Excessive probation workloads put public at risk in England and Wales, union warns | Prisons and probation
The public is “directly at risk” from unmonitored ex-offenders as probation officers in England and Wales are asked to cope with excessive workloads, a union has said.
As ministers prepare to release and supervise tens of thousands more prisoners this autumn, Napo’s administrator has revealed for the first time that he does not trust managers at the probation service.
In a worrying development for the government, the union is threatening to go on strike within three months unless more support and wages are paid to its members.
The motion comes at a crucial time for the government’s plans to ease pressure on the criminal justice system. From September ministers will embark on the biggest labeling expansion in British history; thus up to 40,000 ex-offenders will be tracked by tags and supervised by probation officers; a 40% increase from the 28,000 currently tagged.
Last year an official watchdog warned that the probation service had too few staff with little experience or training, putting the public at risk. The public accounts committee found that long-standing staff shortages had left probation staff struggling with problems. “Excessive and unmanageable workloads”In some areas, officers have been working at 126% capacity for several years.
Napo national officer Tania Bassett said probation officers were unable to cope with the increasing number of ex-offenders they were being asked to supervise and many more people were ending up on the streets.
“Excessive workload and staff burnout pose a direct risk to the public due to staff being unable to effectively manage the risk to their clients in the community,” he said. “This is coupled with a shortage of accommodation, which will lead to more people becoming homeless and therefore more likely to re-offend.”
Bassett said administrators are trying to get rid of a tool that measures the workload each probation officer is asked to handle, a move that would obscure the magnitude of the tasks they are being asked to do.
“Losing a workload measurement tool will leave staff, including managers, unable to see their workload and therefore unable to prove they are overworked,” he said.
According to the National Audit Office, the Prison Service achieved just 26% of its targets for the timeliness of appointments and delivery of services in 2024-25, down from 50% in 2022. The Ministry of Justice said that 31 percent of target probation appointments between 2023 and 2025 were not realized.
The Ministry of Justice said earlier this year it would recruit 1,300 extra probation officers next year as part of a £700 million investment by 2029; This investment includes £100 million for labeling expansion by the end of this parliament. “Intimacy tracking technology” aimed at domestic abusers and stalkers will be tested in a £5 million pilot project, the department said.
Union leadership voted on a motion that said the failure to address persistently high vacancy and staff sickness rates and the removal of a tool to measure workload meant “the current position is untenable and cannot continue”.
He says: “[HM Prison and Probation Service’s] “The leadership has clearly failed in its duty of care to the Probation Service’s workforce and this represents a reckless disregard for our welfare and professional integrity, as well as the safety of our communities.”
Prisons minister James Timpson told MPs last week that the probation service was under serious pressure after revealing staff dealt with an average of 32 ex-offenders each.
“It’s hot… we inherited a broken system and we’re putting it all back together. It will take time,” he told the justice select committee.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We are committed to working closely with unions to ensure our staff continue to receive the support they need to reduce crime and protect the public. We have full confidence in the Probation Service leadership to deliver the necessary changes and improvements.”
