‘wrapping a package around the person’, and the development of collaborative supervisory and inter-agency approaches to meet needs, address risks and support desistance.
On Probation
Supervisee 2 left school at an early age and had endured transient accommodation since their early teens. They had moved away from offending as they felt they were “too old”, had cut ties with former associates, were supported to improve their educational skills, and later helped into mentoring and employment. When exploring their motivations through one-to-one programmes focused on attitudes, thinking and behaviour, they eventually shared that ‘lightbulb’ moment and explained, “after I was stabbed, I couldn’t defend myself anymore. I had to learn to use my head and talk myself out of problems. I’m good at it now, I’ve a job and a home [and most positively] soon I’ll be doing your job”. Through talking we were able to ascertain that at the route of this desistance journey was a desire to ‘stay alive’ and be received back into their family network with trust and respect. The Supervisee certainly had my respect, and it would be a pleasure to one day find them working as a probation practitioner.
Supervisee 3 had in the past been loosely connected to various offending groups (gangs) and attributed their offending to being in the wrong place, lack of money, falling out with family and homelessness. The factors they explained as helping them to move away from offending, were having a stable partner, becoming a parent, and completing a vocational qualification in prison. The Supervisee was positive about completing the qualification, as this had led to a job and legitimate income quite soon after release. At the end of the supervision period, the Supervisee expressed their appreciation for “keeping them motivated, believing in them and encouraging them to do better”. This reiterates the importance of probation practitioners building good working relationships with people on probation, as this can be a motivating factor in changing behaviour and reducing reoffending.
Supervisee 4 was a young drug user with significant health problems. We arranged their supervision and drug service appointments on the same day to support them in engaging. We always met outside because they refused to enter the building for fear of being ‘set up’. Every week we’d walk up the High Street to drug services which they only did because we’d pass McDonald’s and I’d buy the Supervisee chicken nuggets. My manager had a fund put aside for this as it was the only way we could get them to engage. My learning with this Supervisee was simply that, sometimes just showing humanity works (and ditching pre-prepared supervision plans). The goal was to motivate the Supervisee to consistently engage with services to primarily address their drug use. After the supervision ended, I’d bump into the Supervisee from time to time and they’d update me on their progress and ongoing relationship with drug services, which always reiterated the value of the relationship I managed to develop through taking this less prescriptive approach to their supervision.
Supervisee 5 distrusted the police, probation, and the mental health team, and was vocal about this. We overcame this through regular joint meetings with all supporting agencies, during which we just let the Supervisee speak. After about 3 months we had built trust and eventually, we got to a place where we could say “let’s try it this way”, and they’d listen. That’s how we helped the Supervisee engage, reconnect with family, keep a home, and improve independence. The power of communication and taking the time to develop the relationship was essential to the success of this Supervisee.
Supervisee 6 counted their sentence in football World Cups, so when imprisoned for somewhere in the region of 12 years, they were like, ‘boom, 3 World Cups and I’m free’. We once spoke about how they could have made better choices at an earlier stage and they opened up about their journey. At the end, they got up and said, ‘scrap that, I wouldn’t change a thing, I’d have ‘grafted’ more and invested it all in Bitcoin but wouldn’t have committed that last offence’. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but they were reflecting, showing remorse, and expressing they could have done things differently which is at times all we can ask for as probation practitioners.
Supervisee 7 is my most memorable story and concerns a young person I worked with through their time in prison, back into the community, the family home, and into college, all while struggling to keep away from negative peers. I remember shortly before the end of the supervision period the Supervisee got into university and dropped in to share the news. When I congratulated the Supervisee for what they had achieved, they said, “We did it together”. In truth, I did very little and for me, this is what probation and community supervision work is about, helping and overseeing people lead and change their lives for the better.
The Overall Message
A good starting point to explain why I feel I have an informed opinion about probation and community supervision begins with my history and what brought me to a career as a supervisory practitioner in the Probation Service. I grew up in and around inner cities, and as with many places, there were varying experiences and influences. The reality was that crime, deprivation, disadvantage, and adversity were apparent. Still, there were opportunities, and positive influences from family, friends and existing or future graduates, professionals, community leaders, and so forth. I found that life was partly about choices and opportunities, and at times, we all navigate complex situations and circumstances. I think that when I learnt to do this for myself, I fell into a career in which I could help others to do this too. Subsequently, I trained as a probation officer approximately 21 years ago, so my HMPPS Long Service Medal is well overdue.
