This may need to be added over a few comments. I came across an interesting discussion on LinkedIn today about the widening divide between custody and community perspectives on probation training, recruitment, and retention. On one side, a custody SPO (and others) argue that prison staff should not only be paid more than community staff to train as probation officers, but also recognised as stronger rehabilitation professionals, even suggesting that Napo should be absorbed into the POA. On the other, a community SPO (and others) respond highlighting the distinct skills, ethos, and culture of probation practice, stressing that the real focus should be on fair pay, retention, and valuing the unique role of probation staff. Then there are those who sit somewhere in between.
My own view? Frankly, I’m not surprised by the custody SPO’s position, it reflects the wider tone of HMPPS towards probation. You can’t justify paying one group more to complete the same training others are paid less for. And the worst thing probation could do right now is move closer to the prison model, when in truth, it should be finding its way back to independence from it, and back towards social work values. I agree that Napo, in its current form, holds little weight to support probation staff, but that says more about its poor leadership and lack of clear identity and silly name, than about the need for a strong, dedicated union.
There’s a reason why probation models and youth justice services that use social workers are thriving. How difficult would it really be to take the £700 million set aside for tagging and AI, and instead invest it into a 20% pay rise across all probation bands, while giving all qualified probation officers and senior probation officers the all expenses paid fast track option to top up their qualifications to align with a Diploma in Social Work? That’s not radical, it’s just common sense. Probation recruitment and retention would go through the roof.Either way, it’s an important debate, and if you’re on LinkedIn (for what it’s worth), you might want to join in too.
The discussion:
Senior Probation Officer - OMiC writes:
From Custody to Community: How Joined-Up Thinking Could Solve the Retention Crisis:
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is facing a serious staffing challenge. Recent data shows that around 12% of prison officers left the service in the past year, while around 7% of probation officers also moved on.
The qualification issue:
Within HMPPS, the early-career routes couldn’t look more different. On the custody side, you’ve got the Unlocked Graduates scheme — a two-year leadership programme aimed at high-calibre graduates, often including a master’s in Applied Custodial Leadership. These officers work directly on the landings, managing behaviour, leading culture change and helping people in custody turn a corner.
Then there’s the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) — the pathway to becoming a fully qualified Probation Officer. It blends academic study with hands-on training in the community, supporting people on licence, managing risk and guiding rehabilitation beyond the prison walls. What I see: As a Senior Probation Officer working in OMiC, I get a rare view into both worlds. And honestly? Every week, hundreds of officers on the landings are already doing informal probation work — supporting resettlement plans, calming parole anxieties, talking about change and future risks.
So why don’t more Prison Officers take the step into probation? I manage 7 incredible Prison Offender Managers. If one wanted to retrain as a Probation Officer, they’d have to take roughly a £12,000 pay cut for two years, and then spend another four slowly climbing back to their current wage. That’s not a transition, that’s a punishment for ambition.
The union tug-of-war:
Really thoughtful post. It’s pragmatic to look at options, but also to remember that while there are crossovers these can be very different jobs, reflecting the distinct cultures of custody and community even within HMPPS. Probation has always had a rehabilitation and social work ethos, attracting to the training both graduates and those with valuable life or second-career experience, including many from prisons, the military, police, youth justice and the third sector.
If unions secure better pay, that will help attract and retain great staff. But I’d doubt they’d be any merging professional identities, many still see Napo as the distinct professional voice for probation, perhaps increasingly the Probation Institute is too.
I’d also like to see more inclusion of those with Lived Experience in accessing probation training which has long been acknowledged as a thing. [See Prisoners today Professionals tomorrow.]
And maybe, call me old school, a return to “advise, assist and befriend,” as I wrote here. In concluding I consider what the future could look like too.
Senior Probation Officer - OMiC responds to Senior Probation Officer - Community:
Completely with you — although I’d also say that, informally, “advise, assist and befriend” has almost become the quiet mantra for many prison officers these days, while the Probation Service has, somewhat ironically, drifted into being seen as the more punitive arm of HMPPS (just think of recall).
I’ll always be a champion for unions (spot the Labour voter). But controversially, I do think NAPO’s influence outweighs its actual size. It feels like a small union that punches well above its weight in terms of narrative and policy sway. I’d be curious to see the numbers, what percentage of the Probation Service are actually NAPO members?
