'Women and children not protected from male harm'

The Ministry of Justice, which oversees probation services, said it has plans to recruit 1,000 more staff nationwide

A probation service is "not effectively responding to or reducing the potential harm perpetrated by men against women and children", according to inspectors.

Probation services in the East of England have received a rating of "requires improvement" from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation.

The report highlighted risk assessments being completed without referencing information about child safeguarding and domestic abuse.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the new government "inherited a criminal justice system in crisis" and it had plans to recruit 1,000 probation officers.

'Chronic staffing issues'

The East of England probation service is one of 12 probation regions in England and covers Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Essex, Northamptonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said: “While the commitment and dedication of leaders and staff across the region was found to be unwavering, this commitment and dedication is not amounting to sufficient measures in keeping the public safe or encouraging people on probation to change.”

The report found chronic staffing issues "despite a sustained effort" across the region to recruit, and said senior probation officers had "excessive workloads and vast responsibilities which were greater than what they could reasonably be expected to deliver".

Inspectors said checks to ensure home address curfews did not pose a risk to women or children living there were not always being done.

"Information sharing arrangements with the police and local authorities in relation to this were complex and inefficient, which was impacting the quality of the risk assessments taking place. This is an area that requires urgent attention," they said.

'Excellent work'

However, the service was found to be outstanding for its statutory victim work, which provides victims with the right to support from the probation service when the perpetrator of a violent or sexual offence is sentenced to 12 months in prison or more.

Its "excellent work" to integrate people on probation into service delivery, with several people recruited into permanent employment, was also praised.

Inspectors conducted fieldwork in each probation delivery unit (PDU) in the region between 12 February and 7 June, reviewing 438 cases, of which 289 were subject to a community sentence and 149 were subject to release on licence.

They made 10 recommendations, varying from the need to appoint a designated regional safeguarding lead to support PDU heads, to requesting HM Prison and Probation Service delegated greater authority to regional probation directors in relation to spending.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said there was a "huge strain on probation staff whose hard work, despite these challenges, is rightfully recognised by inspectors".

They continued: “One first step is the recruitment of 1,000 probation officers nationwide to combat staff shortages and reduce workloads so that the probation service can better protect the public and cut crime."