No Review then, just a diktat from Labour government:-
Speaking at a probation office in London (12 February), Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out her vision for the future of a Probation Service that protects the public, reduces reoffending and makes our streets safer as part of the Government’s plan for change.
To support this work, the Justice Secretary announced that 1,300 new probation officers will be recruited by March 2026. These new hires are in addition to the 1,000 officers to be recruited by this March, previously announced by Shabana Mahmood when she took office in July last year.
In her speech, the Justice Secretary argued that probation officers have been asked to do too much for too long. They have been burdened with high workloads and a one size fits all approach to managing offenders, regardless of the risk that they present to the public. This has meant officers have been unable to pay enough attention to those offenders who pose the greatest risk to society. This has led, in some cases, to missed warning signs where offenders have gone on to commit serious further offences, including murder.
With all probation units inspected in 2024 marked as “inadequate” or “requires improvement”, changes will now be made to help staff refocus their efforts where they have the greatest impact – with the offenders who need the most attention.
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood said:
The Probation Service must focus more time with offenders who are a danger to the public, and the prolific offenders whose repeat offending make life a misery for so many.
That means for low-risk offenders, we need to change our approach too. We need to tackle the root causes of their reoffending, and end a one-size-fits-all approach that isn’t working.
The first job of the state is to keep its people safe. Today, as part of our Plan for Change, I have set out changes to the probation service to protect the public and make our streets safer.
Greater time with higher risk offenders will be made possible by changing probation’s approach to the management of low risk offenders. Probation staff will now intervene earlier with these offenders, to understand the support they require and refer them to the services that will tackle the root causes of their reoffending.
These interventions are crucial as the latest data shows that the reoffending rate for those without stable accommodation is double those who are homeless, offenders employed six weeks after leaving prison had a reoffending rate around half of those out of work, and reoffending amongst those who complete drug treatment are 19 percentage points lower. This will help tackle a pressing issue the Criminal Justice System faces, with around 80 percent% of offenders now reoffenders.
The Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones said:
The Probation Service does a vital job; however, our independent inspections highlight the serious challenges it faces- too few staff, with too little experience, managing too many cases to succeed.
These plans, which rightly focus on increasing probation resources and prioritising the most serious cases, are a positive step towards increasing impact on reoffending and better protecting the public.
To reduce the administrative burden resting on probation officers’ shoulders, the Justice Secretary will also introduce new technology including:
- A digital tool that will put all the information a probation officer might need to know about an offender into one place.
- Trialling a new system for risk assessing offenders, to make it more straightforward for probation officers to make robust decisions.
- Exploring the potential of AI to be used to automatically record and transcribe supervision conversations by taking notes in real time, which will allow probation staff to focus on building relationships while removing the need to write up notes into a computer afterwards.
Over the three years to April 2024, the probation service did not deliver these courses to nearly 13,000 offenders before their sentence expired. To address this issue, the Probation Service must now put in place a process of prioritisation so they will be delivered to offenders at the greatest risk of reoffending or causing serious harm. For those who will now not complete an accredited programme, they remain under the supervision of a probation officer. All the other requirements they face will remain in place.
Further information:Today’s speech will be published on gov.uk
Guidance will be issued to staff in the coming weeks to deliver these crucial changes that will ultimately help to cut crime and keep the public safe.
There's SO much of this I want to pull apart but right now can't. What I would highlight is the % of people re-offending and the presumption this is due to lack of intervention by Probation rather than societal issues such as homelessness, lack of resources with drugs and mental health services as well as a whole range of other issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's like the powers that be have no idea, or don't care....both dangerous stances!
Bravo! Couldn’t have put it better. If they are not released or sentenced with the required ‘wrap around blanket’ of the basic protective factors then we are standing on the quarterdeck in a Force 5 gale whistling against the wind through our arse and have no chance at recidivism.
DeleteHow many times have we all heard this or a version of it. Focus on the high risk and a sophisticated government computer system is coming to save us all!
ReplyDeleteWhat will they propose if the PoP refuses real time recordings and AI transcripts of appointment conversations? There will have to be consent ito Data Protection Act. They are paranoid enough as it is that CCTV could be recording audio conversations.
Delete“The Probation Service must focus more time with offenders who are a danger to the public, and the prolific offenders whose repeat offending make life a misery for so many.”
ReplyDeleteDid she copy and paste that from a 2014 manual for the NPS?
Deck chairs!
Not this again!?
ReplyDeleteNPS?
