Recent Changes to London Probation
service and the London CRC’s
response to the gang agenda
Middlesex University Conference
5th September 2014
Patsy Wollaston / Andrew Hillas
Assistant Chief Officers
Overview
• Rationale for Probation reform
• Consequences for Probation
• Priorities, key changes and responsibilities
of the two new organisations
• Rationale for CRC gang work
• Specific CRC responses to gangs
• Future directions for the CRC
Rationale for Probation Reform
• Need to reduce reoffending rates
• Investment and new ways of working needed to
fund rehabilitation services for all those
sentenced to under 12 months custody
• Greater flexibility to do what works
• More diversity of providers
• Market forces drive right behaviours if rewards
are based on successful outcomes
Consequences to Probation
• Split existing probation services into two
new organisations
• NPS – 7 Regions plus Wales
• CRC – 21 geographical areas
• May 31st 2014 probation trusts abolished
and NPS / CRCs come into existence
Key priorities of the new
organisations
• NPS – public sector civil service, key focus
on protecting the public and assessing risk
• CRC – to become privately owned
organisation key focus, rehabilitation of
offenders and reducing reoffending
The new probation delivery
model
Key Changes
New National Public Probation Service
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In London, approx 12,000 cases
Completion of all court reports
Initial risk assessments
All MAPPA cases (community and licences)
All cases assessed as high risk of serious harm
(community sentences and licences)
• Small number of public interest cases (to be
defined)
Key Changes
New National Public Probation Service
• Responsibility for cases where risk of serious
harm has escalated to ‘high’ in duration of
community order or licence
• Parole Assessments
• Breach and Recall decisions
• Victim Liaison Service
• Approved Premises
• Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
• Prison and Youth Offending Service
secondments
Key Changes
21 Competed Package Areas (CPAs)
London will be one CPA.
Each CPA will include:
• Management of all medium risk and low risk
cases excluding MAPPA both in community and
custody
• Prison resettlement contracts to enable ‘through
the gate’ services.
• All accredited programmes excluding sex
offender programmes.
Key Changes
21 Contract Package Areas (CPAs)
Each CPA will include (continued):
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Integrated Offender Management.
Mentoring.
Restorative Justice.
Community Payback (in London, currently
delivered with Serco).
The London CRC Response to
Gangs
• Internal case records show that 60%
identified gang members in CRC
• 80% of cases transferring from the YOS
are going to the CRC
• Need to develop expertise and
consistency to oversee these key issues
CRC Specific Internal Responses
• Set up specialist unit to work with young
adults and gang members including:
• Provide advice to internal staff
• Deliver training
• Co-working challenging cases
• Conflict resolution
• First point of contact for external agencies
CRC Specific Interventions
• Devise and implement new programmes
including:
• EXIT: Intensive Alternative to Custody
• One2One BME identity programme
• Gang Screening tool
• Women screening tool
• Young persons maturity assessment (in
conjunction with Birmingham university)
CRC Specific Partnership
Responses
• Interagency partnership working including:
• Links with NPS
• Links with Trident and local policing
around intelligence sharing
• Links with MOPAC around pan London
strategic planning and response to gangs
CRC Specific Partnership
Responses continued
• Links with London Prisons concerning
licence conditions
• Established a third sector NGO forum
which includes faith groups, local
community projects and academic
institutions including Middlesex University
CRC Regional Responses
• A regional approach to tackling gangs
including:
• Across London borough boundaries
• Across Regional boundaries in England
and Wales
• Developing multi-agency responses
Future Direction
• Increase links with health to identify mental
health issues amongst gang members
• Develop wider partnership approaches to
working with women associated with gangs
• Extend research and evaluation of CRC
products and interventions when working with
gangs, in partnership with academic institutions
Questions / Comments