The work we do as probation practitioners relies on the belief that people can change and requires the building of good working relationships with people on probation. The probation supervision setting can provide a vital opportunity for individuals to be supported to identify, pursue, and review necessary or desired changes in their lives (Rex, 1999; Ministry of Justice, 2012). As a probation officer, I’ve seen first-hand what helps people to move away from offending and to change their lives for the better. I have learned that past behaviour is not the only predictor of future behaviour, because it is important to recognise current behaviour and future potential too (Hylton, 2014). Sometimes there isn’t any immediately observable or measurable success, and sometimes individuals reoffend. This is because changing behaviour and overcoming problems is rarely a straightforward development, where problematic behaviours and circumstances suddenly stop, and positive or desired ones will instantaneously follow (Hylton, 2015).
The key drivers of offending are yet to be fully understood at the individual level, as are the types of interventions that could be most effective (Home Office, 2018). Many will desist from offending after identifying or making changes which enable them to establish a position of stability, safety, and the building of social capital, therefore helping them to legitimately connect and reconnect with society (McNeill, 2006; Weaver and McNeill, 2007; Home Office, 2018). This can include personal, circumstantial, and situational factors such as maturity, education, homelessness, unemployment, finance, debt, mental health, addictions, relationships, and other factors that can be supported in principle (May, 1999).
Findings suggest that individuals supported by tailored interventions and access to specific services can be assisted to improve circumstances through professionals building open, trusting, and consistent relationships with them (Rex, 1999; Phillips et al, 2024). I’d like to see more of this ‘wrapping a package around the person’, and the development of collaborative supervisory and inter-agency approaches to meet needs, address risks and support desistance.
On Probation
A former Regional Probation Director (Steve Johnson-Proctor) once said,
Supervisee 1 was one of my earlier supervisory experiences, an older individual with a history of anti-social behaviour and a pattern of assaulting public-sector workers. I knew much of the theory but sat thinking about what to say to this person who, I assumed was different to me in so many ways. Yet, I found we were not that different. We spent weekly supervision meetings over the next year talking about their anger and behaviour triggers. I had learnt techniques from rehabilitation programmes and had access to an independent anger counsellor. I used the concepts in individual supervision sessions, ‘red flags, green flags’, ‘perspective taking’, ‘anger cues’, and ‘fact, opinion, guess’. My learning was to try simple methods, like talking and listening about the thoughts and feelings underlying the offending behaviour. This enabled the introduction of strategies they could use to calm and reinterpret emerging frustrations, rather than reacting aggressively to them. Positively, the Supervisee became increasingly motivated to talk through situations they had encountered and avoided.“Never forget that the greatest source of support for any Probation worker is to be found in the enormous knowledge base of their colleagues’ shared experiences”.
Accordingly, to draw attention to the importance of supervisory probation practices and the impact they can have in supporting individuals and reducing reoffending, I’ve shared some examples of experiences working in supervisory settings, with a range of supervised individuals who have exhibited a variety of behaviours including serious violence, group offending and recidivism. These experiences have been anonymised, and their inclusion is undoubtedly selective, in accordance with my more memorable experiences, of which there are many.
Supervisee 2 left school at an early age and had endured transient accommodation since their early teens. They had moved away from offending as they felt they were “too old”, had cut ties with former associates, were supported to improve their educational skills, and later helped into mentoring and employment. When exploring their motivations through one-to-one programmes focused on attitudes, thinking and behaviour, they eventually shared that ‘lightbulb’ moment and explained, “after I was stabbed, I couldn’t defend myself anymore. I had to learn to use my head and talk myself out of problems. I’m good at it now, I’ve a job and a home [and most positively] soon I’ll be doing your job”. Through talking we were able to ascertain that at the route of this desistance journey was a desire to ‘stay alive’ and be received back into their family network with trust and respect. The Supervisee certainly had my respect, and it would be a pleasure to one day find them working as a probation practitioner.
