Probation services should be flexible and innovative and designed to meet the needs of individuals so that reoffending can be reduced, said Chief Inspector of Probation Paul McDowell. Today he published HM Inspectorate of Probation’s annual report, his first as Chief Inspector. Mr McDowell also discussed the current changes to probation services through the government’s Transforming Rehabilitation programme, highlighting the risks and the opportunities.

In 2013-14, HMI Probation continued to make good progress on the longer-term regular inspections of youth and adult offending work. This work included:

• continuing with a risk-proportionate programme of Inspection of Youth Offending Work, completing six full joint inspections and 30 short quality screenings;
• completing 12 inspections under a new programme of Inspection of Adult Offending Work;
• completing 25 inspections of offender management in prisons, jointly with HMI Prisons, to examine the work undertaken with prisoners and assess its effectiveness in changing their attitudes to offending and behaviour; and
• publishing four joint thematic reports, led by HMI Probation, on life sentence prisoners, victim contact arrangements in Probation Trusts, the treatment of offenders with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system – phase 1 from arrest to sentence, and the Integrated Offender Management approach.

In 2014-15, HMI Probation will seek to facilitate effective practice in probation and youth offending services, and will pay particular attention to providing assurance around the interface between the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies under the Transforming Rehabilitation arrangements. Work has begun on a new inspection methodology to focus on the reducing reoffending outcomes that are being achieved by all providers of probation services.

Paul McDowell said:

“The Transforming Rehabilitation changes in the probation world are clearly ambitious. They seek to reduce the rate of reoffending through a significant and fundamental transformation of delivery arrangements, on a scale, and at a pace, not previously attempted. Like all significant change, Transforming Rehabilitation brings with it uncertainty, genuinely held concerns and lively debate. Some do not agree with the methodology and some are opposed on ideological grounds. Others, me included, recognise the risks that come with significant change, but also recognise the opportunity to innovate, to think afresh, and to make a significant impact on reoffending outcomes.”

“As part of these new arrangements suppliers will need space to innovate, to flex, and to make services responsive to individual needs. I am concerned that suppliers may not focus sufficiently on their core task to reduce reoffending if oversight from the centre is not appropriately balanced. My immediate concern is that there may well be a desire to over control. If that is allowed to happen it may well lead to unnecessary and expensive bureaucratic processes that risk overwhelming suppliers, will stifle innovation and effectiveness and will certainly waste valuable resources. In redesigning the system finding the right balance between contract compliance and performance management on one hand, and the freedom and space to innovate on the other will be critical.

“We will see via our inspections the consequent impact on reoffending. If the balance is right, the prize of an increasingly effective network of probation services, in courts, prisons and our communities, successfully reducing reoffending and protecting victims is more likely to be realised.”
ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. A copy of the annual report can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website at http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation from 0930 on 1 July.
2. HMI Probation is an independent inspectorate, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State on the effectiveness of work with adults, children and young people who have offended, aimed at reducing reoffending and protecting the public. Further information about the work of HMI Probation is at http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation.
3. The Ministry of Justice published ‘Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform’ in May 2013. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-reoffending-and-improving-rehabilitation

Please contact Jane Parsons in HMI Probation Press Office on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information.