ARCHIVED: Harmonisation negotiations begin

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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.

Sonia Flynn

Serious Further Offences

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New framework to support staff with Serious Further Offences Review completions

Read more

Probation Pay Update

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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

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Amy Rees – Director General Probation, Wales and Youth


Update message to staff – Friday 26 November


Amy Rees - Director General for Probation

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)

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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:

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.

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) scheme for vacancy managers

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Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) scheme for Vacancy Managers

Last updated 14 June 2022

‘Going Forward into Employment’ (GFiE) is a government endorsed employment scheme which offers opportunities for people on release from Prison or under supervision in the Community.  The scheme enables civil service departments to directly recruit individuals within two years of completing their custodial or community sentence to fixed term roles of up to 24 months (that can subsequently be made permanent).

At the heart of the Strategy are two priorities:

  • To continue to increase the representation of currently under-represented groups at all levels across the Civil Service,
  • To focus on inclusion to build our culture and reputation as a place that attracts, develops, retains and fully engages all the diverse talent across our organisation.

NB: Certain conviction exclusions apply.



Criteria for submitting roles

Roles submitted for recruitment via GFiE must meet the following criteria:

  1. Graded at Probation Band 2-3 (MoJ Band F-D or HMPPS Band 2-4)
  2. Fixed-term appointment for up to 24 months
  3. Not require National Security Clearance (CTC,SC,DV)
  4. Approved and supported by the Business areas Deputy Director (Regional Probation Director), or equivalent for inclusion within the GFiE scheme

NB:  The recruitment process can take up to 15 weeks.  This can be longer or shorter, depending on the turnaround of actions by vacancy managers and applicants.


Vacancy referral process

Step Action Documents and forms
1. Identify a vacancy suitable for the GFiE scheme  
2. Complete the following forms:

1.     Vacancy Submission Form

2.     Choose specific Job Description (JES template)

3.     Complete the GFIE example job description template

Email these 3  documents to GFIE@justice.gov.uk, Life Chance Resourcing, MoJ People Group.  This team will manage uploading to appropriate systems

PLEASE NOTE: There is no need to advertise this role through the normal recruitment process as GFIE is an approved exception to the fair and open recruitment principles – read more
3. Interview Process

You will be contacted regarding suitable candidates for interview

NB:  Provide feedback to all applicants (including those not interviewed) within 5 days

 Guidance for Interviews
4. Provisional Job Offer

If a Candidate has a successful interview and you wish to offer the role, email GFIE@justice.gov.uk and let him know.

(Anthony’s team will manage the process of uploading vacancy and candidate details onto Oleeo and liaising with SSCL.  They will commence the vetting process including the Right to Work check).

Complete the following form:

Vacancy Manager completes the Workplace Risk Assessment form and sends to Anthony Andrews

 Complete the Workplace Risk Assessment Form
5. Line Manager contacts candidate to agree start date Guidance for Line Managers

If you would like to talk to someone about this process and/or seek advice about a role please contact GFIE@justice.gov.uk.

Kashmir Garton

Introducing Kashmir Garton

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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

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Probation publications

Don’t miss out – subscribe today

Probation News is a dedicated news bulletin for all Probation Service colleagues.

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

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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.

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE)

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Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) scheme

‘Going Forward into Employment’ (GFiE) is a government endorsed employment scheme which offers opportunities for people on release from Prison or under supervision in the Community.

With our strong connection with the New Futures Network (HMPPS), the team who source candidates and manage this initiative, there are two different schemes:

  • Probation Officers identify people under their supervision to apply for roles (see the simple step by step process below), and
  • Vacancy Managers put forward roles which can be filled by people on release from Prison or under supervision in the Community.


Referring people on probation to the scheme

Probation Officers are perfectly placed to consider this scheme for service users under their supervision and referring them to the scheme if they meet the appropriate criteria:

  • Upcoming for release
  • Still serving their community sentence
  • Finished their sentence (community or custodial) within the past five years

NB: Certain conviction exclusions apply

Application process

The process has been simplified to encourage up-take, service user success and make the process as easy as possible for probation officers and service users alike.  You, the referrer completes one form, one form for you to complete with the PoP and one optional form (three in all).  Below is the step by step process along with links to these three forms which can easily be completed in a supervision session.


Step Action Document/ Forms
1 Identify individual that you feel could work for the civil service and who’s offence is not exempt Offence Exemption List
2 Ensure Individual has an up-to-date CV and 3 forms of ID ID Requirements
3 There are two forms:

Complete the consent form with the candidate

Complete the candidate referral form (to be completed by you, the referrer)

 .

Consent form

Candidate referral form
4 Give/email a copy of the Privacy Notice to your candidate (for review only) Privacy Notice
5 Send all forms and copies of ID to gfieapplicantreferrals@justice.gov.uk

You will be contacted within 5 working days acknowledging receipt of the documents and next steps for your candidate.