The Probation Service must focus more time with offenders who are a danger to the public, and the prolific offenders whose repeat offending make life a misery for so many.
CRC?
That means for low-risk offenders, we need to change our approach too. We need to tackle the root causes of their reoffending, and end a one-size-fits-all approach that isn’t working.
So ‘our future probation’ will focus on removing 25% of our current work to allow capacity for the 25% increase in demand due to the diversion from custody. No money to recruit so only option to remove some of our current remit. Disband OMIC and put the resources back in the community. Remove POs from courts and reintroduce end to end offender management. Remove PSS ? But I fear , like TR , hundreds of thousands will be spent on consultations just for them to still make a hash of it and in reality front line staff will be left to deal with even more with less ..
ReplyDeleteThe High Risk cases aren’t so much the issue so long as allocations are made effectively in the first place with informed risk literacy. Most SFOs come from under-risked Medium Risk cases. The Justice Secretary has this information. Besides for the really tricky offenders, there is the National Security Division. What will further help a POPs journey to a path of righteousness: being told in prison that if they are on licence they are still serving a sentence; meaningful employment- removing this CRS intervention was folly. An understanding in custody drilled into the POP that we are not Right Move or Purple Bricks: we are not housing providers. Better mental health provision in prisons rather than take two tablets and this too will pass. Please touch hairs on the prisons heads and get them to do more of the prep work in prison. So probation isn’t sullied with Finnish interventions interspersed with Part As. Be more focused on the former. Ultimately, it’s all in the prep from custody- way before the dreaded POM/COM handover- to allocations in the community. This would help manage high risk offenders. Once you compartmentalise risk as if their a bunch of demonic unmanageables, you ignore the humanity and potential for change of the offender and the notion that risk is fluid and nuanced.
ReplyDelete‘ the Justice Secretary announced that 1,300 new probation officers will be recruited by March 2026. These new hires are in addition to the 1,000 officers to be recruited by this March, previously announced by Shabana Mahmood when she took office in July last year.’
ReplyDeleteNothing I have seen indicates how they intend to deal with retention of long serving (long suffering ) staff who are haemorrhaging at great pace. Wages, terms and conditions are going in reverse and employees both old and new are voting with their feet.
Equally, ‘With all probation units inspected in 2024 marked as “inadequate” or “requires improvement”, changes will now be made to help staff refocus their efforts where they have the greatest impact.’
Dare I suggest that staff at the sharp end are fully conversant with what needs to be done, but the fact that every inspection demonstrates a need for improvement indicates that the problems are systemic. Staff have been pointing this out for years but the glorious leadership have blatantly ignored the evidence, demanding more of the same.
I think the two issues above are interconnected and would serve as an indicator as to where the problems lie. I doubt that anybody is listening or indeed cares.
I fear this means the end of community orders. So ironically even more folk will go into prison. How is this progress?
ReplyDeleteExplain your rationale for your statement please.
DeleteIt’s the culture the problem and the values or lack of that’s the issue , was with a probation officer doing a report for someone who she discovered had obvious mental health issues ,her conclusion custody as he is mentally ill ,what’s the point ?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lord-chancellors-sets-out-her-vision-for-the-probation-service
ReplyDeletePlease note the political content has been removed from this speech.
Today, we are in Southwark, the home of London’s probation service, one of the busiest in the country.
I want to talk about the future of our probation service today.
But to look to that future, I think we must first look to the past.
Because it was here, in Southwark, that the probation service first took root.
Over 150 years ago, the Church of England’s temperance movement posted a man called George Nelson to Southwark’s police court.
Nelson was the first of a band of missionaries, driven by their faith and strict teetotalism, who gave up their time to help offenders give up the drink.
Addiction then, as addiction now, drove much criminal behaviour…
And the approach worked.
In fact, it worked so well that the courts came to rely on missionaries like Nelson.
A system soon developed where offenders would be released on the condition that they kept in touch with these volunteers.
Because what began as a moral cause proved to have a practical purpose:
These missionaries led to less crime and fewer victims.
As this Government might say: they made our streets safer.
By the early twentieth century, this voluntary service was so greatly valued that it was placed on a statutory footing.
The 1907 Probation of Offenders Act established the first formal structure for probation…
And the volunteers became professionals.
The 1925 Criminal Justice Act paid probation officers a regular wage.
By the 1950s, probation’s work expanded to offenders on parole.
And by the 1980s, the service was focused increasingly on prison releases.
