Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust

Transforming Rehabilitation New look for local probation services

Transforming Rehabilitation
Trevor Worsfold, Interim Chief Executive explains the Governments flagship plans for the probation service After a period of consultation, in May 2013 the Ministry of Justice published Transforming Rehabilitation - a Strategy for Reform. The strategy includes provision of rehabilitation services to offenders sentenced to less then one year in prison, giving offenders continuous support by one provider from custody to community, driving innovation by focussing more strongly on outcomes and giving opportunities for those delivering services to work more flexibly to delivery what works. The existing structure for delivering services will end in 2014. In place of the current Probation Trusts, there will be a new, smaller, public sector National Probation Service to deliver core services of assessment, management of high risk of harm cases, services to victims, Courts and the Parole Board, plus other facilities such as structured sex offender treatment programmes and enhanced supervision delivered in Approved Premises. Competition in the Open Market A Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) will hold and supervise medium and lower risk of harm offenders and deliver Unpaid Work (Community Payback) and other services such as structured offending behaviour programmes. Geographically the CRC will be larger than Leicestershire and Rutland and include Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. In due course, the CRC will be competed in the open market. Maintaining Standards The Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust has already embarked on its preparations and has a focus on 1 April 2014 when it expects all staff and cases will transfer to the new organisations and the Trust will cease to exist. There will follow a further period of transition but the new arrangement should be in its final operational form by autumn 2014. Clearly transition provides a significant challenge and it is proving to be a complex task. However, the Trust is committed to ensuring that the quality of work, the standards of delivery and the high levels of performance achieved will not be adversely affected.

LRPT is committed to ensuring that the quality of work, the standards of delivery and the high levels of performance achieved will not be adversely affected Interim Chief Executive Trevor Worsfold. Follow us on Twitter @leicsprobation Website www.leicsprobation.co.uk

Transforming Rehabilitation
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Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust has been an organisation noted nationally for its high levels of performance, efficiency and creativity. This has been achieved by a skilled and dedicated staff team who, in their day to day work in Courts, with victims and with offenders, will do their best to make sure the change goes smoothly and the new arrangements are introduced as seamlessly as possible.

Interim Chief Executive Trevor Worsfold - LRPT has always striven to build new partnerships and generate additional work that enables our organisation to be more effective in its public protection role and in the provision of rehabilitation services.

The Governments Transforming Rehabilitation is not just a re-organisation, it is a complete restructure: Communications Officer Fiona Buchanan talks about the impact locally with Director Colin Pinfold. How is LRPT responding to Transforming Rehabilitation ? This is one of the biggest managerial and leadership challenges that we have had to deal with. It is not simply an organisational change, it is a radical reconstruction of probation services. LRPT is working to ensure the smoothest possible transition to the new structures and everyone in the organisation is determined to ensure that services to victims, Courts and offenders are not adversely affected. LRPT has created a structured programme to guide the organisation through the period of transition and clearly this absorbs considerable time. It is really important that we do our best to keep our partners, stakeholders, staff and service users informed as best we can. Obviously, ending the Trust and transferring all cases, assets and staff to the two new organisations, neither of which yet exist, is going to be a complex and demanding process. However, we are determined to complete every task to the best of our ability. How are staff responding to the Governments changes? Our individual staff members are better placed to answer this rather than me. However, I will say that after a period when people probably thought that Transforming Rehabilitation would never happen, there is now a realisation that the Trust will end although there are many questions that we cannot yet answer. What has been tremendously impressive is the dedication to probation as a profession. Staff are rightly proud of their huge skill set and knowledge. We must not forget that to enable the front-line to work effectively, there has to be a supporting structure of technicians, administrators and specialists to make sure that buildings are safe and clean, IT equipment works, financial transactions are compliant and training is delivered. Everyone is affected. The Trust Board (who employ LRPT staff) will also be dissolved.
Director of Business Development Colin Pinfold LRPT has retained its 5 stars Recognised for Excellence awarded by the British Quality Foundation, alongside retaining its Customer Service Excellence accreditation and Investors in People certification. All hallmarks of a well run, quality organisation.

