Pressures on new probation staff hamper retention

Retention

The general annual leaving price for Probation Service workers, as of 30 September 2024, was 10.4 per cent; for POs this was 7.8 per cent, and for PSOs 12.1 per cent. Poor pay is continuously described as a frustration, however not usually the only real cause workers depart. Excessive workloads and stress had been the strongest messages from frontline workers. Many commented that though they felt pleasure of their work, the present strains on the Service undermined the probation mission and values.

Inspectors discovered that managers continuously really feel helpless and discover it troublesome to supply decreased workloads or higher working situations.

Suggestions

The report makes eight suggestions. Three of those are for the Ministry of Justice, together with to make sure probation practitioner pay and advantages adequately replicate the duties of the function and are aggressive to draw and retain workers. 5 suggestions are for HMPPS, together with to following session, present areas with user-friendly workforce planning instruments, to strengthen mechanisms to make sure coaching and growth is adopted up and studying is translated into observe.

Conclusion

Chief Inspector Martin Jones summarised the problem:

“Whereas the extent of recruitment into the service is commendable and mandatory, recruitment at this scale has positioned appreciable demand on current sources and has additional depleted the pool of skilled practitioners, as workers have been moved into administration positions to help and practice new workers.

“Probation coaching is quick and intense, and it’s essential new recruits are firstly, conscious of the calls for of the job and are then given time to hone their expertise earlier than taking up full caseloads. The present pressures on new workers are overwhelming and counterproductive to constructing a totally staffed, skilled, probation service within the long-term.”