Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Paragraph: 44
The new unified model has the potential to increase judicial confidence, through improved communication, sharing...
Recommendation
The new unified model has the potential to increase judicial confidence, through improved communication, sharing of relevant information and a more consistent offer of support. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice sets out how it will assess whether the new probation delivery model improves sentencer confidence, what criteria will be used to make that judgment, and what research will be undertaken, and data gathered.
Paragraph Reference:
44
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Agreed We have developed a comprehensive evaluation strategy for the new probation delivery model, and sentencer confidence will be one of the measures we assess the reforms against. We have developed an annual judicial survey and administered it alongside extensive publicity between March and April 2021 as the basis for a new performance measure. A score on judicial satisfaction will be generated from a number of questions (helpfulness of sentencing advice, satisfaction with quality of breach reports, information about probation delivery, and satisfaction with the service provided by local Probation Service), for which a baseline will be derived from the 2021 survey. Targets have been set for the number of responses received to produce statistically valid results both nationally and regionally. The survey supports local and national judicial liaison arrangements enabling the targeting of activities based on judicial feedback. All regional and local judicial engagement activity is now tracked locally and monitored by the probation service’s Central Court Team, and this is reported back to the HMPPS Judicial Forum and Regional Probation Directors.