Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what responsibilities and powers Assistant or Deputy Chief Probation Officers in England and Wales will have in relation to the creation and maintenance of local links between (a) National Probation Service staff and services, (b) other public sector bodies and (c) voluntary sector organisations at lower levels than the probation area they work within.

In the Unified Model for probation we are implementing from June 2021, there are a number of roles reporting into Regional Probation Directors (including those at the Assistant Chief Officers (ACO) grade) who will have responsibilities for the creation and maintenance of local links with a range of stakeholders.

Heads of Probation Delivery Units, who manage a defined geographical boundary within an NPS Region where probation services are delivered, will have a responsibility to lead NPS engagement in local strategic partnerships and ensuring appropriate representation within wider partnership frameworks. This includes attendance at Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs), Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Safeguarding Children Boards, Youth Offending Partnership Boards and Safeguarding Adult Boards. The number and geographical boundaries of these Probation Delivery Unit structure have been reviewed and revised in anticipation of the transfer of CRC cases and staff and a key factor has been how to improve alignment with the local partnership landscape, such as police force area and local authority boundaries, and offer clear local leadership.

We are creating a new Head of Community Integration role in each region to oversee the commissioning and contract management of resettlement and rehabilitative interventions. They will be supported by new Commissioning and Partnerships teams who will work with the Heads of Probation Delivery Unit and others to strengthen relationships with local partners and lead the development of effective local service user pathways by working closely with suppliers and partners. This includes identifying and pursuing opportunities for co-commissioning of new services with partners such as Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities and health authorities.

Relationships with contracted suppliers, including voluntary sector organisations, will be primarily managed through contract management activity delivered by local teams embedded within the new regional NPS structure. In relation to suppliers commissioned through the Dynamic Framework, we will encourage close dialogue between the NPS and suppliers during the mobilisation and transition period with the aim of promoting strong working relationships which enable effective delivery and take-up of these new services.