Merseyside Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) needs to do more to keep people safe, according to an independent report out today.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation inspects probation and youth offending services across England and Wales. Inspectors found Merseyside CRC – which supervises more than 6,500 low and medium-risk offenders – needs to improve its work on public protection.

Inspectors found domestic abuse and safeguarding checks were often seen as administrative tasks, rather than crucial work to keep people safe. Opportunities to identify and assess risks were sometimes missed, for example when people on probation started new relationships or moved in with partners who have children.

When probation staff did identify potential risks, they did not routinely conduct home visits. These can help officials to understand whether other people living at the property – including children – are in danger.

Merseyside CRC is performing well in some areas. Staff were found to be hard-working and committed to delivering the best possible service, despite a lack of resources. The inspection also found services for women under probation supervision were “impressive”.

HM Inspectorate of Probation has given Merseyside CRC a ‘requires improvement’ rating.

Chief Inspector of Probation Dame Glenys Stacey said: “Merseyside CRC needs to give priority to public safety. We recommend they look again at how they manage risk, and equip staff with the skills and knowledge to keep actual and potential victims safe.”

Some of the report’s findings present a mixed picture. In nearly half of the inspected cases, people on probation were not playing an active part in their own supervision. Typically, people under supervision are asked to consider why they committed a crime and what would prevent further offending. This questioning was not happening routinely, which is disappointing.

Conversely, inspectors also found many examples of probation staff going the extra mile to meet the needs of the people they supervised. Individuals were supported to complete their sentences, vulnerable people were seen several times a week and medical conditions were given due consideration.

Dame Glenys said: “It is vital that probation staff build strong, challenging and trusting relationships with the people they supervise. Staff need to work together with individuals to create plans that address why they offended and put steps in place to prevent further offending.”

Inspectors were encouraged to find the leadership team had already started to address some critical issues, such as redeploying staff to cover absences.

Merseyside CRC was also found to deliver some good services to help people under supervision to find work, training, education and accommodation. Support for people leaving prison and resettling in the community – known as Through the Gate –showed promise.

 

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Notes to editors:

1. The report is available at justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation at 00.01 on Wednesday 26 September 2018.
2. HM Inspectorate of Probation inspect services against published standards. We use a four-point scale to rate specific aspects of the service’s work and to give the service an overall rating. The ratings are: outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.
3. The government’s ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’ programme led to a change in the way probation services are delivered across England and Wales. Twenty-one privately-owned Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) supervise low and medium-risk offenders. The National Probation Service – a statutory body – supervises high risk offenders.
4. Merseyside CRC supervises 6,512 low and medium-risk offenders.
5. Fieldwork for the Merseyside inspection took place in June 2018.