zARCHIVED: Joint statement on Harmonisation
Joint statement on Harmonisation – HMPPS/Trade Union
This note provides an update on the progress of the harmonisation negotiations currently underway between HMPPS and the 3 recognised Trade Unions; NAPO, UNISON and GMB SCOOP.
Harmonisation is the process by which staff who transferred to the Probation Service in June 2021 from Parent and Supply Chain organisations may have their pay, terms and conditions aligned to those of the Probation Service, subject to trade union members voting in favour of this in a forthcoming ballot.
Former Parent and Supply Chain organisation employees were transferred into the Probation Service on their former employer pay, terms and conditions. This will remain the case until agreement is reached on harmonisation. For harmonisation to be successfully implemented, members of all 3 Trade Unions who are in scope of potential harmonisation must vote for the negotiated package via a ballot -only then can the terms be implemented. To vote in the ballot, you must be a member of a recognised Trade Union.
If accepted by members of all three Trade Unions at the ballot, harmonisation to Probation Service pay and conditions will take place prior to any onward transfer of former parent company and supply chain organisation employees assigned to roles in either HMPPS or MOJ functional roles.
The scope of harmonisation negotiation covers pay plus other contractual rights which were protected at point of transfer such as annual leave, allowances, entitlements, contractual hours etc. Negotiations will also consider the effective date for any changes to terms and conditions. The starting point for the negotiations are the terms in the National Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement which applied to CRC staff transferring into the Probation Service and we are aiming to replicate this as far as possible in terms of structure and content. You can read the terms of this agreement here.
We remain on track to be ready to move to staff ballot by the spring of this year. Discussions are proceeding well. That said, the negotiations remain complex with a number of issues to resolve. Together, we have a shared collective aim to achieve agreement on the terms to put to trade union members in the forthcoming ballot.
We appreciate you will want to know more detail but we cannot allow the negotiations to be jeopardised. We are of course holding regular update sessions for both staff and line managers both of which involve contributions from TU colleagues. As soon as we have an agreed package, we’re committed to ensuring you all understand the proposed changes and what they will mean for you.
In the interim if you have any questions about your own situation then please contact your Trade Union representative. General queries about the harmonisation or secondary transfer process can be submitted to the harmonisation functional mailbox; HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk.
zARCHIVED: Harmonisation of terms and conditions of former Parent Organisation and Supply Chain staff – update
Harmonisation of terms and conditions of former Parent Organisation and Supply Chain staff – update
If you joined one of the recent staff update sessions, you will have heard that the harmonisation negotiation meetings with the 3 recognised Probation Trade Unions are progressing positively with much constructive dialogue. If you were unable to join the update session for your group, you can watch them here Events – Welcome Hub (hmppsintranet.org.uk). 3 negotiation meetings so far may not sound much on the face of it, but please remember that collectively we are trying to harmonise the pay, terms and conditions (e.g. allowances and entitlements, contractual hours, annual and special leave, overtime, expenses, reward and recognition, notice periods etc.) from 5 Parent and 30 Supply Chain organisations to those of the Probation Service. This means considerable preparation before each negotiation meeting in order to work through a large and complex landscape of former terms and conditions and the implications of aligning them to those of the Probation Service. Both ourselves and the Trade Unions are absolutely committed to achieving the best outcome for impacted staff from this process and we appreciate your patience as the negotiations continue. As you will have heard on the calls, the implementation of harmonisation is dependent upon a staff ballot and to have your individual voice heard in that ballot, you must be a member of one of the 3 recognised Probation Trade Unions ; NAPO, UNISON or GMB SCOOP. The unions’ role is to negotiate on your behalf and we strongly advise staff impacted by harmonisation to join; details can be found here: A Q&A document has already been circulated to everyone in scope for harmonisation (and secondary transfer) and we will be adding some further FAQs on our dedicated harmonisation page very soon. We have sent out invitations for the next set of staff and line manager updates and the dates are below; For PO/SC staff working in the Probation Service PO/SC staff working in functional roles in HMPPS or MoJ Should you have further queries about either harmonisation or secondary transfer, these can be directed to HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk
Line Manager drop-in sessions:
Staff support sessions:
Refer and Monitor Digital Round Up January 2022
The risk screen in R&M has been improved (from 28 January 2022). Here’s the latest three-page explainer with all you need to know
Amy’s Message 14th December 2021
Amy Rees – Director General Probation, Wales and Youth
Update message to staff – Tuesday 14 December
COVID-19
COVID continues to dominate the news in relation to the new Omicron variant. Plan B of the UK Government strategy has been implemented in England and weekly reviews are being undertaken of guidance in Wales.
From a Probation perspective, we are monitoring and reviewing how we work on a daily basis through our Gold command structure and ensuring we follow the latest advice from the UK Health Security Agency and Public Health Wales. Updates from Gold command will be shared with you via your Regional Probation Directors and Deputy Directors to ensure you are kept up to date and informed promptly of any changes to how you should be working.
Please continue to follow the latest guidance in terms of PPE and Safe Working practices in your place of work – you can find the latest version here.
Do speak to your line manager on what the guidance means for you and if you have any well-being concerns.
Regular testing and making sure we take up offers of the vaccination and booster vaccination continue to be incredibly important for us all and I cannot encourage you enough to do both. You can find out the latest guidance in relation to accessing testing and vaccinations in England here and Wales here.
Prioritising Probation
Probation has always been a busy place to work but we know this year in particular has presented many challenges through COVID, work to deliver unification and difficulties in some teams recruiting and retaining staff. I know things are tough for some of you at the moment and I am committed to doing all I can to help.
