Probation: Disciplinary Proceedings

(asked on 24th June 2019) - View Source
Questioner
Liz Saville Roberts Portrait
Liz Saville Roberts
(Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of disciplinary cases in which probation officers were placed under investigation for (a) less than one month, (b) between one and three months, (c) between three and six months, (d) between six and twelve months and (e) over twelve months resulted in proceedings for (i) misconduct and (ii) gross misconduct in each of the last three years.

Answered by
Robert Buckland Portrait
Robert Buckland
This question was answered on 1st July 2019

Table 1a: Proportion of Conduct and Discipline cases1, involving Probation Officers2, which progressed to misconduct proceedings, by length of investigation3, 2015/16 to 2017/18

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

Less than one month

100%

80%

75%

From one up to three months

29%

50%

67%

From three up to six months

0%

100%

50%

From six up to twelve months

-

0%

-

Over 12 months

-

100%

-

Table 1b: Proportion of Conduct and Discipline cases1, involving Probation Officers3, which progressed to gross misconduct proceedings, by length of investigation3, 2015/16 to 2017/18

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

Less than one month

0%

20%

25%

From one up to three months

64%

50%

33%

From three up to six months

100%

0%

50%

From six up to twelve months

-

100%

-

Over 12 months

-

0%

-

Notes: 1. A case is defined as a unique combination of case and individual member of staff. Where more than one member of staff is involved in a single case these are counted separately in this table. Equally staff involved in more than one case during the year are counted multiple times. 2. Qualified band 4 probation officers only. Figures exclude Senior Probation Officers
  1. Staff with no end date in the data, indicating open cases, have been excluded
‘-‘ Indicates there were no cases.

Investigations follow the conduct and discipline policy, which ensures that they are carried out fairly, and are also robust.

Investigations into staff conduct are designed to establish the truth of the case and to determine whether conduct and discipline action is recommended. An investigation may result in no case to answer, and would not result in a penalty. Where there is a case to answer a conduct and discipline case imposes a penalty on a member of staff for wrong-doing if the allegation is found proven.

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