Probation Practice in Northern Ireland- A Follow-Up Review of the Inspection Recommendations

Publication: 14/08/24

A Follow-Up Review of the Probation Practice in Northern Ireland

Inspectors found that one strategic and two operational recommendations were fully achieved and the remaining four strategic and four operational recommendations were partially achieved.  Work was undertaken to develop an inclusive organisation culture, increase consultation with staff and contact between staff at all levels and the Senior Management Team.  Inspectors also heard from PBNI managers and staff representatives that there was now a willingness to focus on learning and the development of professional practice.
 

In the 2020 Inspection, Inspectors found that PBNI staff were committed to supporting service users to address their offending and change their lives, but many raised concerns about feeling valued, trusted and supported and that the delivery of new initiatives should not compromise the quality of core services.

The PBNI had experienced significant changes since the full inspection with a reconstituted Board, a new Chief Executive and a restructured senior leadership team.  The benefits of these were evident to Inspectors in this Follow-Up Review, such as the steps taken to increase levels of staff training including in the development of professional curiosity had occurred, with a focus on key areas and the introduction of case plan workshops bringing much needed attention to risk of harm linked to child protection, domestic abuse and sexual offending.

Even with the positive work undertaken, budgetary pressures and staff turnover are ongoing challenges. It is hoped work to reform the outdated pay structure for PBNI staff should help the organisation to stabilise its workforce and address issues of staff turnover when it is implemented.
 

The Follow-Up Review found evidence of work within the PBNI to develop and improve the quality of its work to assess and manage the risk of harm.  This was a major point in the 2020 full Inspection, were we highlighted that the PBNI needed to improve how its staff assessed and managed the risk of harm to others and focus more on the quality of work undertaken with service users.  These are longer-term issues that will require more time to see further change, but Inspectors recognised the commitment to keep driving change and improvement.

The introduction of a Practice, Performance and Research Unit (PPRU) to undertake case audits and disseminate learning from Serious Further Offences incidents and provide assurance to the Senior Leadership Team and Board around the quality of probation practice was also welcome.  However, workload pressures in Probation Teams meant PPRU staff were redeployed to operational practice on several occasions. Inspectors were told the PPRU had been reinstated at the time of fieldwork for this Follow-Up Review.

Inspectors welcomed the work undertaken by the PBNI to improve its processes for collating Section 75 equality monitoring information and the steps taken to use this data to inform service delivery and decision making.  We encourage the PBNI to build on this work and use the equality information collected to analyse outcomes for services users across all Section 75 categories.

Inspectors recognised work undertaken by the Department of Justice to review the PBNI’s status and governance arrangements.  While this work was stalled by the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in February 2022, Inspectors hope it will be prioritised under the next Assembly mandate or achieved through secondary legislation.
 

The Chief Executive of PBNI and her leadership team approached the self-assessment for this Follow-Up Review in a pragmatic and honest way.  They recognised that further work is required to sustain and maintain the positive trajectory of the improved organisational culture, services and governance and to fully achieve all the recommendations.
 

The vision and business of the PBNI is changing lives.  To do this it relies on staff who build effective relationships with service users to achieve trust and the best outcomes to make safer communities.  This ambition and ethos resonate for its own staff and how they are resourced, supported and developed to carry out their important work.

The Chief Executive and her leadership team approached the self-assessment for this Follow-Up Review in a pragmatic and honest way.  It was refreshing to work with an organisation that truly reflects on its practice and recognises that there is more to be done; not only with the 2020 Inspection Report recommendations but by authentically embracing an ethos of continuous improvement.

We were impressed and encouraged by the leadership demonstrated and grip on these recommendations that have been used as a lever to drive change and improvement for service users and staff.  We encourage the PBNI to continue the journey it has begun.
CJI Inspectors plan to return to carry out a further inspection to fully assess the improvements as part of a future inspection programme.