Probation Board urged to improve risk management practice

by PA Media

The Probation Board has been urged to improve how it manages the risks presented by men and women under supervision to others in the community.

The recommendation follows an independent inspection which included a detailed case file review of 84 probation cases and interviews with supervising Probation Officers to assess everyday practice.

Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland Jacqui Durkin said they found many examples of effective practice in the Probation Board Northern Ireland (PBNI).

“However, the case file review found that sometimes issues relating to the likelihood of reoffending or risk of harm to other people, were not sufficiently documented or followed-up when they should have been,” she said.

“While the issues identified by inspectors were not so serious they required urgent action by the PBNI senior managers, they should have resulted in more professional curiosity and follow-up or evidence of further enquiry being documented by Probation Officers and supervisors.”

Ms Durkin said inspectors found the quality of case supervision was mixed.

“While Probation Officers were committed and motivated to support people to reduce their reoffending, insufficient attention was paid to ensuring good quality case management that considered both the risk and the needs of men and women under probation supervision, consistently happened in practice,” she said.

“That is what the public can reasonably expect and why we have recommended the PBNI develop an action plan to assess and manage the risk of harm to others and ensure that management oversight includes a focus on the quality of work undertaken with people using its services.”

She said the the PBNI has accepted recommendations and developed an action plan to implement them.

Ms Durkin said the organisation has undergone substantial change over the last seven years as a result of budget reductions, a reliance on temporary staff and inefficient IT systems which had impacted on staff morale.

“We have recommended the PBNI should develop an action plan within the next six months to address the issues raised of culture and trust within the organisation,” she said.

The Chief Inspector said that despite the issues identified during the inspection, the report also highlighted the PBNI’s willingness to innovate, change how it delivered its services and engage with people who were completing Probation Orders or other probation programmes.

The inspection report also recommends that the Department of Justice reviews the PBNI’s governance arrangements including the size of its management board.