Too often overlooked, with our focus invariably falling on the police or on prisons…
But while there have been bright moments in the service’s past, we must acknowledge the dark days too.
In 2014 the service was split:
Part remained in the public sector, managing the highest-risk offenders.
The rest was hived off, to be run by the private sector, who would supervise those of low and medium risk.
Workloads increased, as new offenders were brought under supervision for the first time…
The number of people on probation increased between December 2014 and December 2016, with almost 50,000 offenders newly under its remit.
Scarce resources were stretched further than ever…
Morale plummeted.
And worrying numbers voted with their feet, leaving the service altogether…
Between 2017 and 2018, just 5 of 37 audits carried out by HMPPS demonstrated that expected standards were being met.
In 2019, 8 out of 10 companies inspected received the lowest possible rating – “inadequate” – for supervising offenders.
The Chief Inspector called them “irredeemably flawed”.
And the service was labelled ‘inadequate’.
Probation officers are drawn to the profession not because it is just another job.
This job is a vocation, even a calling…
They are, after all, the inheritors of those missionaries of 150 years ago.
They are experts in their discipline…
But, wait for it...
A dreadful analysis leaving out the crucial bits from 1990 - I wrote more but lost it in cyber space - but it was nothing that has not been said before repeatedly in this blog.
Delete... Here comes the new nightmare:
ReplyDeleteWe will soon pilot a digital tool that will put all the information a probation officer needs to know into one place.
We’re also trialling a new system for risk assessing offenders, to make it more straightforward for probation officers to make robust decisions.
In time, we believe that AI could play a more active role in supporting staff to supervise offenders – for example, drawing on the data we have on an offender to suggest a supervision plan tailored to them.
We have introduced new training, to better identify risk…
New digital tools, as I have mentioned already, will draw together the critical pieces of information from partner organisations, like the police.
"We’re also trialling a new system for risk assessing offenders, to make it more straightforward for probation officers to make robust decisions.
A group of officers in Brighton started using this in December last year…"
And what do they think? Or are they gagged by NDAs & bound by commercially sensitive restrictions?
Utter gibberish and nonsense - missing out the repeated problems of the flawed computer systems introduced top down without proper trialling.
Deleteif something works in Brighton - it needs to be confirmed in places like North Wales and where offices have been removed and bus services diminished & in places like the west end of London where criminals are sucked.
This week's news from around the globe has confirmed we are in a new order - one dictated by bullies, liars, cheats & the morally corrupt. Anyone & everyone with an ounce of power or influence is covering for each other.
ReplyDeleteThe self-proclaimed "deal maker", aka the orange tumour, has everyone by the genitals & is revelling in the squeals, the notoriety & the capitulation.
Its hugely disappointing that the current new labour party is populated by rampant fantasy capitalists & a new breed of snake oil re-sellers, happy to pretend they are what they are not.
My only hope is that the pendulum keeps swinging:
"The time for one complete cycle, a left swing and a right swing, is called the period. The period depends on the length of the pendulum and also to a slight degree on the amplitude, the width of the pendulum's swing... The SI unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz)..."
The SI unit of intended consequences? The Hurts, aka the pain bestowed upon the vast majority who are excluded from the benefits & security afforded by wealth & agency.
Some thoughts from Thucydides, c. 460 – c. 400 BC
"The strong do what they will, the weak do what they must"
"as the power of Hellas grew, and the acquisition of wealth became more an objective, the revenues of the states increasing, tyrannies were established almost everywhere..."
He also observed:
"...the search for truth strains the patience of most people, who would rather believe the first things that come to hand."
A universal truth. Chris Hayes' most recent book, The Sirens' Call, considers "How attention became the world's most endangered resource":
"Hayes argues that we are in the midst of an epoch-defining transition whose only parallel is what happened to labour in the nineteenth century: attention has become a commodified resource extracted from us, and from which we are increasingly alienated. The Sirens' Call is the big-picture vision we urgently need to offer clarity and guidance."
When I joined we didn’t have a one size fits all approach. We had specialised teams, like a pre-release team who dealt with everyone about to come out on licence, a high risk team to manage high risk offenders, a drugs team, a welfare benefits team who ran regular clinics to help those in need and advise officers with their expertise, an education/training/employment team who helped people draft CVs, study for and pass basic skills qualifications and offered all sorts of advice and support an officer couldn’t possibly on top of manage a caseload…. then they took them all away and just allocated cases according to where offender lived and everyone had to become an expert overnight in fields they had no experience of - benefits, substance misuse, housing etc. A Jack of all trades is master of none, and now they want us to go back to the old ways it seems… at least I hope that’s the plan. But we need those staff dedicated to those areas of need, so those managing cases can focus on that, so a small team with the knowledge and skills can liaise with outside providers on their behalf. It’s too much for one person to do for their entire caseload, but it’s not for specialised staff to tackle one specific area for all those who need it.
