Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Justice
Adam Bailey
Director, Probation and Reoffending Policy at Ministry of Justice
James McEwen
Director General CEO at HM Prison and Probation Service
Jim Barton
Executive Director, Capacity Implementation at HM Prisons and Probation Service
Kim Thornden-Edwards
Chief Probation Officer at HMPPS
Here's what the Committee were exercised about:-
Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service
The Probation Service is suffering from poor performance and persistent staffing shortages, particularly of qualified probation officers. The National Audit Office in its recent report found a service under significant strain following reforms in 2021, meeting only 26% (seven out of 27) of its performance targets in 2024-25.
While HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has made efforts at recruitment and retention, in 2024 it found it had been underestimating the number of sentence management staff by around 40% (around 6,900 full-time equivalent staff.) This meant it had been operating with only about half the staff needed to manage offenders' sentences.
In an evidence session with senior officials from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS, the PAC will seek answers as to why probation performance has gotten worse, not better, despite past reforms. Other likely topics for questioning include the management of the Our Future Probation Service programme, and how this will achieve its planned aims to reduce workloads by 25%.
Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service
The Probation Service is suffering from poor performance and persistent staffing shortages, particularly of qualified probation officers. The National Audit Office in its recent report found a service under significant strain following reforms in 2021, meeting only 26% (seven out of 27) of its performance targets in 2024-25.
While HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has made efforts at recruitment and retention, in 2024 it found it had been underestimating the number of sentence management staff by around 40% (around 6,900 full-time equivalent staff.) This meant it had been operating with only about half the staff needed to manage offenders' sentences.
In an evidence session with senior officials from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS, the PAC will seek answers as to why probation performance has gotten worse, not better, despite past reforms. Other likely topics for questioning include the management of the Our Future Probation Service programme, and how this will achieve its planned aims to reduce workloads by 25%.
I was alerted to this session by catching a clip on the BBC Radio 4 'Today in Parliament' slot at 11.30 last night, no doubt to be repeated at 5am this morning.The snippet I caught of Clive Betts laying into Jo Farrar and her deeply unimpressive bluster in response confirms in my mind that the whole two hour session will repay close examination and almost certainly will be more shocking and impactful than trying to plough through the transcript when available. As I'm preparing this 'holding' blog post, some early comments
Seems hmpps' perm sec got a kicking about probation staffing today... Tonight's bbcr4 Today in Westminster... I'm sure there's a transcript online somewhere.
Excruciating, embarrassing, dishonest, delusional... Utter bollox from farrar & mcewen: "a situation we inherited"... Fucking liars...
are confirming my suspicion that this car crash of a session just might turn out to be of huge significance for the incompetents in charge at Petty France.
For those that want to leap straight in with either a strong coffee or stiff whisky, here's the link to the excrutiating video:-
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/7de0b0ba-a35c-4337-86f1-4f189810733e
I've now endured the whole session:-
Floundering, bullshitting, waffle. Key bits:-
Data moving in the right direction, not complacent, listening to staff concerns, more complex caseload, recalling for the right reasons, didn't take eye off the ball, inherited difficult situation, fair and manageable workload, we now understand the full picture, £700 million, digital platforms, recruitment, brave decisions, hoping for a virtuous circle, it's why we're here as a service - to protect the public, no big bang changes, impressed with governance, 30 plus initiatives on the way, Our Future Probation Service, (OFPS), Impact, Reset, address 25% capacity gap,£700 million, transcribe will allow higher caseloads, digital tools will help fill capacity gap, review of OMIC, tackling the root causes
Loved this bit:-
Chair "HMPPS have been behind the curve all along because they think they know how long it takes to do a job and the staff keep telling them it takes longer. How can we have any confidence you actually know how many staff you need to do the work?"
Answer "Staff surveys reveal staff are actually doing more than they need to."
What is my take on what I've heard?
1) A deeply, deeply unimpressive management team
2) A total failure to admit Probation is utterly dysfunctional
3) Politicians who don't understand Probation and that it's heading in the wrong direction
4) Probation has no effective voice with a coherent plan for structural reform
5) Public protection is NOT the main purpose of Probation.
6) Rehabilitation should be the main purpose and public protection thus follows
7) Management have no clue what is involved in being a Probation Officer
8) Tagging at prison? What could possibly go wrong?
9) Scope for diverting some people to voluntary sector - social work needs perhaps?
10) Naive belief in tagging answer to everything
Excruciating to watch the lies, but it may actually bring some joy to us to watch the grilling of our illustrious leaders. Not once did they however mention or site the recent attacks on staff. And silence from our ‘leaders’ on the intranet no messages of support, hope or care. Where are they? Something to hide? Or just keeping us quiet. Shame.