Last week we launched Prioritising Probation, a new action-focussed initiative to identify and bring together what can be done over the next three months to ease some the pressure.
Kim Thornden-Edwards is leading this work and you can read all about it in Kim’s blog. You can help shape the next steps by filling in a very short form or emailing a dedicated mailbox with ideas about how we can reduce the burden on teams and allow you to focus on the most important thing of all: operational delivery. We really want to hear from you on what you think would make a difference.
Prisons White Paper and Drug Strategy
Last week, the government published the Prisons Strategy White Paper and the cross-Government Ten Year Drug Strategy.
They bring-together the work we have in progress through our various programmes but also present us with a significant opportunity to look again at how we work across prisons and probation and with other sectors such as healthcare.
MoJ Permanent Secretary Awards
I would like to draw your attention to The Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Awards. These are a great opportunity for you to nominate a colleague or team for an award by completing Permanent Secretary award nomination form. The awards run every month with nominations due by the 18th, please agree with the nominees line manager before you submit and cc DirectorGeneralProbation@justice.gov.uk.
Finally, I know that the re-emergence of COVID and the new variant will be a worry for many people so now more than ever it is really important that we support each other. If you are finding things difficult please do speak to your line manager or a colleague. You can also find information on sources of well being support on the intranet.
Thank you for everything you continue to do
Amy Rees
Helen Amor’s Career Journey
Meet Helen Amor, Senior Probation Officer, Offender Management, South Tyneside
Helen lives in South Shields with her husband and two children. She was working for Durham Youth Offender Service, when she saw a PSO role advertised which caught her interest. She was looking to do more, and the role felt perfect and a natural next step. She talks about her early naivety to the complexity of the service and the people it supports, to recognising her love of learning & development.
What’s been your favourite role so far and why?
In my early role working for the Youth Offending Service I was acutely aware of the impact on children, but Probation opened my eyes to the importance of family dynamics. Coming in as a Group worker PSO introduced me to the interventions and learning that underpins the work of probation practitioners. The training I received in order to deliver accredited programmes was ground-breaking for me. It explained so much and put in place the theory behind the learning. It all made sense and cemented a passion I have for learning & development and that I continue to have to this day.
It’s the part of my job that I have loved the most – staff training and development, the importance of being reflective, giving and receiving feedback and continuous development. I continue to be passionate about this and ensure that I embed this in my management role and keep my hand in with training as my career in Probation develops.
Who helped or inspired you along the way?
I have been extremely fortunate with the support I’ve received and role models I’ve met whilst working in South of Tyne. Karin O’Neill – NE Head of Operations, has always been there as my senior directly or indirectly. I remember when I worked in group work, I was a fire warden and she was the Team and Building Manager. I was young and thought, ‘you don’t talk to senior managers. Karin changed all that and showed me what true leadership was all about. Approachable and encouraging – she is a great role model. She has been incredibly supportive throughout my career and I continue to run things past her and seek advice when needed.
In my Learning & Development role, Sharon Stephenson – Learning and Development Team Manager, really brought out my confidence in delivering and designing training. Whilst I had the skills and background in delivering group to POPs, she gave me tasks that stretched me (and scared me) in terms of training and development of staff. With her ongoing support I developed a belief in myself – I was surprised with what I was able to achieve.
My current manager, Karen Blackburn, Head of South Tyneside and Gateshead PDU, is another person who has been incredibly ‘supportive’ of my professional development, ambitions and developing my confidence. She’s encouraging, and I’ve been able to express my passions and desire to follow my love of L&D within my current role.
Career overview
2007 PSO in the accredited programmes team delivering DIDP, ASRO, Thinking Skills and CDVP people on probation (POPs)
2008 A1 NVQ Assessor alongside this role assessing and supporting PSOs to complete their NVQ Level 3s
2010 Learning and Development Officer designing and delivering training with a specific remit of accredited programmes and PSO Development
2011 Trainee Probation Officer under the Probation Qualification Framework- working within a generic Offender Management Team
2014 Qualified Probation Officer generic offender management team
2018 Senior Probation Officer Offender Management – specific lead in Sexual Offending, Domestic Abuse, Female Offenders and Foreign Nationals
Continued to deliver training since leaving the learning and development unit and have lead roll outs such as New Me MOT and Skills for Relationships Toolkit.
There’s a pattern within the Probation Service of supportive people, be it managers or colleagues. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many wonderful people – all of whom inspire me in some way.
As a manager myself I now lead a team of inspiring, committed and passionate Probation Practitioners. I have never felt prouder of the team than seeing how everyone pulled together during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a difficult time, but we’ve come through.
What’s the best advice you could give to a colleague who’s interested in looking at other opportunities within the Probation Service or broader?
Follow your heart. Take chances. Consider your interests. I’ve avoided promotions; doubting my skills and experience. But I would encourage people to push themselves. Don’t be afraid of failure – it’s a great way to understand what you don’t know, and you can put effort into developing those skills and knowledge that failure highlights.
All jobs are fair game so if you know what you want, go for it. And if you’re not sure, talk to those people who have supported you. Reflect on what stimulates you and gets you up in the morning.
I’ve recently had opportunities to mentor others, and it feels great!
Read about the career journeys of more colleages.
Further information
You can find more details about career pathways on the Probation Hub developing your career page.
ARCHIVED: Harmonisation negotiations begin
Harmonisation negotiations begin
Many staff who transferred to the Probation Service in June may have heard about harmonisation.
