11 July 2008
South Yorkshire Probation recognised as outstanding performer
SOUTH Yorkshire Probation Area has been recognised as one of the country’s top-performing probation services according to new national figures.
The organisation has achieved a maximum 'four-star' rating from the Ministry of Justice for its services to courts, and work with offenders on community sentences and licences. A separate report, released by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation, has also assessed South Yorkshire as one of the best areas in the country at managing the risk to the public posed by local offenders.
Said Chief Officer Roz Brown: "We are delighted with these results which show that the Probation Service here in South Yorkshire is one of the best in the country. Our job is to protect the public by making it less likely that people under our supervision break the law again. These results prove we do this to the highest possible standards."
The Probation Service supervises offenders placed on Community Orders by the courts and those on licence following release from prison. About 70% of offenders complete Community Orders without re-offending within the next two years, and overall re-offending has fallen since 2000 by 13%.
Offenders who receive Unpaid Work Requirements complete around 200,000 hours of compulsory labour in the community every year to repay their debt to society, while nearly 2,500 offenders are referred yearly to adult education providers to study for basic literacy and numeracy qualifications.
A recent offender under probation supervision who completed a drug rehabilitation course wrote to the service to say: "I believe with this and other support I have received I know I can remain drug and crime free, it just made me realise along with other support that I have more to offer than going to jail."
Added Roz Brown: "The Probation Service recognises that some offenders will re-offend again but the statistics, and individual stories, available to us show we are effective in reducing overall crime.
"In those cases where offenders fail to comply with court orders, or they are accused of new crimes, we are swift and rigorous in returning them to court or recalling them to prison and our effectiveness in enforcing punishments is reflected in our performance figures."
Only five probation areas have achieved the maximum four-star rating in the Government's performance framework, and South Yorkshire is the only metropolitan area. In 2006, the local service was rated 32nd out of 45 in Government league tables.
The rating system assesses the service's performance across a broad range of measures such as timeliness of reports, assessments and enforcement procedures and offender compliance with court orders. It also measures success rates in getting offenders to complete punishments and rehabilitation requirements such as unpaid work in the community, adult education qualifications and drug and alcohol treatment programmes.
The HMIP inspection looked at the quality of probation officers' work in managing offenders assessed as posing a risk to the public. A sample of the organisation’s current caseload was audited by independent inspectors to examine the work undertaken in cases where there was a history of violence or vulnerable people such as children were potentially at risk. South Yorkshire Probation’s overall rating was 73%, the third highest in the country, and staff were commended for numerous examples of good practice in their day to day work.
South Yorkshire Probation is a part of the National Offender Management Service, which oversees the work of prison and probation officers as an agency of the Ministry of Justice. All staff are employed locally by South Yorkshire Probation Board.
Said Peter Smith, Board Chair: "We are delighted with the progress made by our staff, and I would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication. These latest performance figures show we are making a difference in keeping people in South Yorkshire safe from crime."
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Notes for editors
- South Yorkshire Probation Area's four star rating was achieved in the Integrated Probation Performance Framework (IPPF), a Government performance indicator. A summary of the latest ratings is available on our website – www.syps.org.uk;
- The HMIP Inspection's official title is the Risk of Harm Area Assessment (RoHAA). An executive summary of the inspectorate's findings in South Yorkshire is also available on our website;
- Roz Brown is available for interview by contacting the PR & Communications Unit of South Yorkshire Probation Area on 0114 276 6911.