Important changes to Electronic Monitoring – New PCSC Bill
In May, the new Police Crime Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill introduces some important changes to Electronic Monitoring (EM) that I need to be aware of as I may be required to support parts of the process. Firstly, courts will now have the option to increase the length of the EM curfew from one, to two years. Also, from the end of June/beginning of July, my Practitioners managing Person in Prison on community disposals only, will have additional authority to vary EM curfew requirements without going back to court. They will have authority to vary when during the day curfew hours take place on an Order.
Should a PoP change address, they will also be able to amend this without going back to court. Similar to the HD Variation process, my Practitioner will complete safeguarding and Domestic Abuse checks (for change of address) and complete a form that will be triaged by my SPO and approved by my PDU Head. This notifies both the court and the EMS provider, who will send confirmation notices to us, with EMS attending any new address before my Practitioner can inform the PoP and record the contact in nDelius. This new process will save my team time and support the PoP to better comply with their EM requirements which in turn, should mean they will better comply with their order.
To champion these changes, support learning and development and start to measure how EM is used across probation, my region will welcome an EM Lead (SPOC) who will help us implement and embed new processes, measure usage/collect data from probation and EPF (courts) to form a management information dashboard and drive innovation. All upcoming changes to EM will be captured and presented in a new EM Operational Framework, a guide that will be available to me shortly after the PCSC Bill is introduced. I will be briefed on the process when it launches and can find the process itself and supporting documentation including an interim guide on EQuiP.
Relevant to
These changes will apply to the following roles:
- Case Administrator