Harmonisation is the process by which colleagues who remain on their former employers’ contractual terms and conditions are aligned to Probation Service terms and conditions and pay scales. Those formal negotiations began this week and will carry on into January, February and March 2022.
Almost all former Parent Organisation and Supply Chain staff remain on their existing pay, terms and conditions and were not covered by the National Agreement at the point of transfer. In addition, a small group of former CRC staff who were assigned to corporate roles in either HMPPS or MoJ also remained on their legacy pay which will need to be assimilated via secondary transfer.
All other former CRC staff transferred under the National Agreement and moved to Probation Service pay, terms and conditions straight away meaning that for them, harmonisation is not required.
Moving to Probation Service terms, conditions and pay scales is subject to Trade Union negotiations and member agreement via staff ballots. Over the coming months we will be negotiating with our recognised Trade Unions on the harmonisation of Parent Organisation and Supply Chain staff through a process called ‘collective bargaining’.
Although difficult to predict, and dependent on negotiations, we anticipate that members’ ballots will be held early in Spring 2022 with the implementation of the outcome taking place over the summer.
Harmonisation is complex and has different implications and journeys for different groups of transferring staff. Staff impacted by any aspect of harmonisation will be contacted directly to explain what it means for them, their own journey and what happens next.
How we will keep you informed
For the most up to date information, we will soon be launching a harmonisation and secondary page on the Probation Hub and information will also be posted on the HMPPS intranet. If your question isn’t answered then any generic questions can be submitted to HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk. Please note due to Trade Union sensitivities we cannot respond to questions on actual terms, pay or individual situations or circumstances. These are best discussed with your chosen Trade Union representative.
Serious Further Offences
New framework to support staff with Serious Further Offences Review completions
Probation Pay Update
Probation Service Pay Update
Here is a summary on the latest pay updates, including:
-
Probation Service 2021/2022 Pay Award
-
Approved Premises Residential Workers (APRW) re-band
-
Targeted increases in overtime rates to aid HMCTS recovery
Probation Pay Award 2021 / 2022
HMPPS has now provided the final offer to Trade Unions for the Probation Service Pay Award for 2021/2022.
The Probation Service pay award applies to former National Probation Service (NPS) staff with effect from 1 April 2021, with the intent to pay the award and necessary backdating in December’s salaries. Full details of the award are:
- Pay progression to the next pay point for eligible staff who are below their pay band maximum as at 31 March 2021 and were in grade before 1 October 2020.
- a £250 consolidated uplift of all pay points under £24,000 (on full-time equivalent basis), effective 1 April 2021.
Read more about the 2021/2022 Pay Award on the Intranet here.
Approved Premises Residential Worker (APRW) Re-band
The re-band and backdating applies to Approved Premises (AP) Residential Workers with effect from 12th July 2021, with the intent to pay the award and necessary backdating in December’s salaries. Full details of the award are:
- AP Residential Worker staff below their pay band maximum on Pay Band 2 as at 11 July 2020 will be re-banded to the minimum step of Pay Band 3 effective 12 July 2020.
- AP Residential Worker staff at the top of Pay Band 2 as at 11 July will receive an exceptional uplift to the second step on Pay Band 3 (that being the step above the minimum of the pay band).
- AP Residential Worker staff that are re-banded as part of this process are eligible for the pay award for 2021/202
The steps for each pay band can be accessed on the HMPPS Intranet here.
HMCTS Court Recovery Overtime
The Probation Service is also pleased to have secured approval from Cabinet Office and HM Treasury for a time limited offer of overtime at 1.25x plain time for Band 4 and Band 5 work in courts to support the HMCTS recovery agenda – focused on Saturday overtime work and tackling the backlog of pre-sentence reports. This offer will be available to eligible staff until 31 March 2022. We are currently working with colleagues across the business and will provide further information and guidance in the coming weeks on the process underpinning this offer.
In addition, discussions are continuing between HMPPS and Trade Unions around further pay structure reform and progressing the aspirations of the 2018 Modernisation Agreement. HMPPS remains strongly committed to agreeing an ambitious multi-year pay deal effective from 1 April 2022.
This year’s award adheres to the public sector pay pause for 2021/2022 announced in 2020 by the Chancellor. The pay pause was introduced to protect public sector jobs and investment in public services following unprecedented government spending on the response to Covid-19, however this pause in no way reflects upon the critical work probation staff have done, and continue to do, throughout the pandemic. We recognise and thank the Trade Unions for their constructive engagement and acknowledge the professional representations that they put forward on this matter on behalf of their respective memberships.
Where can I find more information?
You can find out more information on all three topics above, including some frequently asked questions, on the HMPPS Intranet Pay Page here.
All other Probation Service Pay information is available on the dedicated Probation Service Pay page.
Amy’s Message 26th November 2021
Amy Rees – Director General Probation, Wales and Youth
Update message to staff – Friday 26 November
Thank you to everyone who joined our all staff live event last week, it was great to see such high numbers of you on the call, sharing your comments and questions with us. As I said during my presentation, we know this continues to be a really busy time and some teams are experiencing particular challenges which we are working with Regional Probation Directors to try and resolve quickly.
Alongside this, as Jim Barton and Ian Barrow outlined, there is lots of work underway across the Reform and Workforce programmes to implement our Target Operating Model, recruit more staff and improve how we work. Whilst these big pieces of work progress, we are also looking at what else we can do in the short term to help you continue to deliver. We are bringing together colleagues from across the organisation to consider options with us. We will continue to keep you updated on all the work happening centrally and please remember we have lots of information here the Probation Hub as well as the FAQ page here.
