Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation’s report, Caseloads, workloads and staffing levels in probation Services, published in March 2021, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that probation staff manage a mix of higher and lower risk cases after the reintegration of community rehabilitation companies into the national probation service.

Following our reforms to the probation service, cases will be allocated based on both risk of harm and complexity of need, with an increased focus on ensuring continuity. The new Tiering Framework will inform the allocation of cases to the right Probation Practitioner, meaning staff will handle cases matched to their level of training and expertise. Enabling Probation Practitioners to work with a more diverse range of offenders with different risks and needs will mean staff are able to develop a broader range of skills, which in turn will increase the flexibility of our workforce.

Where possible, individuals will remain with the same Probation Practitioner throughout their supervision. This will allow for continuity of contact and support the building of a constructive relationship between practitioners and people on probation, helping them to achieve better outcomes and ultimately avoid reoffending.