Gwent Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) has received an overall rating of ‘Requires improvement’ following an inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’, and rates specific aspects of each service as well as an overall rating.

This is the second PDU inspection under our new probation inspection methodology, introduced following the merging of Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service (NPS) into a single unified Probation Service in June 2021. Gwent PDU sits within the Probation Service – Wales region.

In Wales, aspects of unification occurred in December 2019 and so there has been longer for some parts of the new model to be embedded. However, within three months, services were affected by Covid-19, limiting both access to offices and face-to-face contact with people on probation. Gwent PDU were impacted by reduced capacity in group work, unpaid work and interventions, as well as managing staffing shortages, issues faced by all other PDUs nationally as a result of the pandemic.

Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said: “The 24 months preceding this inspection were unprecedented and we commend staff at Gwent PDU – at all levels – who have, in the face of adversity, kept this critical public service afloat. The challenges the service has faced, due to Covid-19, has partly resulted in the rating of ‘Requires improvement’ but we are hopeful that the service can recover.”

Inspectors praised the leadership at Gwent PDU, outlining that managers are visible and ensure the service is well-represented at stakeholder and partner meetings. Unfortunately, the service has been heavily impacted by staff shortages and burnout – efforts to bring in new recruits has been slow due to lengthy vetting processes for trainees and secondees for both internal and external applicants.

Gwent PDU was rated as “Outstanding” for court work. Advice given to courts regarding an individual’s diversity and personal circumstances is happening in 100 per cent of cases we inspected. Secondly, in 97 per cent of the cases, we assessed that there was a sufficient record of the advice given, and the reasons for it.

However, the inspection highlighted specific concerns with regard to how people on community orders – usually deemed to be low or medium risk – are managed. The standard of work needs to be raised here and be brought in line with the management of people who have been released from prison and those who are assessed to pose a higher risk of serious harm.

Mr Russell continued: “Despite their best efforts, there are deficits in all elements of Gwent PDU’s casework – particularly in managing the potential risks of people on probation to the public. We simply did not see enough examples of risk of harm and safeguarding being prioritised and this must be improved.”

Gwent PDU, as with all probation services across England and Wales, continues to have difficulties with delivery of accredited programmes, structured interventions and unpaid work. This is a consequence of the limited availability of delivery space, ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and, specifically for Gwent PDU, its rural location.

Mr Russell concluded: “We are now nearly two years on from the start of the pandemic. Individual services, like Gwent PDU, are attempting to address backlogs in the delivery of essential interventions and unpaid work. However, the concern is widespread, and I ask the Probation Service to look at what alternatives can be found for the benefit of all services. Gwent PDU must be able to focus on the basics of probation service delivery if it is to make a meaningful recovery from Covid-19 and return to a standard of work that we know they are capable of.”

This inspection made 10 recommendations, including: Gwent PDU must improve the quality of work to assess, manage and review risk of harm, and improve the effectiveness of management oversight and quality assurance of all casework. The Inspectorate also made recommendations to HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) to address and significantly reduce the 14 to 16-week delay in vetting for both new and existing staff and resolve the current shortfall in accredited programme delivery.

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. The report is available at www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation on 03 February 2022 00.01.
2. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth offending and probation services across England and Wales.
3. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’. The Inspectorate rates specific aspects of each service and also gives an overall rating.
4. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in November 2021.
5. For media enquiries, please contact Corporate Communications Manager Diane Bramall 07929 790 564 or media@hmiprobation.gov.uk