Thank you to everyone involved in sharing their stories and delivering events during Trans Awareness Week. I hope lots of you were able to get involved and listen in but if you didn’t get the opportunity, you can still read the blogs here and the recordings from all the events are available via the Pride in Prisons and Probation streaming site.
Yesterday (25 November) saw the launch of 16 days of activism against gender based violence. The Probation Service is at the heart of the work happening across organisations to tackle violence against women and girls. Many of you work with perpetrators and victims of these offences every day so I hope you are able to get involved in some of the events taking place during the 16 days which will be an opportunity to reflect on your practice as well as increase awareness of key issues if this work is new to you. You can find out more about the events taking place here and I look forward to discussing these important issues with those of you able to join the session I am taking part in on the 9 December.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Strategy, Planning and Performance Directorate
Finally, for my spotlight section this week, there is an opportunity for you to find out more about the work of the Strategy, Planning and Performance directorate and how they work with us in the Probation Service across a range of areas including supporting your development as practitioners and continuous improvement. Find out more here.
Thank you as ever for all you are doing
Spotlight on the Strategy, Planning & Performance Directorate (SPP)
Spotlight on…
Strategy, Planning & Performance
November 2021
This month’s spotlight illuminates the work of the Strategy, Planning and Performance Directorate. Here’s what the team had to say…
Led by Executive Director Ian Blakeman, we are a diverse group with a wide range of practice experience and expertise. We support HMPPS in delivering its most important priorities as set out in the HMPPS Business Strategy, we support operational colleagues to improve services, and deliver meaningful and effective change across prison, probation and youth custody services. Advancing equality and fostering diversity and inclusion is central to everything we do.
This month marked the two-year anniversary of the HMPPS Business Strategy – the principles and priorities set out in the strategy still hold firm, and whilst the last two years have not been what we’d expected, they have been central in guiding both our response to and recovery from COVID. Several useful products have been produced to mark the anniversary including personalised team strategy posters, guidance for interactive team workshops and business planning guidance.
Supporting HMPPS COVID-19 Response
We work in partnership with all aspects of the organisation to coordinate an organisational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unchartered territory and has demanded new ways of working which have been developed, tested and implemented at pace.
We have facilitated COVID-19 Tests for staff and residents of Approved Premises and promoted and supported the roll out of the vaccination programme, as well as providing weekly probation service winter plan delivery assessments and monthly forecasts of organisational resilience over the year ahead.
Supporting your development
We work to build and embed an organisational culture of engagement which promotes learning, development and wellbeing – enabling everyone to be their best.
We work collaboratively across HMPPS and MoJ to ensure staff wellbeing support meets the changing needs of the people who work for us.
We deliver a programme of online events, blogs and information via the HMPPS Insights website focussed on bringing evidence in to practice and supporting an open learning culture. This includes the annual Insights Festival (coming May 2022), bringing HMPPS and partners together to learn, share, connect and celebrate.
Supporting Continuous Improvement
We identify priorities for improvement across the whole system and provide practical support, guidance, tools and services which are responsive to the needs of HMPPS.
We have developed a place-based approach to support quality and performance improvement in identified and agreed Probation Service areas, including support for effective change management and buddying support for Senior Probation Officers. We are also supporting Regional Probation Directors to enable Regions to make informed choices about what they buy, based on needs and effective practice evidence.
Some of the recent products include:
- A new version of EQUIP Compliance & Engagement on Licence to help practitioners who are managing individuals on licence
- 7 Minute Briefings on topics such as Gambling and Staff Supervision
Assuring Quality
Through assurance and scrutiny, we identify and promote the organisation’s most important priorities and design ways to measure our progress toward them. We are currently assessing the quality of sentence management inherited by the new Probation Service Regions. Over recent months we have looked at the sharing of risk information between the Probation Service and the Electronic Monitoring contractor, and how perpetrators of domestic abuse were managed during the pandemic.
Supporting Change
We keep Probation colleagues informed via the monthly Change Update for Prison and Probation Senior Leaders publication and bi-monthly Trade Union meetings. These platforms help raise awareness of change both in development and approaching implementation stage. They also represent an invaluable opportunity for Probation colleagues to provide their feedback on how effectively change is being embedded across Probation.
Applying evidence to inform decisions and practice
We support HMPPS to understand and use the best available evidence in operations and key decision-making processes. We provide practical support and guidance and share good practice through conversations, evidence briefings, infographics, podcasts and videos.
We provide Regional Probation Directors with data on the needs and characteristics of people on probation and ‘what works’ evidence to support (co)commissioning and partnership decisions. We have also been working with colleagues in the Probation Workforce Programme to develop evidence-informed learning products.
Introducing Kashmir Garton
Kashmir Garton
Faith lead for the Probation Service
I joined the Probation Service in 1989 as a Probation Officer and have held several operational roles mainly in the Midlands area. My last operational role was Head of Public Protection and national lead for Domestic Abuse which I did for six years. In July 2021, I took up a new role as HQ Faith lead for the Probation Service to build on the work I commenced three years ago to strengthen our links with faith communities.
One of the greatest strengths of the Probation Service is our partnership work with other agencies, however, we have not always worked in partnership with faith communities. Faith communities can help people on probation to maintain their faith, reduce social exclusion and give a sense of belonging. Moreover, this support can continue long after the sentence is completed. Research shows that faith and belief can be a protective factor and contribute to rehabilitation and desistance.
