Workforce Planning System (WPS) 

What is it and what do you need to know?

Supporting probation through evidence based workforce planning

The Workforce Planning System (WPS) is a single, joined-up workforce planning system designed to strengthen regional workforce planning arrangements. WPS will provide probation with an accurate and integrated means of planning staffing requirements, ensuring staffing needs are responsive to the impact of operational changes in the service.

The WPS project will run until 2024 when it will be integrated into business as usual (BAU) to support workforce planning and probation management in the longer term. At the heart of the WPS approach is ensuring that the staffing data we use is evidence-based and robust to support the priorities of frontline operations to achieve our aim of reducing reoffending and protect the public.

Currently the method of managing the workforce is through several disparate systems and tools, with people often following different processes. WPS aims to simplify this and introduce a system which will be one source of the truth for reporting, governance and decision making.

What are the key benefits of WPS?

  • Data quality and completeness – a single version of the truth
  • Effective long-term planning
  • A single joined up system that supports workforce planning
  • Increased insight to improve decision making
  • Informed prioritisation of resources and business planning

The rich picture below illustrates the various components of WPS ensuring that the system is driven by good quality information and informed by frontline staff to provide regions with the right solutions and tools to underpin and support excellent practice.

What you can expect from WPS

Working collaboratively and co-design is critical to the success of WPS to maximise the accuracy and evidence base of our staffing data and understanding the impacts of change upon the workforce.  This work is being led by the Impact Assessment team within WPS who are running a programme of workshops with relevant operational staff in relation to priority operational changes. These workshops support WPS to specify the activities associated with each role which are being captured in a live activity and weightings database currently under development for probation.   ​

The WPS team have already facilitated workshops for Electronic Monitoring and Acquisitive Crime and Serious Further Offences (SFO).  Activities and Timings workshops for all probation activities will be facilitated throughout 2023 – 2024 through a sequenced and agreed rationale / framework. There will be ongoing consultation with probation leaders to maximise opportunities to work with frontline staff and benefit from their expertise and experience.

Next steps:

The Workforce Measurement Tool (WMT) has been under review for some time and is an integral part of WPS. This work forms part of the WPS in ensuring the system is driven by good quality information.   Live events are taking place to communicate changes to WMT during December. These are scheduled for:

FAQ

WPS will deliver a single, clear, and accurate system for understanding workforce changes to include demands, activities, weightings, and resources for probation. We have been through enormous organisational changes over many years and our work can change in line with priorities set by Government. These changes can impact on the workforce and available resource. WPS is a system that seeks to address this by providing understanding of the potential resource impact of any proposed changes and enabling everyone to better prepare for implementation.

The Workload Measurement Tool (WMT) has been in existence for some time. WPS incorporates a review of WMT alongside planned future work to develop the system and include aspects of our work which are not currently considered.

WPS does incorporate workforce planning. The WPS project also includes the design and implementation of an IT solution that will underpin all key components of the system. This system will provide a single source of information and include scenario testing for regions to plan and manage their workforce requirements.

More information

For any questions contact the WPS team.

We are also developing an intranet page which will be updated to provide key information as WPS moves forward as a project.