Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what lessons were learned from the operation of probation services in England and Wales under Exceptional Delivery Models during the covid-19 outbreak that will be incorporated into the next version of the Target Operating Model for the Future of Probation Services in England and Wales.

We are drawing on a number of lessons learned from the Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs) established in response to COVID-19 in developing the Target Operating Model (TOM) for the future of Probation Services in England and Wales. For example, we are exploring the potential for using a blended approach to contact between Probation Practitioners and offenders, which retains an appropriate number of face-to-face meetings but also offers the possibility of additional engagement via remote channels. Similarly, the Homelessness Prevention Taskforces established in response to COVID-19 have resulted in significant operational benefits, and we are looking at how to continue these Taskforces in the long-term and to reflect this in regional structures. In the meantime, we are working to ensure that probation’s current operating model continues to be robust and responsive to impacts across the Criminal Justice System during the continuing pandemic, and continuing to incorporate learning into current practice as this emerges.