Probation service rated inadequate by inspector

The Ministry of Justice said it had taken immediate action to address the problems

A probation service in Kent has been given an overall rating of inadequate in a “disappointing” report, according to an inspector.

East Kent Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) failed to effectively work with police and children’s social care to safeguard children and domestic violence victims, the government’s probation inspectorate found.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said staff in the cases he saw were inexperienced but showed passion and “promising innovation”.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said it had taken immediate action to address the problems.

'Overwhelmed'

Many mid-level managers at East Kent PDU are new and “overwhelmed”, according to the report.

All staff in cases seen by the inspector were found to show signs of inexperience.

The probation service manages offenders and assesses the effect they could have on the public during rehabilitation.

Mr Jones said the level of service at East Kent PDU was “insufficient to reduce reoffending and harm”.

While staff and managers would find the report disappointing, he said he hoped they would continue trying to make improvements.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “We have taken immediate action to address the concerns raised, including improved training and recruiting more administrative staff so that senior probation officers can focus on the tough management of offenders.”

Staff shortages

She added that the government was spending an additional £155m on the probation service each year to strengthen supervision and recruit staff.

Recruitment was also a problem at West Kent PDU, which was told in a separate report by Mr Jones that it required improvement.

Mr Jones said: “Staff shortages meant the vision and strategy to deliver a high-quality service had not been fully realised and, as a result, the quality of work to keep people safe was insufficient.”

The report praised a positive culture at West Kent PDU and said its leadership team, managers and staff were committed to providing a responsive service for people on probation.