In October 2020, I launched the Faith Partnership Framework across HMPPS. This sets out the Probation Service’s commitment to work with all faith communities and to include faith and belief in our supervision. As Faith lead, I am supporting Probation regions to develop links with local faith communities, developing the Faith Awareness e-learning for all Probation staff, working with a PDU to pilot a safe referral process to faith groups, and planning the introduction of faith links within Approved Premises. I look forward to working with colleagues on this agenda.
Probation publications
Probation publications
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To find out what’s happening within the Probation Service, every fortnight, direct in your inbox, simply enter your @justice email address in this subscription form.
Here are some recent issues of your most popular probation publications. – Click on a title to view.
Probation News
Refer & Monitor Digital Service Round Up
IT systems structures migration – November/ December
IT systems structures migration
Legacy CRC team structures for all authority systems such as Delius, OASYS, Interventions Manager and NDMIS have begun moving into the Probation Service structure. This is being done using a phased approach until December 2021.
Here are the final CRC migrations, taking place in November and December:
- West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire & *Humberside, Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire (HLNY Part 2) will move to Yorkshire & the Humber Region (19-20 November)
- Cheshire & Greater Manchester will migrate to Greater Manchester (10-11 December)
- Cheshire & Greater Manchester, Merseyside & Cumbria & Lancashire will migrate to North West Region (10-11 December)
More information is available here.
Spotlight on Electronic Monitoring
Spotlight on…
Electronic Monitoring
October 2021
This spotlight illuminates the work of our Electronic Monitoring (EM) colleagues, who are riding high on the great news announced recently by our Secretary of State that EM would receive £183m funding for Electronic Monitoring expansion projects. Here’s what the team say…
A very busy year
The investment news came on the back of a very busy year, during which time we have been working hard with our suppliers, in particular the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS), to keep the service running during the challenges of the pandemic, while expanding the services we offer. For example:
Alcohol Monitoring tags
roll-out
Thanks to fantastic support from HMPPS colleagues, we completed the rollout of Alcohol Monitoring tags across England and Wales. Take up has been great, with more than 1,700 orders imposed to date and sober day rate running at an excellent 97%.
Probation colleagues have told us this new tool is incredibly useful, but the best bit of feedback we have had is from a tag wearer who told us that after 10 years of problem drinking the tag “saved my life” allowing him to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Tagging at the point of release
On behalf of the Home Office, and with thanks to excellent support from Prison colleagues, we began tagging foreign national offenders at the point of release from Prison/Immigration removal centres.
This process builds on the processes developed for the End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR) scheme introduced as a temporary measure at the start of the Covid Pandemic.
Acquisitive Crime Project expansion
With great support from probation and police colleagues, we expanded our Acquisitive Crime Project to 19 police force areas, which is making GPS Trail Monitoring compulsory for acquisitive criminals sentenced to 12 months custody.
The project is aligned to Integrated Offender Management, bringing closer working relationships with probation and Police to identify, mitigate and manage risk – enhanced by a crime mapping service for police and a self-service portal to allow probation colleagues to analyse an offender’s movements.
What’s to come
We still have lots more to come, including:
- Introducing a new contractual pricing mechanism for our suppliers to deliver better VfM.
- Expanding the use of alcohol monitoring to those leaving prison. Alcohol Monitoring on licence will offer the option of total abstinence or monitoring an offender’s alcohol intake. We are launching a pathfinder in Wales on 17 Nov. Roll-out to England will follow in Summer 2022.
- EMS & the Met will be piloting a four-night intensification process at the end of November, to test to what extent closer working can improve numbers and rate of arrests for bail breaches.
- Running a new phase of court outreach. Starting soon, we will be targeting 20 high volume courts where EM usage is well below average. We will be refreshing EM messaging, with emphasis on the flexible capabilities of Radio Frequency (RF) and GPS.
- Working on ways to more closely align with Probation, ensuring there’s clear routes between Probation, HMPPS EM team and EMS at a strategic and local level.
- Carrying out work to stabilise the EM Current Service to ensure it can continue to run smoothly and can be scaled to support the expected increase in numbers of individuals on tag.
- Working with all our stakeholders to scope the future EM service for when current contracts end in 2024. We are putting you (our stakeholders) at the heart of planning to ensure we are defining the outcomes and experiences you want to deliver, and to work out how these can be best realised through the procurement approach and future operating model.
Further out on the horizon the excitement will continue, we have new capabilities being introduced via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, a new pilot launching in the North East to test the use of EM for licence variation, and our new Innovation Fund will get underway
Thank you
As we always say, EM is worthless unless it is in the hands of front line practitioners, so on all of the above we will be reaching out through the usual channels to provide you with the details, give you the opportunity to kick the tyres on our plans and we will work in partnership to make sure the new changes we introduce are a success.
Thanks for the incredible support you have given us so far, and we look forward to continuing our journey together.
If you have any questions on any of this or anything EM related we would love to hear from you at EMChange@Justice.gov.uk
The EM Team
Routes to becoming a trainee probation officer
Routes to becoming a Trainee Probation Officer (PQiP)
Last updated 25 May, 2022
The chart below outlines the three application routes for becoming a trainee probation officer (PQiP) including eligibility criteria, required qualifications and course length.
There are also some general questions & answers at the bottom of this page.
PSO progression
| Eligibility Criteria | Be a directly employed PSO. Passed Probationary period.
No formal performance management or other procedures that remove from avenue of promotion. Have completed 6 months effective service as a PSO. Be up to date on mandatory learning. |
| Qualification Requirements
(see explanation of qualifications below) |
A level 3 or higher qualification (can include the VQ3 Diploma in Probation Practice or Level 3 Certificate in Probation Practice but doesn’t have to be) |
| Recruitment Process | Application Form.