LRPT is committed to ensuring that the quality of work, the standards of delivery and the high levels of performance achieved will not be adversely affected Interim Chief Executive Trevor Worsfold. Follow us on Twitter @leicsprobation Website www.leicsprobation.co.uk

Payment by Results is part of the underpinning rationale for the TR programme: will it work? LRPT has always worked to stop people offending and minimise the harm this causes to other people. I would say, fundamentally, it is not that different from our reason for being in business. Of course, as a Trust, we are currently paid to deliver a contract so you could say we are already paid by results. I think our worries are how robust this incentive is as a driver for reducing re-offending and how it will impact on individuals. Some cases need a lot of work before moving out of the risk of re-offending. Drug and alcohol treatment, mental health diagnosis and care, a sort of long-term re-building of someones health, self-confidence and then preparation for the world of work. These are not quick fix cases and it bothers me that in a commercial market where the organisation gets its funding for cases that do not reoffend, that those who are a poorer bet, or who have complex and long term needs, simply wont be worth investing in.

The Government wants to encourage more innovation and creativity in probation services. Surely this can only be advantageous? Of course. However, dont forget how innovative and creative the public probation service has been - and is still capable of being. MAPPA and probation staff in police stations, joint probation-police initiatives, impressive community projects raising the profile of criminal justice in local communities and enhancing public confidence are just a few of the achievements now embedded as routine operations. Effective volunteers, peer mentoring, health trainers, service user involvement, victim focus groups, are all further developments that have come from the enthusiasm and ideas of staff. Innovation We have worked hard to create a culture of innovation within LRPT. It remains to be seen whether contracted services and a national organisation can match LRPTs impressive record.

A Personal Perspective by Probation Officer Jenny Henry

The Development of the Mutual I have been employed by LRPT for more than 15 years, like many of my
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colleagues. Probation is in fact my second career, in the past I have worked in hotel management. A further change for the Probation Trust is the creation of a new organisation that will manage the external contracts currently held of by my LRPT. An important aspect work is to believe in the ability of people to change. With each case I look at the short term goals and then the inspirational long The Cabinet Office has been offering support to the Probation Trust as it prepares to create a mutual called term objectives. Momentis. The organisation will be a staff mutual, a social purpose company and a Community Interest Each day can be sois different. of the medium to additional low risk cases still have Company (CIC) which a limitedMany company, with special features, that will conduct a business or a high number of differentbenefit issues,and which to for be private addressed during their other activity for community nothave purely advantage. supervision. By issues I mean not having a home, living with learning difficulties, mental health problems, not receiving the right medication. I retain the overview while linking in with other agencies and the offenders family when appropriate. Modern probation work is hugely complex and we cannot deliver LRPT committed to ensuring that thein quality of work, the standards of results without theis fantastic contribution our colleagues other specialist delivery and the high levels of performance achieved will not be adversely services offer. affected Even though the offender turns up forChief their appointments with me, there will be Interim Executive Trevor Worsfold. some individuals who do not want to engage with the probation service. My Follow us on Twitter @leicsprobation Website www.leicsprobation.co.uk expertise is to manage each person so they do become motivated and I seek to put something meaningful into their lives.

Jenny Henry Every day can be so different.

The Development of the Mutual

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The date set for the creation of Momentis is at the end of March 2014, to be consistent with the national The third and final contract involves the Health Trainer Team. The project employs and trains exchange agenda. The mutual is being created to offenders to work with current service users to ensure continuity for staff and service users and improve the access to health services and advise will stand alone. on developing a healthy lifestyle. Adopting a The external contracts held by LRPT include the healthier way to live, at a pace that is sustainable, is Criminal Justice Drugs Team (CJDT) that provides seen to encourage a more engaged approach with drug and alcohol services to men and women on supervision and tackling other issues. Community Orders. Attendance is imposed as part of a Community A further contract is the Reach Project, which Order or a Suspended Sentence Order and can be receives funding from the European Social Fund up to 40 days duration. (ESF) to deliver employability programmes for offenders across the East Midlands.

LRPT holds the prime contract with delivery across the region sub-contracted to a consortium of Probation Trusts and voluntary sector organisations.

LRPT is committed to ensuring that the quality of work, the standards of delivery and the high levels of performance achieved will not be adversely affected Interim Chief Executive Trevor Worsfold. Follow us on Twitter @leicsprobation Website www.leicsprobation.co.uk