Supervisee 3 had in the past been loosely connected to various offending groups (gangs) and attributed their offending to being in the wrong place, lack of money, falling out with family and homelessness. The factors they explained as helping them to move away from offending, were having a stable partner, becoming a parent, and completing a vocational qualification in prison. The Supervisee was positive about completing the qualification, as this had led to a job and legitimate income quite soon after release. At the end of the supervision period, the Supervisee expressed their appreciation for “keeping them motivated, believing in them and encouraging them to do better”. This reiterates the importance of probation practitioners building good working relationships with people on probation, as this can be a motivating factor in changing behaviour and reducing reoffending.
Supervisee 4 was a young drug user with significant health problems. We arranged their supervision and drug service appointments on the same day to support them in engaging. We always met outside because they refused to enter the building for fear of being ‘set up’. Every week we’d walk up the High Street to drug services which they only did because we’d pass McDonald’s and I’d buy the Supervisee chicken nuggets. My manager had a fund put aside for this as it was the only way we could get them to engage. My learning with this Supervisee was simply that, sometimes just showing humanity works (and ditching pre-prepared supervision plans). The goal was to motivate the Supervisee to consistently engage with services to primarily address their drug use. After the supervision ended, I’d bump into the Supervisee from time to time and they’d update me on their progress and ongoing relationship with drug services, which always reiterated the value of the relationship I managed to develop through taking this less prescriptive approach to their supervision.
Supervisee 5 distrusted the police, probation, and the mental health team, and was vocal about this. We overcame this through regular joint meetings with all supporting agencies, during which we just let the Supervisee speak. After about 3 months we had built trust and eventually, we got to a place where we could say “let’s try it this way”, and they’d listen. That’s how we helped the Supervisee engage, reconnect with family, keep a home, and improve independence. The power of communication and taking the time to develop the relationship was essential to the success of this Supervisee.
Supervisee 6 counted their sentence in football World Cups, so when imprisoned for somewhere in the region of 12 years, they were like, ‘boom, 3 World Cups and I’m free’. We once spoke about how they could have made better choices at an earlier stage and they opened up about their journey. At the end, they got up and said, ‘scrap that, I wouldn’t change a thing, I’d have ‘grafted’ more and invested it all in Bitcoin but wouldn’t have committed that last offence’. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but they were reflecting, showing remorse, and expressing they could have done things differently which is at times all we can ask for as probation practitioners.
Supervisee 7 is my most memorable story and concerns a young person I worked with through their time in prison, back into the community, the family home, and into college, all while struggling to keep away from negative peers. I remember shortly before the end of the supervision period the Supervisee got into university and dropped in to share the news. When I congratulated the Supervisee for what they had achieved, they said, “We did it together”. In truth, I did very little and for me, this is what probation and community supervision work is about, helping and overseeing people lead and change their lives for the better.
The Overall Message
There is no ‘magic ingredient’ to these stories of rehabilitation and change, a question a Justice Minister once asked me. The real explanation is in the commitment of supervised individuals in pursuing and achieving progressive life changes, and the dedication of the professionals within probation and community services working together to support them. The importance of the supervision session and investing in developing practitioner skills and availability, including the empowerment to be creative, autonomous, and flexible alongside access to suitable resources, is key to the effectiveness of rehabilitation approaches. This could be further explored through the continuous focus on understanding and improving what is achieved within the ‘black box’ of probation supervision and the wide-ranging roles of supervisory practitioners (Hylton, 2015; Raynor, 2019).
The way forward in shaping wider solutions for probation strategies to improve re-entry, resettlement, and rehabilitation should come from frontline supervisory practitioners and those successfully ceasing offending and completing periods of supervision. With the right conditions, the people in prison and on probation today can and do become the professionals and leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, future justice policies must benefit from incorporating input from those currently in prison and on probation with positive messages against the negative forms of behaviours and lifestyles of which they were formally part. (Hylton, 2014; Weaver and McNeill, 2007).
The way forward in shaping wider solutions for probation strategies to improve re-entry, resettlement, and rehabilitation should come from frontline supervisory practitioners and those successfully ceasing offending and completing periods of supervision. With the right conditions, the people in prison and on probation today can and do become the professionals and leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, future justice policies must benefit from incorporating input from those currently in prison and on probation with positive messages against the negative forms of behaviours and lifestyles of which they were formally part. (Hylton, 2014; Weaver and McNeill, 2007).
