1. How do I find out what is going on and when?
The government has set out its plans for the future of probation. This follows careful consideration of the results of the consultation ‘Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence’ held in summer 2018 which received over 450 written responses and captured the views of more than 1,000 delegates from over 39 events.
The key proposals are:
- The National Probation Service will have responsibility for all offender management
- The private and voluntary sector will still play a vital role providing interventions
- Support for the probation profession - to improve professional development and raise the status of the profession.
The changes we have announced are about strengthening probation services and supporting staff. Retaining the skills and knowledge of probation professionals within the system is a key priority for the department. However, we are aware of skills gap within the service which we will be addressing in the near future.
In England, we will now begin a period of further engagement with a broad range of stakeholders to finalise the design of future services, and with staff to inform our planning for the transition. We will provide more information on staff transition as and when it becomes available.
More information on how to get involved and regularly updated information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strengthening-probation-improving-confidence.
2. Is it really reunification of 80% of the probation service or just another TR mark 2 in disguise?
Transforming Rehabilitation brought about some important changes that will be strengthened under this revised model.
TR opened up probation to a diverse range of providers and extended support and supervision to an additional 40,000 offenders leaving prison.
But we accept that there have been challenges resulting from the complexities of contractualising offender management and splitting functions between the NPS and CRCs. That is why we are making changes to allow each sector to play to its strengths.
Private and not-for-profit organisations have demonstrated their strength in delivering interventions. We will retain and build on this success by sourcing key services, such as Unpaid Work, Accredited Programmes, and other resettlement and rehabilitative interventions from the private and voluntary sector markets. We intend to do this through competitions for suppliers for Unpaid Work and Accredited Programmes, and through creation of a dynamic framework for resettlement and rehabilitative interventions.
Our new model will ensure that the NPS is appropriately resourced and supported as they take on the full scope of offender management. It is right that the public sector takes on and manages the greatest risks to public protection.
3. I am currently employed by a CRC but I’m due to start with the NPS shortly with no continuity of service. Should I accept the job or hold out until I transfer potentially on better terms?
Awaiting answer
4. Who will move to the NPS and what will happen to staff who have a split role between Offender management work and programmes?
It is important for us to balance current operational demands against preparing for the future. As a result, discussions have only begun on how the transition of staff will be implemented and we will provide updates in due course.
5. Will staff moves be under the same Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement as last time?
Staff will be transferred by Staff Transfer Scheme(s) using the powers set out in the Offender Management Act 2007. Although, the transfer falls within the TUPE exemption, in the main, the provisions of the Staff Transfer Scheme will follow the approach of TUPE and will protect staff terms and conditions following transfer to the new employer.
6. Will there be any redundancies?
It is too early to confirm the impact on CRC staff.
We do not envisage that NPS redundancies will be necessary but we need to do more work before we can be clear either way. We need to carefully review the current and future delivery models and consider where system and process change affects peoples’ roles with a view to minimise the impacts. If staff are displaced, we would seek to work with them and exhaust all redeployment options.
Retaining skilled staff is a key priority for the department and we will continue to work closely with Trade Unions, CRCs and staff to support the transition to the future model and minimise disruption
7. Some CRC staff were moved to Through the Gate work, will they be transferred to the NPS?
We are still in the process of finalising the operational design of resettlement services, so are unable to confirm any details on transfers at this time.
8. Will OMiC still go ahead?
As you are likely to be aware, during 2019, OMiC will start to transfer accountability for OM roles and tasks from the NPS into the prisons, enabling prison governors, rather than probation directors working in probation regions, to be directly responsible for the delivery of offender management for offenders on long sentences (serving more than 10 months).
The workforce to do this in prison will be a mix of prison staff and probation officers with senior probation officers from the NPS overseeing these prison based teams. The accountability for OM roles and tasks shifts back to the NPS in the community once offenders reach the pre-release resettlement phase of sentence.
For all offenders on shorter prison sentences (up to 10 months to serve) they will have a community based offender manager in the NPS, focusing on resettlement from the day of sentence as well as after release. It is assumed resettlement services will be provided by third sector providers via the dynamic framework.
9. Will CRCs be able to change their staffing levels, either up or down, between now and the end of contracts in 2021?
Parent Organisations will not be able to divert resources from frontline delivery to support bids to win future contracts.
Current staff employed by CRCs are likely to be in scope for transfer to new provider organisations including the NPS. We will provide more information on staff transition as and when it becomes available.
10. Are there any plans to get rid of RARs and bring back supervision?
We will have no plans to bring supervision orders into statute, but will focus on providing greater clarity on the use of the RAR to provide supervision.