Victims of sexual and violent crime are being let
down by the capital’s probation service, according to a new
report.
HM Inspectorate of Probation described work with victims
delivered by the London division of the National Probation
Service (NPS) as “wholly unsatisfactory”. In more than a fifth of
inspected cases, victims of serious crime were not offered access
to its Victim Contact Scheme. The statutory scheme provides
victims with updates on the perpetrator’s sentence and gives them
an opportunity to contribute their views on release
plans.
Chief Inspector of Probation Dame Glenys Stacey said: “We
have found work with victims to be good or outstanding in other
NPS divisions, so we are disappointed to see this is not the case
in London. Some victims are not being offered a service at all,
while others are receiving a service that is simply not good
enough.
“There has been significant media, parliamentary and public
interest in the London division’s work with victims in the
Worboys case. The Secretary of State for Justice asked me to
conduct an urgent review into the division’s work with victims,
and this was published last year. It is deeply concerning to see
that some victims of serious crime are still being failed by the
service.”
Senior leaders are aware of difficulties with the scheme
and have drawn up an action plan. At the time of inspection, some
actions had not been implemented and inspectors concluded the
scheme was not functioning as it should.
HM Inspectorate of Probation has given the London division
of the NPS an overall rating of ‘Requires improvement’ – the
second-lowest of four ratings. While improvement is still needed,
inspectors acknowledge the division has strengths and has made
progress since its last inspection in 2017.
The division supervises more than 17,000 offenders in 29
offices, 12 approved premises (formerly known as probation or
bail hostels) and nine prisons across the capital. Inspectors
found staff have a sound understanding of the individuals under
their supervision, and the assessment and planning of cases is
done to a good standard overall.
The quality of the London division’s work to support
decision-making in courts was rated ‘Good’. Inspectors found
timely and largely comprehensive reports to help magistrates and
judges in their sentencing decisions.
The division provides a comprehensive range of services to
support individuals to turn away from crime. Services for female
offenders are much improved since the last inspection. Projects
to combat knife crime and improve access to accommodation show
early promise.
Inspectors noted that London is the only one of the seven
NPS divisions across England and Wales to have a Serious Case
Advisory Unit. The unit provides profiling, advice and guidance
on the handling of cases involving extremism, hate crime, gangs
and serious organised crime. The division also leads or
contributes to innovative multi-agency projects that tackle
offences such as stalking and drugs-related crime in the gay
community.
Inspectors were, however, concerned about aspects of the
division’s work to protect the public. In one in five inspected
cases, the probation officer and supervised individual do not
have regular enough contact to manage and minimise the risk of
harm safely. More attention should also be given to protect
children and actual or potential victims.
As with other NPS divisions, there are staff shortages and
issues with the national facilities management contract.
Dame Glenys said: “At the time of inspection, the London
division had more than 150 unfilled vacancies and relied heavily
on agency and temporary staff. High levels of attrition mean some
offices lack experienced staff and this knowledge gap could
potentially have an impact on the quality of services. Staffing
problems are further exacerbated by high absence levels, with
more than 10 per cent of staff absent through sickness or
maternity leave.
“As we have found elsewhere, the national facilities
management contract is failing to make repairs in a timely way
and there are often delays of several months. The neglect of
basic maintenance is having a serious effect on this division.
There are insecure doors and problems with operating CCTV; staff
report feeling unsafe in some offices. The lack of upkeep
resulted in the temporary closure of offices and the temporary
loss of beds in the approved premises. We recommend the Ministry
of Justice, which manages the contract, steps in.”
The Inspectorate’s report concludes with seven
recommendations to help the division to focus on areas for
improvement.
ENDS