Written Level 4 assignment for those without a Level 5 or above qualification. Assessment Centre comprising interview and written test. |
| Route Length | 15 months |
| Qualification Structure | Non graduates will complete the Level 5 DipHE in the 1st 6 months. Months 7-15 will be the Level 6 academic course. The VQ5 will take place throughout the qualification.
Graduates will not have to undertake the Full Level 5 DiPHE. |
Internal applicants
External applicants
Questions & answers about the PQiP programme
If I am not a current PSO but do have PSO experience can I still apply for the PSO Progression route
Yes, if your current role is not as a practicing PSO but you have previous PSO experience we will consider your application on a case by case basis.
What are level 3 and level 5 qualifications?
There are 9 qualification levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and they all represent higher education (HE) qualifications.
To be eligible to apply to the PQiP programme, you must hold a valid Level 5 qualification in one of the following:
- A diploma of higher education (DipHE)
- A foundation degree
- A higher national diploma (HND)
- A level 5 award
- A level 5 certificate
- A level 5 diploma
- A level 5 NVQ
If you are an existing Probation Services Officer (PSO) you must have a level 3 qualification from the list below:
- A level (grades A, B, C, D or E)
- Advanced subsidiary (AS) level.
- Level 3 awards, diplomas and certificates.
- Level 3 NVQ.
- Advanced apprenticeships.
- Tech level.
- Applied general.
I am currently working in prison as a Resettlement PSO with a salary of £24,801 but can see that the PQiP salary states £23,174. Would I take a cut in my salary or would my salary be met?
The pay stated in the job advert is the minimum point on the pay scale for Band 3. For candidates already employed as a PSO, but already further up the pay scale – you would not revert back to the minimum, but instead retain your current pay point on the scale until the next uplift.
What technology do I need for the assessment centre?
You will need a laptop or computer, with one of the supported operating systems and browsers listed below. You can’t use a phone, tablet, or Chromebook. Please also note that MOJ-issued laptops are not fully compatible with Zoom – you may be able to install Zoom on your MoJ-issued laptop but it will not work for all the functions required for the assessment.
Supported Operating Systems:
- MacOS X with macOS 10.7 or later
- Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10
- Windows Vista with SP1 or later, Windows XP with SP3 or later
- Oracle Linux 6.4 or later Browsers:
- Windows: Edge 12+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
- Mac: Safari 7+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
- Linux: Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+
If you are unsure which operating system you are running, instructions on how to identify this can be found through your search engine (e.g. google).
Visit https://zoom.us/ and click on “Sign Up, It’s Free” in the top right hand corner of the webpage. Follow the instructions on the webpage to sign up and download Zoom on to your laptop or computer.
You will need a webcam or built in camera for your laptop or computer. We recommend that you use earphones/headphones that have a microphone. Zoom will work with your laptop’s in-built microphone, but for the best user experience we recommend using earphones/headphones that have a microphone. We also recommend that if using a laptop, you use an external mouse rather than using the laptops trackpad / touchpad. The technology will work with a laptop trackpad / touchpad, but for the best user experience we recommend using an external mouse.
Once you have downloaded Zoom, we strongly recommend that you join a test meeting before you attend your online assessment centre. This will give you the opportunity to understand what the Zoom interface looks like, and will also allow you to test your microphone, speakers, and camera in advance of the online assessment centre. You can join a test meeting here: Join a Test Meeting – Zoom
Would I be in the same office whilst training?
Locations are based on business need; therefore, it is not guaranteed that you will be placed in your current office.
Once I complete the course would I then be a fully qualified Probation Officer?
Yes, upon completion of PQiP you will be a qualified probation officer and will be eligible to apply for a qualified probation office role.
After qualification can we stay in our current location as a PO as we are already existing staff?
Once fully qualified you are free to apply for any vacant Probation officer roles, we however cannot guarantee that there will be one available in your current office as this is based on business need.
Do we have a graduation ceremony at the end?
Yes, you will take part in a graduation ceremony upon completion of your PQiP training.
Is there a use by date for a PQiP qualification - will it expire?
No, there is not currently an expiration timeframe for the PQiP qualification.
Prevent e-learning launch – October 2021
New Prevent e-learning launch – October
What you need to know about the new learning:
- It is mandatory learning and applies to all employees working in the Probation Service and must be completed every 3 years
- If you have already completed ‘Wrap3’ in the past 3 years, you do not need to complete this training until that learning expires.
- It will take you approximately 40 minutes to complete and provides useful contact details for the Regional Counter Terrorism teams across Prisons and Probation.
How to complete the learning:
You can access the learning via the Counter Terrorism folder on myLearning here.
A new e-learning package for Counter Terrorism will be launched on 15th October via the myLearning site. The ‘Prevent’ learning will replace the WRAP3 learning you may have previously completed.
What the learning covers
The new content has been streamlined to focus on key themes including radicalisation, extremism and terrorism. It explores an individual’s vulnerabilities and risks of being radicalised whilst introducing staff to three key concepts: notice, check and share. It will also test a learner’s understanding through a final knowledge check at the end of the session.
Modernising our learning packages
The new package represents a complete re-vamp of the old WRAP-3 and incorporates cutting edge digital design that makes the learning as interactive as possible for all staff.
The new digital design incorporates varied content that is engaging and will suit different learning styles, such as videos, case studies and key information.