I also don’t agree with NAPO’s stance on dissolving HMPPS. In my view, the Probation Service would be significantly weaker without that structural alignment. The truth is that the average Joe Bloggs doesn’t fully understand what probation does, nor its value to public protection. Without that connection to the prison service, the incentive to prioritise funding, wage increases, or recruitment would likely shrink even further. Dissolving HMPPS might sound empowering in theory, but in practice it risks leaving probation more isolated and under-resourced than ever.
Senior Probation Officer - Community further responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
I see a lot of good rehabilitation and reintegration work happening in probation offices.It’s fair to say that identity has become a key challenge, not just in England and Wales, but across Europe. It’s also something I wrote about recently, exploring how probation can reclaim and shape its identity. Perhaps Napo shares a similar concern, without a clear and credible identity, distinct from punishment or risk-led narratives, probation risks being misunderstood and constrained by external pressures.
I concluded, and I think this is where we probably agree, that “the future of probation lies in evidence-based reform, practitioner development, and adequate resourcing.” It’s a conversation we should all be part of, and well done for putting your ideas out there. [See Shaping Probations Identity]
Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
Managing high risk and very high ROSH in the community takes skill and experience balancing risk, criminogenic needs and building a meaningful rapport take time to learn and implement. There are key skills within this mix that just aren't being taught early enough through traditional qualifications. Qualifications should align to the job role. A very real problem we have is offering criminology qualifications that offer no opportunity to access criminal justice agencies or provide students with a skill set required to make it in criminal justice.There isn't enough happening in our schools to show prison or probabtion jobs as attractive
Well-being Consultant responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
This is really interesting to read , there's also conversations to be had about why staff are leaving. As an ex senior probation officer myself I've heard of so many staff leaving owing to poor mental health and management. Staffing includes retention.
Financial Investigator responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
Culture and identity. Prison and probation services have very different working cultures and priorities. Without deeper organisational alignment, a joint route could cause confusion rather than cohesion. Pay parity won’t solve retention. Matching salaries helps, but it doesn’t fix core issues like workload, burnout, or lack of support.
Union and structural barriers. POA and NAPO protect different workforces. Blurring boundaries would trigger long negotiations over representation and progression. Food for thought.
Unlocked Graduates Ambassador responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
This is an interesting take. Sadly the unlocked programme is not likely to be recruiting a cohort for a while because they haven’t come to a procurement agreement with the government. As someone who’s just left the prison service (and an unlocked ambassador), I can say that the opportunity for prison officers to do real rehabilitative work is currently in direct conflict with how prisons are run (think regime, regime, regime) and the prioritization of security. I personally really had to carve out opportunities on my own - which often meant putting in many more hours than the core working day. I’m now looking at joining the probation service myself, so would definitely welcome an approach like the one you suggest - I wonder if it is something that has ever been considered in policy.
Andrew Bridges responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
Then there’s the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) — the pathway to becoming a fully qualified Probation Officer. It blends academic study with hands-on training in the community, supporting people on licence, managing risk and guiding rehabilitation beyond the prison walls. What I see: As a Senior Probation Officer working in OMiC, I get a rare view into both worlds. And honestly? Every week, hundreds of officers on the landings are already doing informal probation work — supporting resettlement plans, calming parole anxieties, talking about change and future risks.
So why don’t more Prison Officers take the step into probation? I manage 7 incredible Prison Offender Managers. If one wanted to retrain as a Probation Officer, they’d have to take roughly a £12,000 pay cut for two years, and then spend another four slowly climbing back to their current wage. That’s not a transition, that’s a punishment for ambition.
The union tug-of-war:
Since the unification of the Prison and Probation services, HMPPS has struggled to truly align its policies, recruitment or culture. Part of that comes from the POA and NAPO pulling in different directions — both doing their jobs protecting members’ interests, but often reinforcing the divide instead of bridging it. Rehabilitation needs to be prioritised over politics.
My proposal: unify and empower: Here’s what I believe HMPPS could do:
1. Unify the graduate pathways – merge Unlocked and PQiP into a shared entry route, offering placements across custody and community, without one being seen as “the better” option.
2. Align pay and progression – no more financial penalties for moving between the two arms of the service.
3. Recognise experience – if a Prison Offender Manager has proven themselves over several years, with strong management feedback, let them complete PQiP on their current salary.
Imagine the possibilities: Unified training. Shared pay structure. It’s not radical, it’s logical. The people, the skills and the passion already exist inside HMPPS. We just need to make it easier for them to move, grow and stay. Let’s make “crossing the line” between prison and probation an opportunity, not a career setback.
