Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Significant staff shortages in probation and prison services undermine essential resettlement work.
Recommendation
When speaking about the recent decline in the quality of resettlement services, HMPPS told us that it needs “good staffing levels to deliver the best services”.28 Although the number of probation officers increased following the service’s unification in June 2021, the number of unfilled roles has also increased and pressure on the Service is acute. In December 2022 1,762 out of 6,158 probation officer roles were unfilled, a vacancy rate of 29%. In 2021–22, 8% of probation officers and 15% of prison officers left the service, the highest levels in the last six years. As a result of these staff shortages, HMPPS is not completing all the resettlement work that it recognises is essential.29
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states HMPPS will take several additional steps over the next 12-18 months to retain and incentivise experienced staff. These actions include refreshing career pathways, creating a Probation Alumni scheme by January 2024, piloting a prison officer transfer scheme, continuing a brand campaign, and promoting the Probation Pathway initiative, with a target to decrease staff attrition year-on-year.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented. 3.2 HMPPS will take a number of additional steps to retain and incentivise experienced staff over the next 12-18 months. 3.3 The agency will: • continue the work of its retention strategy and accompanying toolkit, which identifies local, regional and national interventions against the drivers of attrition, as well as reviewing findings from the retention oversight process, which targets sites with the highest attrition, and determines how local challenges can be tackled; • refresh the Career Pathways Framework, which aims to improve retention of experienced staff by showing the many career opportunities available in HMPPS, in particular for Probation staff reaching retirement. The agency has seen an increase in interest from frontline staff, and is committed to updating this regularly (next in January 2024, and quarterly thereafter); • build on the Prison Officer Alumni scheme, which fast-tracks former staff back into the service, by launching an equivalent for Probation by January 2024. This will attract experienced probation staff back into the service through a streamlined recruitment process; • pilot a level transfer scheme for prison officers to move between establishments, launched in October 2023, which creates opportunities for personal development and flexibility following changes in personal circumstances; • continue the national HMPPS brand campaign, launched in September 2023, to build pride and morale in the agency’s staff, raising the profile of the work they do; and • continue to promote the Probation Pathway initiative which encourages unsuccessful candidates for trainee probation officer and probation service officer roles to consider alternative roles also assessed during the same recruitment process where they are deemed appointable. 3.4 HMPPS has committed to improving retention through setting a target of a year-on-year decrease in the proportion of staff leaving the organisation, from 2022-23 to 2024-2025.