Recommendation 35

The Probation Service in Wales is performing well under exceptionally challenging circumstances, and we were proud to hear of its status as the ‘vanguard of change’ in the system. The tools being piloted across the service in Wales promise to alleviate some of the pressure on an overworked and understaffed service, and the North Wales PDU is setting the standard for good practice across the country. However, probation staff in Wales have been stretched to their limit and without tangible investment in additional officers at a national level—as well as measures to improve retention—the service runs the risk of being overwhelmed in the future. The UK and Welsh Government’s recent agreement to produce a MoU for probation offers an exciting opportunity to consider new ways of delivering probation, and we were pleased to see that it aligned with HM Chief Inspector of Probation’s call for greater information sharing and collaboration between local partners. The committee is of the view that the UK Government should consider the benefits that might accrue from the devolution of probation with a focus on delivering better outcomes through a more localised and granular focus on provision to the benefit of people on probation in Wales. (Conclusion, Paragraph 132)