Jamal Hylton
My Grandson who's just turned 14 is about to start his GCSE stream. We had a long chat about what he wants to do for a career. He's quite bright and soaks up information like a sponge.
ReplyDeleteHe knows I spent 22 years in the RAF, then a 2nd career of 14 years in the PS. I took early retirement in 2020. He's got no interest in wearing a uniform. He's fascinated by crime - law & order. He said he'd been researching the PS and is very interested in opting for a career within it.
As things stand, I've advised him not to consider it and pointed him to this blog.
Whatever he choses, it's his choice. Prior to TR I would have supported him joining, but not now.
Perhaps in the next few years things will improve and the PS would be a good career option but I'm not holding my breath.
some observations from a quick news trawl via a search engine.
ReplyDeleteOur dearest, oldest friends at nacro, dating back to May'25:
"New report details how years of chronic underfunding have left the probation service on its knees"
HMI Inspectorate Report details ‘major shortfalls’ in how the probation service operates in England and Wales...
* Probation were not meeting the needs of regions or the people on probation they managed
* Inspectors were not assured that public protection and reducing reoffending were central to the commissioning and delivery of services
* A continued high shortfall of probation officers, high workloads and junior staff without little support, were all cited as contributing factors to the poor delivery of the service
* The number of people being recalled to prison has doubled in the past decade to 13,000 a year.
* Now one in seven, or nearly 15 per cent of the jail population in England and Wales is comprised of people on recall.
Unison also made some noise in May'25:
"Damning report should lead to devolved probation service... Toxic conditions in the service are a legacy of Grayling reforms and underfunding"
And did this get an airing in June?
https://news.sky.com/story/my-job-has-made-me-cry-frightened-and-anxious-but-i-genuinely-believe-we-make-a-difference-life-as-a-probation-officer-13381271
A more recent (1 july) torygraph (paywall) story began:
"Thousands of criminals are no longer being supervised by probation officers in the community just four months after being freed from jail, internal Ministry of Justice (MoJ) documents show..."
So NAPO have proposed a motion for strike action with respect to pay and conditions. We need to avoid inertia and get behind this. Strike action needs to have an impact to be of any value so think about that. If we just take a day off and then shift appointments/ make up the hours later it won't have any impact at all.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree annon @09:25.
DeleteI would however add the erosion of professional standards to the pay and conditions complaint.
Strike action (if taken) must have an impact that is more then just a display of disgruntled staff, with the government fully aware that they are going to save on wages, but know the work will be done regardless when the staff are no longer on the picket line.
My own view is that probation now holds some significant power in any strike negation given the overall state of the CJS and the role probation is being asked to play in it.
Often a reason given for not taking strike action in the past was the POs commitment to the client. That may once have been a true and worthy sentiment. In today's world of probation however, and the model it operates under I doubt many clients would feel disadvantaged. Infact industrial action should be seen as an attempt to advance what the PO can do for the client instead of just applying the same old tick box and signposting regime.
'Getafix
Truth be told, from a union perspective a probation strike only works if staff across the board pull out. So probation offices, approved premises, unpaid work sites, even in courts and prison offender management units. I doubt the 3 probation unions have this type of coverage, but if it did …
DeleteWatcher, I’ve often asked myself the same question, is it a career I can genuinely encourage? But the truth is, probation remains a profession in its own right, whether pursued long term or used as a stepping stone to something else. Not everyone in the service is at their wits’ end; some still find real value in the work, and even enjoy it, warts and all.
ReplyDeleteNothing professional about this job get real no surgeries no fees no critical assesment no proper scientific analysis who you people trying to kid. No one outside of probation would see managing offenders in community as some sort of professional discipline. No more than a prison officer or a police officer all the same finger in the in air guess the wind direction makes a simple decision within a fixed and defined set of limitations says it all . No autonomy no responsibility all a farce. Professional as what your joking yourselves.
DeleteI disagree. There’s a lot of good work and good relationships going on in probation offices. The tick box risk adverse culture doesn’t work, but probation is a profession and does have a place.
