Probation Service (Hansard, 4 March 2003)

§ Hilary Benn

The performance targets for the National Probation Service for England and Wales are as follows.

National Probation Service Performance Measures

Service Delivery Agreement (SPA) Targets

1. Improve the timeliness of probation service reports to the courts by: (a) increasing the proportion of Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) completed within the 15 day National Standard to 90 per cent.; and (b) increasing the proportion of reports to the court (i.e. PSRs and Specific Sentence Reports (SSRs)) that are SSRs to 20 per cent. in 2002-03 and 25 per cent. in 2003-04.

2. Increase the educational and vocational qualifications of offenders with 6,000 programme starts and 1,000 completions of basic skills awards at any level in 2002–03; and 12,000 completions in 2003–04, comprising 2,000 at entry level, 8,000 at Level 1 and 2,000 at Level 2.

3. Increase the number of offenders going through accredited offending behaviour programmes with 12,000 offenders to complete accredited programmes in 2002–03, 20,000 offenders to complete accredited programmes in 2003–04, and, subject to a satisfactory scheme being accredited by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel, a further 30,000 to start enhanced community punishment programmes in 2003–04 (from October 2003 to March 2004).

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4. Breach action to be taken in accordance with the National Standard (on or before second unacceptable failure for community sentences and on or before third unacceptable failure for licence cases)—Target: 90 per cent.

5. To improve access to employment and accommodation for offenders.

6. Ensure that the number of Drug Treatment and Testing Order commencements in England and Wales increases to 6,000 approximately in 2002–03, to 9,000 in 2003–04 and to 12,000 in 2004–05.

7. Progress against the Home Secretary's race equality employment targets (published in July 1999) aimed at increasing levels of representation, retention and career progression of people from minority ethnic groups.

8. To reduce sickness absence in the probation service to an average of 10 days per staff year by 2003 and to 9.0 days per staff year by 2004 and to sustain this improvement thereafter.

Supporting Performance Measures (SPMs)

1. Proportion of cases involving serious sexual or other violent offence in which the probation service makes contact with the victim or victim's family within eight weeks of sentence in accordance with National Standards and Victim's Charter Target: contact made within target time in 85 per cent. of cases where offender sentenced to 12 months or more.
2. Proportions of

(a) PSRs completed in 15 working days
(b) Total reports that are SSRs

Each for (i) Crown and (ii) magistrates courts separately (i.e. breakdown of SDA 1 figures by court type).

3. Overall quality of PSRs

4. Actual reconviction rates for persons subject to community orders by type of order compared to predicted rates. Target: lower actual rates for all types, and achieve rates lower than predicted

5. Average of compliance proportions across a basket of national standards requirements on first and subsequent contact, i.e:

Community Rehabilitation Orders

first appointment was arranged for within five working days

at least 12 appointments were arranged for within the first 12 weeks

at least six appointments were arranged for the next 12 weeks appointments thereafter were monthly

Community Punishment Orders

first work session was arranged for within 10 working days

offenders were offered a minimum of five hours per week throughout order

Community Punishment & Rehabilitation Orders

first probation appointment arranged for within five days and first work session arranged for within 10 days

at least 12 CR appointments and 11 CP work sessions arranged in first 12 weeks

at least six CR appointments and 12 CP work sessions arranged in next 12 weeks

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Licences

offender seen within one working day of releasehome visit within 10 working days of release (excluding HOC)weekly contact arranged for first four weeks (further to first meeting)two-weekly contact arranged for second and third monthsmonthly contact arranged thereafter

Target: overall average of 90 per cent.

6. Proportion of supervision cases where supervision plan done in 15 days, and reviews every four months.

7. Proportion of cases where breach action taken in accordance with NS, broken down by community punishment order/community rehabilitation order/ community punishment and rehabilitation order/licence (i.e. breakdown of SDA 4).

8. Proportion of offenders under supervision whose current offence is serious (i.e. violence, sexual, robbery or burglary). (To be discontinued from 2003–04)

9. Proportion of cases assessed as High of Very High risk of harm on any of the four such OASys measures where a plan to manage the risk was prepared within five days of order or release, or the date at which a previously lesser risk was identified as having risen to High or Very High.

10. Proportion of hostel residence orders or conditions which are completed.

11. For offenders on community sentences: difference between the proportion in employment at end of their supervision and that in employment at start.

12. For offenders on licence:

difference between the proportion in employment at end of their licence and that in employment directly after releasedifference between the proportion in employment at end of their licence and that in employment immediately before custodial sentence started

13. For offenders on community sentences: difference between the proportion in education or training at end of their supervision and that in education or training at start.

14. For offenders on licence:

difference between the proportion in education or training at end of their licence and that in education or training directly after releasedifference between the proportion in education or training at end of their licence and that in education or training immediately before custodial sentence started

15. For offenders on community sentences: difference between the proportion in settled accommodation at end of their supervision and that in settled accommodation at start

16. For offenders on licence:

difference between the proportion in settled accommodation at end of their licence and that in settled accommodation directly after releasedifference between the proportion in settled accommodation at end of their licence and that in settled accommodation immediately before custodial sentence started974W

17. Unit cost of PSR, community rehabilitation order, community punishment order, community punishment and rehabilitation order, ACR and life licence.

18. Proportion of bedspaces in approved hostels which are occupied. Target: 90 per cent.

19. Proportion of all community punishment orders where the average weekly hours worked was at least five hours.

20. Wastage of staff (excluding death, retirement and in-service transfer) as percentage of work force.

21. Annual sample survey of sentencer satisfaction, i.e. the proportion of magistrates satisfied with

the work of the service overallthe overall usefulness of PSRs, ditto for SSRsthe objectivity of PSRs, ditto for SSRsTarget: 90 per cent for eachthe proportion of judges satisfied withthe work of the service overallthe overall usefulness of PSRs, ditto for SSRsthe objectivity of PSRs, ditto for SSRs

Target: 90 per cent for each

22. Achievement of Charter Mark or Investors in People award.

(To be discontinued from 2003–04)

23. Proportion of hostel residents whose conviction or charge is for a serious offence (i.e. violence, sexual, robbery or burglary).

(To be discontinued from 2003–04)

24. Average National Standards compliance proportions for high risk of harm cases—on same lines as general basket measure at SPM 5 above but including proportion of cases where appointments actually took place as well as just arranged.

25. The proportion of those offenders for whom drug misuse is a criminogenic factor who are on a recognised drugs intervention (e.g. DTTO, drug abstinence order, drugs programme) in the course of their supervision.

26. Proportion of offenders commencing orders and licences who go on accredited programmes:

(a) Proportion for all such offenders;
(b) From 2003–04 proportion for those offenders who have OASys scores above a certain level.

27. Number of offenders completing accredited programmes (i.e. number of people completing, to complement the "satisfactory completions" measure in SDA 3).

28. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) implementation quality rating (IQR) for delivery of accredited programmes.

29. Number of offenders completing accredited drug misuse programmes.

30. Ratio of total commencements of orders and licences to total (weighted) staff. (To be discontinued from 2003–04)

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31. Satisfaction surveys of other CJS stakeholders (e.g. police, other Crime and Disorder Act partners); partnership agencies; victims

Bail information. (To be discontinued from 2003–04)

Other Measures

To ensure that there is a clear recommendation in at least 95 per cent. of PSRs written on minority ethnic offenders.

To ensure complete and timely information in at least 95 per cent. of returns.