HM Inspectorate of Probation: statement of purpose
HM Inspectorate of Probation is an independent Inspectorate,
funded by the Home Office and reporting directly to
the Home Secretary. Our purpose is to:
- report to the Home Secretary on the work and performance
of National Probation Service and of Youth Offending
Teams, particularly on the effectiveness of work with
individual offenders, children and young people aimed
at reducing re-offending and protecting the public,
- in this connection, and in association with HM Inspectorate
of Prisons, to report on the effectiveness of offender
management under the auspices of the National Offender
Management Service as it develops
- contribute to improved performance in the NPS, NOMS
and YOTs.
- contribute to sound policy and effective service
delivery by providing advice and disseminating good
practice, based on inspection findings, to Ministers,
Home Office staff, the Youth Justice Board, probation
boards/areas and YOTs.
- promote actively race equality and wider diversity
issues in the NPS, NOMS and YOTs.
- contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Criminal
Justice System, particularly through joint work with
other criminal justice and Government inspectorates.
Our annual Plan is agreed between the Home Secretary
and HM Chief Inspector and is published on our website.
Home Office Objectives
HMI Probation contributes primarily to the achievement
of Home Office Objective II:
"More offenders are caught, punished and stop
offending, and victims are better supported"
and to the requirement to ensure that custodial and community
sentences are more effective at stopping offending. We
also contribute to the achievement of Objective III through
scrutiny of work to address drugs and other substance
misuse, and to other relevant CJS and children services
objectives.
Code of Practice
In undertaking its work HMI Probation seeks in particular
to implement the Government’s ten principles of
inspection in the public sector, namely that inspection
should:
- have the purpose of improving the service inspected
- focus on outcomes
- have a user perspective
- be proportionate to risk
- encourage rigorous self-assessment by the managers
of the service inspected
- use impartial evidence
- disclose the criteria used to form judgements
- show openness about inspection processes
- have regard to value for money
- continually learn from experience
In seeking to achieve its purpose and meet these principles, HMI Probation aims to:
- undertake its work with integrity in a professional,
impartial and courteous manner
- report and publish inspection findings and recommendations
for improvement in a timely way
- promoting race equality and wider diversity issues
in all aspects of its work, including within its own
employment practices and organisational processes
- minimise the burden of inspection on the NPS and
on Youth Offending Teams
In undertaking its work HMI Probation is mindful of
Ministerial priorities and the Strategic Plan for the
Criminal Justice System. We work closely with other criminal
justice Inspectorates through the Criminal Justice Chief
Inspectors’ Group, and also with Inspectorates involved
with work with young people. In addition, through a Probation
Inspection and Audit Forum, HMI Probation works closely
with the Audit Commission, the National Audit Office and
the Home Office Audit and Assurance Unit.
Complaints
HM Inspectorate of Probation has a complaints
procedure for handling complaints about the conduct
of its inspections.
The Inspectorate does not deal with complaints from
offenders, victims or others about individual cases.
These should be put to the Chief Officer of the probation
area concerned or, if the complainant is not satisfied,
an appeal can be made to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Details on the procedures for making a complaint about
an individual case are available from local probation
offices or from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
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