If you would like to talk to someone about this process and/or seek advice about a potential referral please contact gfieapplicantreferrals@justice.gov.uk.

Editor:  Annie Macnamara

GPS Tag fitted on ankle

Spotlight on Electronic Monitoring

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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

Where to find more information 

EM case studies (PDF)

Stakeholder video – Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) 

Video for those on tag – location monitoring

Video for those on tag – alcohol monitoring

GPS/Radio Frequency Tag eLearning (MyLearning access required)

AAMR eLearning (MyLearning access required)

Probation Hub – Delivering our services

Routes to becoming a trainee probation officer

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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.


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.

Questions & answers about the PQiP programme

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.

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.

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.

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

Locations are based on business need; therefore, it is not guaranteed that you will be placed in your current office.

Yes, upon completion of PQiP you will be a qualified probation officer and will be eligible to apply for a qualified probation office role.

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.

Yes, you will take part in a graduation ceremony upon completion of your PQiP training.

No, there is not currently an expiration timeframe for the PQiP qualification.

Jigsaw puzzle

Prevent e-learning launch – October 2021

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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

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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

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Amy Rees – Director General Probation, Wales and Youth


Update message to staff – Friday 24 September


Amy Rees - Director General for ProbationDuring 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:

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 ASGHAR – PROBATION CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

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

Charmaine Smart - Deputy Manager, Eden House

Watch: Eden House, our first new approved premises in 30 years.

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Hear from Eden House staff in their own words

Eden House, the first new approved premises (AP) in 30 years, is officially open in Bristol.

The new 26-bed facility will provide accommodation for women who will receive tailored support to find employment, a permanent home, and reconnect with their family as they reintegrate back into society.

Hear from Eden House staff in this video
(Hosted on YouTube – Also available in Probation TV)

You can read more about Eden House on the HMPPS intranet.

Spotlight on Workforce Strategy

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Spotlight on…

A series of articles shine a light on initiatives introduced as part of the Probation Workforce Strategy

Colleague using PC

Guidance for blended supervision

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Blended supervision

Blended supervision is a catch all term that covers the different modes of contact used to undertake sentence management activities with people on probation. This includes in-person contact, telephone calls, and video conferencing (MS Teams telephony).

The Blended Supervision guide

Probation is responsible for ensuring relevant sentences imposed by the courts are delivered and, in doing this, the public are protected and rehabilitation is promoted.

This guidance provides a clear framework for practitioners to make decisions about which mode of contact to use for a particular case, informed by the responsibilities set out above and by a proper consideration of risk and the wider circumstances of each case.

Regional delivery


We flex our standard deliverables, approach and timeframes to more closely meet the diverse needs of communities and people on probation.

Please speak with your manager and refer to local communications for information on delivery of services in your region.

Background to the guide

We have worked under a range of exceptional delivery models (EDMs) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in rapid changes in practice, with most offices closing and staff working from home conducting supervision using a mix of office based and remote contacts.

These alternative supervision methods provided learning to help shape future delivery of sentence management in the community and in developing a blended model for supervision

Where to find the guide

The blended supervision staff guidance is available here on Equip

Next steps

From March 2022, we will test the use of a blended supervision model, building on the lessons learnt from the exceptional delivery model.

This evaluation will explore:

  • How practitioners can best be supported with guidance that helps them and how they apply discretion within a mandated set of principles.
  • Technological solutions including telephony and video conferencing.
  • The impact of using different modes of contact on sentence management, as well as risk assessment and risk management.

We will revise the model, informed by the findings from the evaluation that will be available by March 2023.

How this builds into the big picture

Our Target Operating Model includes the ambition to utilise new digital/telecommunication technologies as part of innovating and refreshing the approaches taken to engagement with people on probation.

Race Action Plan (RAP)

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Race Action Plan (RAP)

This newly emerging programme, which builds on the MoJ Race Action Plan, will tackle racial discrimination and disproportionality across HMPPS to create a diverse and inclusive workforce which gives all staff an opportunity to be their best. Prisoners, children and those on probation are also an important focus for this ambitious programme which will tackle disparity in outcomes in order to reduce reoffending and optimise rehabilitative practices .

Through greater engagement with the Third Sector, improved commissioning practices, enhanced recruitment processes, consistent application of policies and providing safe spaces to manage the effects of racial trauma, the Race Action Programme will work with the whole organisation to drive down the persistent inequalities which affect black, Asian and minority ethnic staff, prisoners, children and those on probation.

The aims of the Race Action Programme are linked to the HMPPS Strategic Objectives, in particular

  • Enabling People to Be Their Best
  • Transforming Through Partnerships
  • Developing an Open Learning Culture.

More information on RAP visit the newly published RAP pages on the HMPPS intranet.