ReplyDeleteGood point 05:46. In the days post-attempted murder in Preston, we (rightly) had multiple posts on the Intranet and an all-staff call led by the Chief Probation Officer. It's almost a week since the stabbing in Oxford and it's crickets... They disgust me
ReplyDeleteAgenda Mon 1 Dec 2025
ReplyDeleteAt 3:00pm: Private discussion
Inquiry Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service
At 3:30pm: Oral evidence
Inquiry Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service
Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE - Permanent Secretary at MoJ
Adam Bailey - Director, Probation and Reoffending Policy at MoJ
James McEwen - Director General CEO at HMPPS
Jim Barton - Executive Director, Capacity Implementation at HMPPS
Kim Thornden-Edwards - Chief Probation Officer at HMPPS
(collectively ~ £750,000pa of taxpayer funds, at a guess)
https://committees.parliament.uk/event/25029/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
Transcript will be uploaded to the above link, probably later today.
"The Probation Service is suffering from poor performance and persistent staffing shortages, particularly of qualified probation officers. The National Audit Office in its recent report found a service under significant strain following reforms in 2021, meeting only 26% (seven out of 27) of its performance targets in 2024-25.
While HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has made efforts at recruitment and retention, in 2024 it found it had been underestimating the number of sentence management staff by around 40% (around 6,900 full-time equivalent staff.) This meant it had been operating with only about half the staff needed to manage offenders' sentences.
In an evidence session with senior officials from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS, the PAC will seek answers as to why probation performance has gotten worse, not better, despite past reforms. Other likely topics for questioning include the management of the Our Future Probation Service programme, and how this will achieve its planned aims to reduce workloads by 25%."
https://hmiprobation.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/document/national-inspection-april-2025/
Ratings
Leadership Requires improvement
Staffing Requires improvement
Services Inadequate
IT and infrastructure Requires improvement
Out of the witnesses its probably only mcewen who had no hand in the systemic disassembly of probation provision over the last decade.
farrar's utterly disingenuous claim of "inheriting" the mess is beyond offensive; she was central to so much until she was finally promoted out of sight, only to return recently.
I haven't dared watch it as yet so have no idea if the anonymous, invisible CPO (the easiest £100k anyone will ever earn) is, in fact, a real person - or just another hmpps infotech project, an AI, hologram... a Ma-m-m-Max Headroom CPO (for those who are o-o-o-old enough - yah).
So no one asked them why they're incapable of offering a pay rise? I'll watch later, just to note they use to advertise these on the intranet to encourage staff to watch but I didn't see anything this time, might have misses it though
ReplyDeleteApparently, post ‘Unification’‘ the MOJ working on a management tool of 2008 didn’t know staff were struggling or indeed often working well beyond their contactual hours. This blog overtime has consistently evidenced otherwise and indeed via my own contact with staff. The MOJ suggests that they ’deeply believe’ had they known they would have taken action ? I’m glad Lloyd Hatton challenged this thinking on a number of occasion's. Given all the meetings the MOJ were having with Probation Leaders, Napo, visits to Offices and speaking to frontline staff; it’s hugely difficult to understand how it could have been such a surprise. However, they do go on the re-assure Probation that things are a lot better ? IanGould5 Sadly, there was nothing about the recent assaults, staff morale or pay.
ReplyDeleteI watched a regional staff call about the supposed changes coming in 2026, and it was all nonsense, managers clapping and giving thumbs-up while the rest of us sat there thinking, what on earth is this crap, and where’s the pay rise? And not that 2% token increase, either.
ReplyDeleteFarar, Thornden-Edwards, McEwan, Lammy, every one of the probation AEDs and Regional Directors, remains silent. They should be out in probation offices and in front of the media, apologising for the recent incidents, explaining how they intend to improve pay, conditions and security, and asking staff directly what needs to change. Probation is inadequate because of them. And for a start, they could stop obsessing over IT, AI and EM tagging, and redirect that £700 million where it’s actually needed, beginning with pay rises.
The second you make references today rise your points are all lost. Money is not the Panacea the structures are flawed and need a rewrite. The money is a secondary issue. Not for the principled debate. Stop weakening our collective
DeleteWhat an absolutely shit show by these so called leaders.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, links really well with the comments on blog Saturday, 29 November 2025
ReplyDeleteWhat Probation Has Become!!!
Anon at 10:14 *smile*
DeleteThe Chief Probation Officer, Kim has asked for an ‘all staff’ call today after her disastrous and poor feedback at the public accounts committee lol.
ReplyDeleteThe shameless incompetents will no doubt claim the committee hearing was a great success, that they championed their vision for a new service & the £700million will make everything better. Useless tossers. To have such blinkered, swivel-eyed idiots running the show is far more dangerous for the public. Not a single PDU made the grade per hmip inspections. That's on their conscience, on their watch.
ReplyDeleteGlass screened interview rooms safety barriers and more ai will shut you lot up is their attitudes.
ReplyDeleteyesterday UNISON submitted a pay claim for local government staff in England, Cymru and Northern Ireland. Our key demand is for an increase of at least £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) on every pay point – this is based on a one-year settlement. Plus, a minimum p
ReplyDeleteLocal government looking at pay for next year already …
ReplyDelete