April 26, 2008: Probation Service "At Breaking Point", Says New Research

The National Probation Service faces a crisis of shrinking budgets and a shortage of qualified frontline staff at a time when demands on its services have never been higher, according to new research from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

Based on interviews with probation staff and an in depth analysis of financial and workforce statistics, the research offers a striking picture of a Service struggling to cope and facing the threat of budget cuts and privatisation. The research was commissioned by probation union Napo.

Since 2001 the Probation budget has grown by 21% in real terms, fuelling claims by government ministers that proposed budget reductions will not affect frontline delivery.

The Comprehensive Spending Review, published in October 2007, proposed a 3% reduction in expenditure on probation  for three successive years.

While acknowledging that probation budgets have risen, the new research highlights problems of rising and more complex caseloads, a shortage of qualified probation staff and an endemic problem of staff sickness and unpaid hours. The research also warns of the risk of court sentences not being carried out because of resource shortfalls. Among the report's main findings are:

• Since 2001, the Probation budget has grown by 21% in real terms. However, in recent years it has declined, by 9 percent in 2005-06 and 2 percent in 2006-07. The government plans further year on year budget reductions of 3% per year for the next three years.
• The recently announced £40 million for implementing community orders in place of short prison sentences is unlikely to compensate for the impact of long term and continuing budget reductions.
• Probation caseloads increased by 23% between 2002 and 2006, and by 47% since 1997.
• There is a vacuum in knowledge about how much needs to be spent to meet increases in workload caused by rising numbers of community orders.
• New work taken on by the Probation Service has proved to be far more complex, time-consuming and staff-intensive than work traditionally performed by the Service.
• Frontline probation staff grew by 21% between 2002 and 2006. However, growth was concentrated among senior and management grades, as well as the less qualified Probation Service Officers. The numbers of fully qualified and trainee Probation Officers fell by 9%.
• The ratio of offenders to qualified Probation Officers increased by 28% between 2002 and 2006, from 31 offenders per Officer to 39.
•  The research estimates that qualified Probation Officers worked nearly 30,000 unpaid hours in 2006, equivalent to one extra hour worked per day per officer.
• Budgetary concerns and fears have been expressed by many of the probation areas that are responsible for local probation services.

`Probation Resources, Staffing and Workloads 2001-2008'  was researched and written by Dr Mark Oldfield, a leading independent researcher, and Dr Roger Grimshaw, research director at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College London. Dr Grimshaw commented:

'The statistics show there is no room for complacency about the Probation Service's capacity to meet the expectations of the courts and of the public. The budget has already fallen over the last two years and probation areas are having to consider reducing key staff in the face of rising needs.'

Napo Assistant General Secretary Harry Fletcher  added:

'The research confirms that the Probation Service is beyond capacity. The Government can't expect staff to supervise soaring caseloads without accepting the consequences of more re-offending and more victims. The service is at breaking point.'