Senior Probation Officer - Community responds:
My proposal: unify and empower: Here’s what I believe HMPPS could do:
1. Unify the graduate pathways – merge Unlocked and PQiP into a shared entry route, offering placements across custody and community, without one being seen as “the better” option.
2. Align pay and progression – no more financial penalties for moving between the two arms of the service.
3. Recognise experience – if a Prison Offender Manager has proven themselves over several years, with strong management feedback, let them complete PQiP on their current salary.
Imagine the possibilities: Unified training. Shared pay structure. It’s not radical, it’s logical. The people, the skills and the passion already exist inside HMPPS. We just need to make it easier for them to move, grow and stay. Let’s make “crossing the line” between prison and probation an opportunity, not a career setback.
Senior Probation Officer - Community responds:
Really thoughtful post. It’s pragmatic to look at options, but also to remember that while there are crossovers these can be very different jobs, reflecting the distinct cultures of custody and community even within HMPPS. Probation has always had a rehabilitation and social work ethos, attracting to the training both graduates and those with valuable life or second-career experience, including many from prisons, the military, police, youth justice and the third sector.
If unions secure better pay, that will help attract and retain great staff. But I’d doubt they’d be any merging professional identities, many still see Napo as the distinct professional voice for probation, perhaps increasingly the Probation Institute is too.
I’d also like to see more inclusion of those with Lived Experience in accessing probation training which has long been acknowledged as a thing. [See Prisoners today Professionals tomorrow.]
And maybe, call me old school, a return to “advise, assist and befriend,” as I wrote here. In concluding I consider what the future could look like too.
Senior Probation Officer - OMiC responds to Senior Probation Officer - Community:
Completely with you — although I’d also say that, informally, “advise, assist and befriend” has almost become the quiet mantra for many prison officers these days, while the Probation Service has, somewhat ironically, drifted into being seen as the more punitive arm of HMPPS (just think of recall).
I’ll always be a champion for unions (spot the Labour voter). But controversially, I do think NAPO’s influence outweighs its actual size. It feels like a small union that punches well above its weight in terms of narrative and policy sway. I’d be curious to see the numbers, what percentage of the Probation Service are actually NAPO members?
I also don’t agree with NAPO’s stance on dissolving HMPPS. In my view, the Probation Service would be significantly weaker without that structural alignment. The truth is that the average Joe Bloggs doesn’t fully understand what probation does, nor its value to public protection. Without that connection to the prison service, the incentive to prioritise funding, wage increases, or recruitment would likely shrink even further. Dissolving HMPPS might sound empowering in theory, but in practice it risks leaving probation more isolated and under-resourced than ever.
Senior Probation Officer - Community further responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
I see a lot of good rehabilitation and reintegration work happening in probation offices.It’s fair to say that identity has become a key challenge, not just in England and Wales, but across Europe. It’s also something I wrote about recently, exploring how probation can reclaim and shape its identity. Perhaps Napo shares a similar concern, without a clear and credible identity, distinct from punishment or risk-led narratives, probation risks being misunderstood and constrained by external pressures.
I concluded, and I think this is where we probably agree, that “the future of probation lies in evidence-based reform, practitioner development, and adequate resourcing.” It’s a conversation we should all be part of, and well done for putting your ideas out there. [See Shaping Probations Identity]
Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
Managing high risk and very high ROSH in the community takes skill and experience balancing risk, criminogenic needs and building a meaningful rapport take time to learn and implement. There are key skills within this mix that just aren't being taught early enough through traditional qualifications. Qualifications should align to the job role. A very real problem we have is offering criminology qualifications that offer no opportunity to access criminal justice agencies or provide students with a skill set required to make it in criminal justice.There isn't enough happening in our schools to show prison or probabtion jobs as attractive
Well-being Consultant responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
This is really interesting to read , there's also conversations to be had about why staff are leaving. As an ex senior probation officer myself I've heard of so many staff leaving owing to poor mental health and management. Staffing includes retention.
Financial Investigator responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
Why “From Custody to Community” Sounds Great — But Wouldn’t Work (Yet) The idea of merging prison and probation pathways under one unified entry route sounds smart: shared training, smoother transitions, and stronger collaboration. But in practice, it’s not that simple.
Different roles, different skills. Custody work focuses on safety, order, and behaviour management. Probation is about risk assessment, rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Blending them risks diluting both professions.