ReplyDeleteWell said. We also need to insist that other agencies do their bit too. For example, in all my years in the community, I was never once called by a social worker,working with a family in the knowledge that one parent was or may have been supervised by probation yet we as practitioners are expected to contact everyone to check if they are involved and sometimes insist that they share information. One thing that has been said is very true…..we are overlooked by everyone yet the centre of attention if things go wrong.
DeleteWhatever changes are to be announced are unlikely to be that positive for the offenders or Probation staff in the field, I'm happy and hoping to be proven wrong but these changes are all stemming from the prisons being full so surely they just want to keep off loading to community probation officers and will dress it up with a few changes to suggest they actually give a shit about workloads, public protection and rehabilitation.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone is wondering whether things will improve keep in mind it was labours criminal justice policy that provided the complete legislative programme to privatise. It will not get any worse than that . Grayling wielding the axe because he is a Tory ghoul corrupted and took money from a shipping deal with an operator who had no ships. However it was the civil service that had to assume authority for us after the Tory failures to let contracts properly while privateers robbed the funding for profits. It was a calamitous joke against us and social duty. This government are focused on spending cuts and taxation from growth. Reeves knows about this given her own expenses scandal and suspect CV out today.
DeleteRecruiting more staff is positive, but you need to get the right calibre. They need to fully understand the nature of the work, have resilience, professional curiosity and be upfront with the convicted person about what their risk is and how they are going to address it going forward, the onus is on them, not you. When I qualified if you left within the first two years you had to pay the training fees back, it meant that people had to work through the challenges of post qualification and adapt to their surroundings. Experience and knowledge is also important, however most experienced officers are leaving as they cannot do the job they were trained for proactively. Everything is a tick box, home visits, personal safety alarm, paperwork that is so in depth to protect management, don’t fall for the ‘ we have a duty of care’ it is a please don’t do anything that might show me as lacking. The new managerial SPO with limited experience has impacted on the increase of SFO’s, management oversight is only as good as the knowledge and experience of the manager. There are very few leaders in the service these days just PS automatons. Finally OMiC, there is a lot of negativity about this, actually it was needed, for too long unqualified uniformed staff were writing reports with little substance, risk assessments were poor and the prisoner would only prosper if they got someone who wanted to invest the time in them as opposed to sitting in the wing office. Now we have qualified probation staff working in prisons that had bolstered the small numbers present previously. In my experience POMs deliver a positive drive to progress prisoners linked to their treatment and progression plans and not leave them festering in their cells. OMiC was needed because the resettlement model did not work community teams were always under pressure whereas resettlement teams were always finished by lunchtime on a Friday knowing community colleagues would be available to deal with the Friday homelessness or phone call from the police about a further charge. Well my probation career was a blast, I met so many excellent colleagues, developed some really good links with other agencies, saw some excellent results and people changing their lives. Today that all ends, I am out of here, time done and the start of a new adventure after a phone call from someone who recognises that I have a lot to offer and not just a number on SOP or a faceless person on a senior managers database.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you. What you described is a job requirement long gone but as you found a new venture to use these skills best place . The reality is probation.doesnt do this work today.
DeleteSPO bashing again . So boring. Let’s unite all operational grades to improve the service, rather than blame and divide.
DeleteI think OMiC is very important. How else would we know in Paroms whether someone keeps a tidy cell and is polite to staff???
DeleteI don’t think I want AI on my laptop transcribing every word of every conversation I’m having with somebody on probation.
ReplyDeleteWill probation colleagues be sitting next to me in the office transcribing every word that’s said too?
That is ‘big brother’ gone mad!!
Given that a worryingly large number of staff are already barely competent with the technology we already use, I imagine that this will happen a lot. Not for nefarious purposes, but because the tech is clunky and difficult to use.
DeleteIm not sure AI is the way to go, but some staff do need to work on their literacy, definitely. And it takes time to properly record work, time we are not afforded. But because writing about the dozens of phone calls/referrals etc we need to make doesn’t get them done, it’s often missed. And therefore might as well never have happened. We need time, not AI. And that means more people. Which probably means better pay and conditions. Not sure I trust the unions to deliver on that anymore.
