Select committee: Justice Committee
Recommendation 6
3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation services
Published 20 Jul 2020
Paragraph 35
Addressed to Ministry of Justice
Justice Committee Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on prison, probation and court systems All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Staff shortages and increased workloads within the probation service preceded the Covid-19 outbreak. Whilst the Committee recognise that Covid-19 means that some areas of work have stopped, it is clear that staff workloads are still extremely high, and staff morale and wellbeing are of significant concern within the probation service. In addition to these conditions, staff are also going through the second major reform programme to take place in just five years, and the impact of this uncertainty cannot be overestimated. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS set out what existing and additional measures are in place during this time to support staff wellbeing.Staff shortages and increased workloads within the probation service preceded the Covid-19 outbreak. Whilst the Committee recognise that Covid-19 means that some areas of work have stopped, it is clear that staff workloads are still extremely high, and staff morale and wellbeing are of significant concern within the probation service. In addition to these conditions, staff are also going through the second major reform programme to take place in just five years, and the impact of this uncertainty cannot be overestimated. We recommend that the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS set out what existing and additional measures are in place during this time to support staff wellbeing..
From: Justice Committee, 3rd Report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation services (HC 461), paragraph 35, 20 July 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 2 October 2020 (deadline 20 September 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's findings and sets out, recommendation by recommendation, how it is adapting probation services during the pandemic and moving towards the new model for probation from June 2021.
- On remote supervision, the National Probation Service "accepts that face to face contact with many service users is an essential way of working", and plans a "blended" approach to future supervision, with detail in an updated Target Operating Model to be published in February 2021.
- On unpaid work backlogs, CRCs have been asked to set out plans to return to "100% pre-Covid-19 capacity for delivery by the end of the year"; the government says there will be no return to pre-Covid delivery of unpaid work and accredited programmes until social distancing restrictions are fully relaxed.
- On the Discharge Grant, the government says "there are no decisions to increase" it during this period, but "options are being considered for its future" and it will keep the Committee updated.
- On the transition to the new model, it says the decision to end the Probation Delivery Partner competition was "based on robust plans", with an annexed timeline including CRC contracts ending in June 2021 and the final Target Operating Model published in February 2021.