Different roles, different skills. Custody work focuses on safety, order, and behaviour management. Probation is about risk assessment, rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Blending them risks diluting both professions.
Training and accreditation gaps. Unlocked and PQiP have distinct standards and academic structures. Unifying them would require rewriting qualification frameworks and rebuilding university partnerships — a huge reform effort.
Culture and identity. Prison and probation services have very different working cultures and priorities. Without deeper organisational alignment, a joint route could cause confusion rather than cohesion. Pay parity won’t solve retention. Matching salaries helps, but it doesn’t fix core issues like workload, burnout, or lack of support.
Union and structural barriers. POA and NAPO protect different workforces. Blurring boundaries would trigger long negotiations over representation and progression. Food for thought.
Unlocked Graduates Ambassador responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
This is an interesting take. Sadly the unlocked programme is not likely to be recruiting a cohort for a while because they haven’t come to a procurement agreement with the government. As someone who’s just left the prison service (and an unlocked ambassador), I can say that the opportunity for prison officers to do real rehabilitative work is currently in direct conflict with how prisons are run (think regime, regime, regime) and the prioritization of security. I personally really had to carve out opportunities on my own - which often meant putting in many more hours than the core working day. I’m now looking at joining the probation service myself, so would definitely welcome an approach like the one you suggest - I wonder if it is something that has ever been considered in policy.
Andrew Bridges responds to Senior Probation Officer- OMiC:
It’s not just the unions who won’t like your idea, Ed. Your point about the disincentives to ‘career progression’ within Probation is not new, but very well made here, and in broad terms I’d support it, based on my views about many PSOs over the years, as well as Prison Officers. There are many interests that would resist such a radical rethink.
End
Thats it - That’s not radical. It’s just common sense. Agree or disagree, these are the conversations probation needs — not led by academics or think tanks, but by the people doing the work every day, willing to stand up, speak out, and be heard.
Thats it - That’s not radical. It’s just common sense. Agree or disagree, these are the conversations probation needs — not led by academics or think tanks, but by the people doing the work every day, willing to stand up, speak out, and be heard.
*******
- No. They’re two different courses for two fundamentally different roles.
2. Align pay and progression – no more financial penalties for moving between the two arms of the service.
- Yes. Probation staff should receive the same pay rises and bonuses already given to those in prisons. Equality works both ways.
3. Recognise experience – if a Prison Offender Manager has proven themselves over several years, with strong management feedback, let them complete PQiP on their current salary.
- No. That would mean prison staff being paid more than probation trainees for the same qualification and role, or even matching the pay of internal probation PSOs on the progression pathway. In fact, with prison pay rises and bonuses, they’d end up earning more. That’s unequal pay, plain and simple.
Imagine the possibilities: Unified training. Shared pay structure.
- Not if it erases the identity and value of the probation service. This is what happens when prison-led management drives the agenda. Next you’ll be arguing locking cell doors compares to probation work!
Final thought:
It’s not radical, it’s ridiculous. And that’s what happens when you use AI to draft a proposal to “unify and empower” a broken service like HMPPS.
*******
Fully agree with you. I think most of our problems have stemmed from being so intertwined with the Prisons (as do most commentators on here I believe) Probation should go back to being seen as an Alternative to custody not an extension of custody as we in all sense are today. Prisons have it relatively easy in the sense they can lock them away, seg them, and chuck them out even if they have no address or referrals to support services. They don't have to worry about SFO's unless they stupidly wrongly release them which with today's technology beggers belief. It's not a comparable job apart from we deal with the same people, but that's like saying a brain surgeon and a chiropodist have a similar role...********
Shows how disconnected from reality probation managers are once they step through the prisons gate. They have to say all that as they’re line managed by prison governors which makes no sense at all. How Prison Officers are submitting a 26/27 payclaim when probation staff get nothing is beyond me.
I found this debate fascinating, it really highlights the divide between custody and community probation. In reality, there’s no such thing as “custody probation” or “community probation.” It’s all probation: community rehabilitation, resettlement, and aftercare work that is primarily community-based, but extends inside prison walls too. Unfortunately, OMIC, NOMS, and HMPPS have completely blurred that distinction.
ReplyDeleteThere’s also so much wrong with the idea of shoehorning prison officers into probation training with a manager’s recommendation and then paying them more for the step up. To claim that prison officers do the real rehabilitative work while probation officers do not is completely detached from reality. It’s also in direct conflict with how prisons actually operate, where regime and security are the overriding priorities.