What colleagues think of it
‘It was clear, concise and gave you a good understanding of prevent and the responsibilities of agencies in referring to prevent…’
‘It’s bite-size and easy to digest…’
‘Well presented a good balance of reading and videos which I particularly found engaging. I felt that it was really user friendly.’
Refer & Monitor Digital Service Round Up – October
Refer and Monitor an Intervention Digital Service – October round up
Here is a summary of the latest Refer and Monitor (R&M) fixes, improvements and developments for colleagues in the Probation Service and Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) Suppliers.
What’s been delivered
Viewing an end of service report as a supplier
It’s now possible for suppliers to view the end of service report they have submitted as part of a referral. Previously this wasn’t visible to suppliers meaning there was a gap in being able to view the whole end to end journey of a referral for them.
Case Notes
Case notes are now available in Refer and Monitor. This allows service providers and probation practitioners to add important notes about the intervention. It’s currently a very simple process:
- Alongside “Progress” and “Referral details” there is a link to “Case Notes” where there’ll be a list of the existing notes, and a button to create a new one
- A title can be added for convenience, and then there’s a free text box for the note itself
- Once typed, this can be saved and the note and will appear in the record. Time, date and author are recorded automatically
There’s currently no process to edit case notes or add attachments – but these features may be added in future. Case notes do not transfer into NDelius at the present time and will need to copy and pasted over.
Please note that Case Notes can be used to record if a person on probation is in prison, or the community, their prison location, and likely release, as well as if the referral is urgent. The functionality for these things in Refer and Monitor is still being worked on, but in the short-term case notes is a good place to record this information.
Note also, that Case Notes is not a messaging service and should not be used to replace a phone call or email where this is necessary.
What we’re building
Risk Screen
The new risk screen will go live in the next couple of weeks. This screen allows the probation practitioner to pass appropriate risk information to the CRS supplier, allowing for better sharing of this sensitive information, meaning that CRS providers can work in a safer way with people on probation.
Amending Referrals
This will change the way a referral is done from a one stop piece of work, to one that can be altered. Work will start on the ability to amend the number of enforceable days and completion dates at the start of October. Once completed, it will be an easier task to amend other elements of the referral.
Risk scores
Work is well underway on the next iteration of risk scores. This work provides users with a more comprehensive overview of risk information. Current work is looking at showing alerts and warnings where risk information is going to be shared or needs to be flagged as recent but ‘not current’. It is hoped this will be completed in the next week or so.
Jargon Buster
Refer and Monitor Digital Service (R&M)
Refer and monitor an intervention digital service (sometimes referred to as Refer and Monitor) enables probation practitioners to find suitable interventions and refer service users to the service providers (suppliers) who run intervention programmes. It enables suppliers to prepare and report on the interventions that they deliver.
Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS)
Commissioned rehabilitative services allow probation to commission a greater range of resettlement and rehabilitative services regionally from specialist organisations. This enables the delivery of services that can be tailored to respond to the diverse backgrounds and needs of individuals to effect positive outcomes as well as maximise opportunities for collaboration with local partners, including VCSE organisations, local authorities and Police and Crime Commissioners.
What else we’re exploring
Create and update an initial assessment appointment
The functionality to book an initial assessment, reschedule an assessment, and provide feedback on assessment has been available and live on the service for some time now. The main outstanding piece of work is the ability to let suppliers ‘book’ an assessment in the past. Delius does not allow appointments to be scheduled to a past time/date in this way. This is in the Digital R&M development plan and will be delivered in the next couple of months.
Editing a listing (email address)
Refer and Monitor doesn’t currently support a self-service model where users can update and amend their own intervention listings. The digital team are starting by looking at how to make it possible for a supplier to edit the main contact details of their listing directly.
Improving the case list view
Feedback, support queries and research insight are showing that users need more granular ways to view their case lists. Work will begin shortly to start building some of the improved designs into the service.
Other iterative improvements
Alongside some of the larger pieces of work, the Digital Team have been working on several smaller improvements. This includes showing the referral date of a referral in the ‘my cases’ view and saving a ‘sorted’ case list so that when a user leaves and then returns to the case list page the previous sort is maintained.
More information
- Contact the IT Helpdesk for technical questions. These are then collated and prioritised and allocated to the R&M Digital Team.
- The Probation Hub CRS Pages are currently being redeveloped but some top tips are available and are being updated monthly
- CRS and R&M are a key component of the Target Operating Model being delivered through the Probation Reform Programme
Feedback
- To send feedback on the R&M tool direct to the R&M development team use the feedback option in the R&M Tool (see figure below)
Amy Rees update message – 24 September
Amy Rees – Director General Probation, Wales and Youth
Update message to staff – Friday 24 September
During the last fortnight, I have been delighted to be able to do two of the things I enjoy the most in my job. Having the opportunity to meet some of you at your place of work and presenting the probation winners of the HMPPS Staff awards.
Last week I joined the official opening of Eden House – our first new Approved Premises in 30 years. It was great to take a tour of the new 26-bed facility in Bristol and meet its fantastic staff. They are rightly very proud of the new accommodation and to be able to use it to support women leaving prison make positive changes in their lives. Eden House is going to be such an important facility and I look forward to hearing of its future achievements. A big thank you to everyone involved in ensuring Eden House opened and to the team for the brilliant work they are doing there.
On Tuesday this week, it was wonderful to meet our probation finalists at the HMPPS Staff Awards 2021 and recognise their incredible achievements. Being part of the awards ceremony, I was moved by the stories of how our people go above and beyond in their work. The event was the perfect opportunity to show our pride and gratitude for the efforts of those we work with and to celebrate their determination and achievement. My congratulations go to our richly deserving category winners and to all those who were nominated. You are an inspiration to all of us. You can read more about our fantastic overall Probation Champion of the year – Assad Asghar – later in this message.
