Delays in vetting new recruits are holding back probation in the north-west of England by causing staff shortages, the Chief Inspector of Probation has said.
Martin Jones found some improvement in the region’s public protection work. His latest report forms part of a series of inspections of public protection in probation.
He said leaders had worked hard since the last inspection of the region in 2023 to improve information-sharing with police and children’s services. Senior leaders had kept a strong focus on public protection, he said.
The region had also reorganised its probation delivery units (PDUs) and created a dedicated court team. According to Mr Jones, these changes had improved court work and brought clearer alignment between the PDUs.
The inspection looked specifically at public protection. Inspectors examined 94 cases and interviewed 85 practitioners. They also held focus groups with managers from probation and from partner agencies.
At the time the inspection was announced, the region supervised about 27,680 people in the community or in custody. It had around 2,059 staff in post.
The region is made up of 11 PDUs. They are Central Lancashire, Cheshire East & West, Cumbria, Knowsley & St Helens, Liverpool North, Liverpool South, North West Lancashire, Pennine Lancashire, Sefton, Warrington & Halton, and Wirral.
Shortfalls in casework
Inspectors found shortfalls in casework against all four key questions on risk management. They said these matched problems seen in other probation regions.
Leaders had a strong strategic focus on public protection, built mainly around the region’s two-year public protection delivery plan. Even so, practitioners too often failed to analyse the information they had about the person on probation. Some looked only at the current conviction. They did not consider how past patterns of behaviour might affect future risk.
Inspectors welcomed better provision of information to the police. However, enquiries to children’s services were missing in one-third of cases.
Mr Jones said: “Overall, we saw some examples of well managed cases, but some shortfalls remained, particularly in relation to case assessment.”
He said that in too many cases, practitioners had not analysed information well enough or shown enough professional curiosity. Limited contact with other agencies also meant they lacked a full picture of the person on probation.
Five recommendations
The report makes five recommendations. Four are for the region. One of these asks it to help practitioners build the confidence and ability to manage complex caseloads alongside competing demands.
The fifth is for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Inspectors want it to cut vetting delays and tackle workforce instability. They said it should do this through streamlined recruitment processes that respond better to regional needs.
