Probation Services: Prisoner Early Release Scheme
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Lord Hanson of Flint(1 week ago)
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Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall (Lab)
My Lords, I think my noble friend would agree that the role of a probation officer is complex and requires a high level of skill. He has talked about recruitment. Can he share with the House a bit more about how that recruitment process is being conducted, where the search is going on and what the minimum requirements are for people who might apply for it?
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
I am grateful to my noble friend for that question. If I may, I shall reflect on that and raise those points with the Minister, my noble friend Lord Timpson; he will have the detail of the recruitment exercise, which I do not have before me today. I ask her to rest assured that the 1,000 new officers are on track for March 2025, and quality is key to the delivery that those probation officers are seeking to ensure.