DeleteAnd Anon 13:23 “managing offenders” is where I disagree. Probation shouldnt be managing anyone, it should be helping and assisting. Isn’t this what the “winning essay” reminds us of?
Deletehttps://napomagazine.org.uk/the-concept-of-professionalism-in-probation-a-view-from-the-frontline/
2116 of course we shouldn't be managing people. However much you disagree name any task that's a professional aspect of the job. Not one task is the preserve of any officers not also done by others. Covering aspects duty on leave or the computer. Deputising . Hostel work and whatever else is needed. There is not enough membership to see any action including strikes so this whole side show is orchestrated nonsense. Any action would see pso fill the po absences no issues would arises and the risk will only illustrate you don't need a po to carry on the job can be done by Noddy and his mates . Crikey the standard of tactical intelligence has left this organisation a while back. Probations biggest obstacle to demonstrate a meaningful dispute is the Napo leader who is seen as allied by management.
DeleteWalk into any probation office and you’ll find plenty of good staff working hard to support people. There’s no shortage of research and publications detailing what probation staff actually do — those Napo/CCJS essays are a good starting point. The post above gives a solid account too. Whether you call it managing, supporting, or something else, I don’t expect everyone to agree it’s a “profession” — but a Probation Officer is exactly that.
DeleteNo the only task requiring a professional assesment thoughts and process free of defined oasys outcomes was the psr. Removing that task killed all professionalism defined by a qualified certification. If you don't understand this fundamental point your lost. Michael Howard had it all marked out for us when he wanted soldiers to be recruited. They didn't come but the message was anyone can do that job . He also removed the qualifying routeways.
Delete07:53 I made the same point about Jeremy Corbyn. Had he have stood aside in 2019 the country would have been spared Boris Johnson. However ego first for jezza and despite what you said about the Napo leader he may well be there by ego too but his age must be a factor.
Deletewell, well, what a pickle for all these new recruits as the state pension age looks set to be reviewed upwards even faster than anticipated.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aol.co.uk/news/state-pension-age-reviewed-workers-101004142.html
Britain’s state pension age is set to be reviewed, the Government has announced.
The Government assesses the retirement age, currently 66 and increasing to 67 in 2026, every six years but appears to be starting this one early as the last one was done in 2023.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, said workers today “aren't saving enough for their retirement” as she revealed Labour will be reviving the pensions commission on Monday.
Before 2010: Men could claim the State Pension at 65, and women at 60.
2010-2020: The women's State Pension age gradually increased to match men's, reaching 65 in November 2018.
2018-2026: The State Pension age is 66 for those born before April 6, 1960, while the State Pension age is gradually increasing to 67 in March 2028 for those born on or after April 6, 1960.
Loss of the Triple Lock will be next; then reduction in State Pension rates alongside further raising of the SP age.
What a time to be alive!
More reason to start a career asap. Probation does have a decent pension scheme. Applications for the PQiP opens 28th July 2025.
Deletehttps://prisonandprobationjobs.gov.uk/roles-at-hmpps/overview-of-the-probation-officer-role/how-to-apply/
To become a probation officer you need to:
Deletebe at least 18 years old
have the right to work in the UK and Civil Service (GOV.UK, opens in a new tab)
have a minimum of a level 3 qualification in any subject (for example, A levels, a level 3 award, a level 3 national diploma or level 3 NVQ)
have experience of working with challenging individuals whose lives are in crisis and display challenging behaviour (this can be paid or unpaid experience)
As part of our vetting procedures, you’ll be asked to declare all convictions, cautions and absolute or conditional discharges – however long ago they occurred. A previous conviction does not necessarily mean you cannot become a probation officer. Applications are always considered on their individual merits before a decision is reached. We encourage applications from people with lived experience because we believe this can make a positive difference for the people in our care.
You also need to have lived in the UK for the last 3 years to pass the correct level of vetting to access our secure IT systems.
ReplyDeleteDreaming of a new career? Sam Gildersleeve talks to our Money team about the realities of being a probation officer.
https://news.sky.com/story/my-job-has-made-me-cry-frightened-and-anxious-but-i-genuinely-believe-we-make-a-difference-life-as-a-probation-officer-13381271
I see a book coming, Hylton & Gildersleeve
ReplyDelete