In other news, I am sure you will have read or heard about the changes following last week’s Cabinet reshuffle. This saw us welcome the Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP and Deputy Prime Minister back to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as our new Secretary of State for Justice as well as some changes to the ministerial team MoJ ministers appointed | Ministry of Justice HQ. I am looking forward to working with our new Secretary of State for Justice and all the ministerial team to continue our progress on the path to excellent probation services.
Staying at MOJ level, Jo Farrar, Second Permanent Secretary, MoJ and HMPPS CEO, has announced the department is modernising its operating model. The changes centre on better alignment of resource, skills and talent and ensuring our people’s passion, professionalism and expertise is supported by our structures. This has resulted in two new groups (‘Service Delivery and Transformation’ and ‘Data, Analysis, Communications, and Strategy’) joining the MoJ senior leadership structure. It has also created a couple of key changes at HMPPS level – one of which sees a welcome addition to my responsibilities.
As you may have noticed from my job title, I now have responsibility for the Youth Custody Service (YCS). Already being part of HMPPS, the team’s ambitions align with those of the wider department with its principles firmly focussed on the children and young people in its care. Having already met with many colleagues in the team, I have been impressed with their collective passion to positively shape the future of children’s services in custody. I am confident closer working across our teams will support the YCS team with their critical work and I am incredibly proud to be leading them.
KEY UPDATES
People Survey 2021: Launches next week
The 2021 People Survey opens on 28 September – Giving colleagues across the Civil Service the opportunity to have their say on topics relating to their work and experiences.
There has never been a more crucial time for Probation Service colleagues to speak up as your feedback will help to inform the development of the unified service and how we rebuild from the COVID pandemic.
Each probation team will be provided with a code and link to access the online survey, and it’s worth keeping in mind that if you work in a prison, you will need to identify with your parent PDU/team, not the prison, when you come to complete it.
The survey will run until 3 November. Don’t miss out, have your say, share your voice.
National Inclusion week: 27 September – 3 October
Designed to celebrate everyday inclusion in all its forms, National Inclusion Week 2021 will take place from 27 September to 3 October.
A series of what are set to be both thought-provoking and practical events during the week will give everyone in HMPPS the chance to get involved.
More details are available on the MoJ intranet, including more on these sessions:
- MoJ National inclusion week opening event (with Jo Farrar)
- Celebrating transgender colleagues (National Inclusion Week) | Ministry of Justice HQ – join me and a panel of colleagues on Monday 27 September at 2.00pm to hear about different experiences from a diverse range of people
- National Inclusion Week: Small steps we can all actively take towards an MoJ where everyone can belong and thrive
- Breaking Down Barriers Trailblazers series – Lekia Lee
- MoJ National inclusion week closing event
This is the ninth year of bringing organisations together from across the globe to celebrate, share and inspire inclusion practices.
#HiddenHeroes Day 2: 29 September
A reminder that this year’s UK-wide “#HiddenHeroes Day”will take place on Wednesday 29 September.
Championed by the charity The Butler Trust, in partnership with MoJ, it is an opportunity to pay tribute to those working in probation, youth justice services and prison, and thank them for their outstanding service throughout the pandemic.
For more information contact: info@butlertrust.org.uk
SPOTLIGHT ON: ASSAD ASGHAR – PROBATION CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
This year’s overall winner and Probation Champion of the Year at the HMPPS Staff Awards was Assad Asghar.
Assad is a Senior Administrative Officer from the West Midlands region who was nominated by colleagues in the Staff Support category for his incredible work in supporting colleagues and looking at ways in which he can help to improve how they work. Assad has been working for probation since 2005 in a range of roles including supporting offender management and court teams.
Assad’s nomination centred on the work he has done to support his team through challenging times including the most difficult of times following the sad loss of a colleague. He was also recognised for his day to day support for the team with issues such as IT and the improvements he has made to ways of working including court processes and raising health and safety standards.
Sarah Chand, Regional Probation Director for the West Midlands region, said: “Assad is such a quiet and unassuming individual, yet has an incredibly large and positive impact on all who work with him.
“His kindness and generosity of spirit, sharing his time, knowledge and immense IT skills to support individuals, the team and the wider region, are the qualities repeatedly highlighted by colleagues and have simply made an enormous difference to staff.
“I am delighted to see him recognised in this way, he is such a worthy winner!’”
We asked Assad what achieving these awards meant to him:
“Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to say congratulations to all nominees, finalists and winners of 2021- each person’s contribution to probation is priceless, we are winners every day when we are showing kindness and making a difference. I cannot express how grateful I am to ‘each and every person’ who has played a part in me achieving these awards- I could not have done it without you.
“I would also separately like to thank Vina Patel for nominating me, for the Staff Support category and recognising my work and believing in me. Additionally, I would like to thank Jo Farrar for selecting me as the Probation Champion of 2021- I am totally honoured. Another big thank you to the ‘comms team’ for making day so memorable.
“I truly believe the work we all do in Probation on every level is invaluable. We are all like a building- each part having a supportive and impactful role- without each part we would not be successful. But, for me today, I feel very humbled and proud that the administrative role has got its own recognition and appreciation on a bigger platform!
“Once again thank you!”
Thank you Assad for all your incredible work – a truly worthy winner
Thank you all as ever for all you are doing
Amy