The answer to much of the probation recruitment and retention crisis is actually quite simple, increase pay. A 20% uplift would be a good start, followed by funding for all existing probation officers to upgrade their qualification to a Diploma in Social Work.
Are you listening Napo?????
Haha hell two things wrong with that. 1 why on earth train this structure into sw. That ship sailed pre change of registration and I recall officers throwing that debate away. To be fair it was pre the current secretary incompetence. 2 Napo listening hahahaha brilliant of course not .
DeleteI don’t think any of us can disagree with you haha
DeleteDisparity is already alive and well in that POs working in the NSD are paid at Band 5 despite having a much lower caseload and having a more supportive framework, while Band 4s do the same work with clients who should be with NSD but they are in the lofty position of being blue to pick and choose, I have noticed a worrying trend in the NW that they are rejecting many referrals just to artificially keep they caseloads down…………..
ReplyDeleteAs a rule of thumb how many community officers know colleagues working in prison who would rather leave than return to the community? Do we need to say anymore?
ReplyDeleteI know many working in prisons and omu’s that have never worked in probation but are leaving hand over fist to join probation. A good few of our pqips are ex-prison too.
Delete@14:04, the poster you're replying to means qualified PO's who escaped community Probation to go and work in OMU teams in Prisons.
DeleteThe answer as they've said is no PO's or PSO's try to move back to community work due to the increase in stress and Bullshit. Community officers should all be paid the same as NSD officers. In fact why PO's in the NSD teams get paid more is a question we should be asking the Unions before some one here decides its a ln Equal Pay Issue and makes a claim
To be fair I think conditions in either can be just as bad depending on the location.
Delete14 16 not one person could work out what their claim to equal pay is based and not a chance in hell will the unions take such a claim the reps are not up to it for a start and none of them will fund a legal case. Even if it was 75 25 or 90 plus likely they are to scared and losing a case would set them back to where they are currently no place.
DeleteInteresting instruction from the POA to prison staff working in the open estate.
ReplyDelete"Directive to staff working in Open Prisons
It has been brought to the attention of the NEC that staff in Open Prisons are expected, in some instances, to complete ‘personal officer work.’ All POA members working in Open Prisons should note that personal officer work does not exist, there has never been any consultation nationally to devise a personal officer scheme and all attempts by the NEC to introduce key work into the open estate have been denied by HMPPS.
All POA members are therefore directed to refuse to facilitate any attempt to introduce any form of personal officer work. You cannot be disciplined for refusing to conduct a task that does not exist and is not profiled. If HMPPS wish to introduce a personal officer scheme in the open estate, they need to consult nationally and ensure additional resource is introduced. This directive also covers any attempt locally to ‘pilot’ a personal officer scheme or introduce a local policy/agreement. Please ensure you do not, under any circumstances, until further notice from the NEC, facilitate any personal officer/key work."
'Getafix
Nice one getafix doesn't it warm your mind when a union instruction to reject work that is not in your role come through with candid authority. Building member confidence to reject managerial abuses.
DeleteTo note we have never had anything from Napo that gives any confidence they can deliver anything. Lawrence couldn't draw just 50 to make an AGM quorate what a loser we have.
Ever wondered why Napo arranges it’s AGMs in the back of beyond, makes no effort to adequately subsidise members attending, and then gets everyone attending a disco on the first night so you all get drunk? Napo didn’t want 50 members in the room. No members = no motions agreed = no business for another year.
Delete1840 I salute that clever assesment of course it makes great sense but I think it's more disaster luck than planned . Lawrence couldn't lite a candle with a match let alone plan that tactic. More likely his drinking night for some speech courage. Either very clever point well made I'm thinking you could be right.
DeleteHey probation hotshots where’s you’d pay award ? Carry on breaching !
ReplyDeleteNot aware of any “hotshots”, but the latest on the pay is https://napomagazine.org.uk/podcast-no-offer-no-respect-napo-fights-back/
DeletePOA website 30/10/25. Pay.
DeletePay Submissions
HMPPS have confirmed that they have finally submitted their written submissions to the Pay Review Body, one month late. This displays the level of disrespect the employer places on the entire process. Once the Review Body are in possession of the written submissions from all parties, they will publish them on their website for all to view.
seen on bbc news site
ReplyDelete"Noble was convicted in July of assaulting three people and initially given a suspended jail term, but, following an appeal, his sentence was quashed and he was sentenced to nine years in prison."
that's one hell of a shift in sentencing