This statement from Shabana Mahmood is an announcement that Labour are reneging on their manifesto commitment to review the governance of Probation. Their Manifesto Commitment to do something possibly tricky, definitely ethical and necessary, and under the radar of populist politics and clickbait menus. That's the whole point of having a decent majority. I campaigned for them, I voted for them. The alternatives are probably worse, but right now, I feel utterly betrayed. I am so out of any active support for the B'Stards now.
ReplyDeleteFrom Twitter:-
ReplyDelete"We all have AI on our laptops it comes as part of the Microsoft packages large organisations purchase but importantly is there a reason you wouldn't want a transcript? Does it not give you an accurate record that you can use in records and support a more slick admin process?"
One possible reason is that quite a few of my offenders discuss medical issues, physical and mental health, treatments they're receiving etc, pretty sure there are ethical if not data protection issues with AI consuming all info. They all discuss other family members, offenders, discuss crimes they might not have been caught for etc. If I knew everything I said was being recorded I'm not sure I'd be as fully open and honest.
DeleteNo. It’s not a court hearing.
DeleteAi is the doorway to less staff . It seems to me your discussions are so naive and classic probation chut chat about demise that you don't recognise. It's the employers versus you so wake get a union with a spine and start the fight back.
DeleteA big problem with these databases (wherever you go) where professionals input information is that important information gets buried in the contact / case notes. These databases are there so bean counters can run stats for managers. They are not there for professionals. When you inherit a case you cannot possibly go through every case note over the last however many years. Can you imagine the drivel that will be in contact notes with AI transcribing conversations. It will be pages of nonsense. Unfortunately when the worst happens and then someone reviews a case they often find crucial info buried in case notes, as they have all the time in the world to go through one case. With the benefit of hindsight. I’m not convinced that it’s a lack of recording that’s the issue. I already think there is too much recording so much you can’t see the wood from the trees.
ReplyDeleteAi will illustrate all issues needing action deadlines and provide you all the instructions you will fail at delivering. The package will be your new manager it is incredible how backwards in looking you all seem to think about tech steps. When they gave staff ball typewriters it was a marvel . No more ink paper corrections tippex on its way. Then the work doubled for admin as they had faster tools. Then word processor less secretaries . Then you all got a terminal and did your own word processing even less secretaries. You guys need to read the trends. What are Napo doing nothing because they are as blind as this blog and and was not used to start a sentence.
DeleteI think the point is ai will control all the activity but how will it reduce staff.
DeleteTotally agree with annon @ 19:26.
DeleteProbation needs to get back to being about people not processes.
As pointed out, what happens to the people when technology is doing all the decision making?
'Getafix
1926 here thank you geta fix . As for 0800 perhaps I should rephrase the meaning. Let us assume there will certainly be a staff increase. Not a reduction as obviously questioned as stated. However with ai the caseloads will be categorised and followed electronically and that will put more names many more names under each staff member and their caseloads. In turn you won't get more pay . Effectively a cut and probation will grow disproportionately based on ai side running the task. Feel free to disagree.
Delete“We need time, not AI. And that means more people. Which probably means better pay and conditions. Not sure I trust the unions to deliver on that anymore.”
ReplyDeleteYes. Spot on.
Im not sure the Unions can deliver better pay and conditions. They can demand them. And go on strike. And have a collective voice, which is stronger the more join. And support individual members. And campaign for a better workplace and organisation. Dont blame the Unions for the Employers crap behaviour
DeleteSurely no one thinks anything Napo says is either respected or taken seriously. The employers does as it wants because Napo has proven itself to be incapable of providing alternative proposals. Incapable of making any formal dispute. Incapable of organising any kind of formal action. What we do know is that Napo only exist under the illusion to it's members it's there for you if things go wrong. In fact Napo are redundant in real terms and no longer accountable. They produce no materials and pretend to be a campaign group. Who are they what are doing where is their written original workings what do they do.
DeleteI do like the idea of AI support for office visits, touch points, discussions with partner agencies. You can select key words and it could summarise the contact for you, but also have a full transcript available if SFO etc. but the summaries give you enough information for day to day case management. Letter, referrals and breaches could me streamlined. Like the old breach wizard on old Delius which was great.
ReplyDeletethen the power goes off or the system is hacked
ReplyDelete