Probation service found 'inadequate' by inspectors

Inspectors made six recommendations to Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Delivery Unit

The probation service in Leicestershire and Rutland has been rated "inadequate" for the second time in three years following visits by inspectors.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) was inspected by HM Inspectorate of Probation in March.

The inspection found the delivery of services to reduce the risk of harm posed by people on probation "insufficient" in most cases.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation said there had been "encouraging signs of improvement" since the 2022 inspection which concluded that services in the area were "inadequate".

The HM Inspectorate report said the PDU was one of the "largest" by overall caseload in England and Wales, with offices in Leicester, Coalville and Loughborough.

'Lack of liaison'

Mr Jones said: "Since the previous inspection in 2022 the PDU has faced ongoing challenges including high staff turnover, elevated sickness rates and, like all PDUs and regions, a prolonged period of significant and frequent changes linked to early prison releases.

"Only in the past six months has there been a noticeable shift towards improvement."

The inspection found the leadership team at the PDU was "well-respected" and staff across all grades said they felt able to provide feedback to senior managers.

However, according to the report there was "a lack of professional curiosity" with practitioners not responding to new information when they received it as well as a "lack of liaison" with other agencies.

The inspection also found in 24% of cases where child safeguarding information should have been requested it had not been, and in 15% of cases no request had been made for domestic abuse information when it should have been.

The report made six recommendations to the PDU, including to improve the quality of work to assess and review risk of harm, and to develop practitioners' confidence and skills in the use of professional curiosity.

The Ministry of Justice, which has overall control of the probation service, said the government is "on track" to recruit 2,300 more probation officers nationally by March next year.

A spokesperson said: "This will help ensure offenders receive robust supervision and improve the work probation does to keep the public safe."