National Probation Service
Bulletin
Issue 34
001/06 NPS PERFORMANCE REPORT 18
Performance Report 18 has been published containing
information on the performance of the NPS for the fist
half of 2005/06. The report shows a record level of
performance with virtually all targets achieved.
Enforcement
92% of relevant cases monitored between April and
September 2005 were enforced within 10 days in
accordance with National Standards. The NPS
achieved the highest ever enforcement figure for a
single month of 93% in July.
Compliance
Compliance measures those cases where there was no
second unacceptable failure to comply (third for
licences) and includes orders that have been allowed to
continue by the court following breach action. At 81%,
performance continues to edge towards the 85% target
but progress has been slow. The need to find a fair and
meaningful measure of compliance is high on the NPD
agenda and compliance measurement for next year in
terms of target definition is under review.
Offending Behaviour Programmes
The number of completions of programmes between
April and September 2005 is 7% above the profiled
(expected) target. The 7,255 completions achieved so
far represent an increase over the same period last year
of 6%.
Enhanced Community Punishment / Unpaid Work
24,540 completions have been achieved between April
and September 2005, just 2% below the profiled target.
January 2006
CONTENTS
001/06 NPS Performance Report 18
002/06 NPS Email Addresses Change
003/06 Green Paper: Reducing Re-Offending
004/06 Custody Plus Implementation
005/06 NPS Area Office Relocation
006/06 Fax Number for Humberside Probation Area
007/06 Probation Boards’ Association Office Relocation
008/06 NOMS & YJB Approach
009/06 Juvenile Offenders Unit Name Change
010/06 Appointments
011/06 Events
012/06 NPD Diary
013/06 Issued Recently
There were 6,779 more completions than at the same
stage in 2004-05, an increase of 38%.
Drug Treatment and Testing Orders / Drug
Rehabilitation Requirements
6,362 DTTOs and DRRs commenced between April and
September 2005 meaning that 80% of the profiled target
was met. This is against a target that increased by 23%
since last year’s. There were approximately 1,500
(31%) more starts during April and September 2005 than
during the same period last year.
There were 1,735 completions of DTTOs and DRRs
between April and September 2005, 87% of the profiled
target. However, there were a record 325 completions in
September alone which leaves an average of 377 per
month until the end of the year for the target to be met.
Basic Skills
23,208 offenders commenced basic skills courses during
the first half of 2005-06, 61% above the profiled target.
There were over 9,000 more starts than at the same
stage last year, an increase of 64%.
7,930 basic skills awards were delivered in during the
first half of 2005-06, 76% above the profiled target and
4,544 more awards than during the first half of 2004-05,
an increase of 134%.
Sickness Absence
There was no improvement in the average number of
days lost due to sickness per employee in the first half of
2005-06 from the first quarter but at 11.8 days it
represents half a day less than the 2004-05 average.
Victims
Performance on victims remained at the level achieved
last year when 93% of victims were contacted within the
8-week standard. This exceeds the 85% target.
Risk of harm cases
The target is to complete 90% of risk of harm
assessments, risk management plans and OASys
sentence plans on high risk offenders within five working
days of the commencement of the order or release into
the community. This is a new performance target for the
probation service and areas have required clarification
and time in order to provide the data. This is the first
time in 2005/06 when all 42 Probation Areas have
submitted data, and where the achievement of the three
criteria have been required in order to satisfy the target.
We now have robust data to report on from August 2005
and this shows performance in England and Wales at
68%.
Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPOs)
The target is to complete 90% of risk of harm
assessments and OASys sentence plans on Prolific and
other Priority Offenders within five working days of
commencement of the order or release into the
community. There were similar issues with those of the
high risk target but again we now have reliable data from
2
August 2005. Performance nationally is 66% but there is
evidence of improvement between August and
September.
Court report timeliness
The proportion of court reports completed during the first
quarter of 2005-06 within the timescale set by the court
was 98%. At the time of publication, the 2nd quarter data
was not available due to late and poor quality returns
from some areas. This information is derived from the
monthly court reports extracts made to RDS. In future
areas which do not send their data on time or whose
data fails the validation checks will score zero on this
target in the weighted scorecard.
Accurate and timely ethnicity data
97% of data on offenders starting community orders was
accurate and timely with respect to ethnicity, as was
95% of data on offenders starting supervision under
licence, giving an average of 96% which means that the
target was exceeded for the first time.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
For enquires relating about any issues relating to this
report please contact:
Email: Roger.McGarva2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
For enquires about the data please contact:
Email: Paris.Mikkides@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
002/06 NPS EMAIL ADDRESSES CHANGE
As part of the upgrading of the NPS’s IT system the
service has now been given gsi status (as opposed to
the less secure classification of gsx). This took place
during the latter part of 2005 and all e-mail addresses in
the Probation Address book were automatically
converted to include a .gsi suffix in place of .gsx.
Since December 2005, the email system has temporarily
been able to accept and deliver emails with either suffix
.gsx or .gsi.
On 6th March 2006, the email system will no longer
recognise addresses which include gsx. All Probation
staff should therefore take steps to inform their external
and non-NPS contacts of the change in their e-mail
address. This could be done by adding an e-mail change
of address notice as part of your e-mail sign off.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Can any comments or further information requests be
sent to:
Email: David.pick@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
003/06 GREEN PAPER: REDUCING
RE-OFFENDING
The Government has unveiled plans to help reduce re-
offending through improving training and education to
help offenders into jobs when they leave prison.
The plans are outlined in a new Green Paper: Reducing
Re-Offending through Skills and Employment, published
jointly by the Department for Education and Skills
(DfES), the Home Office and the Department for Work
and Pensions (DWP). A consultation on the proposals
also began on the 15th December 2005.
The Green Paper proposals are focused on four main
areas:
• Focusing strongly on jobs, with employers
driving the design and delivery of
programmes: Training and qualifications should
be meaningful to employers so they can, in turn,
offer job opportunities. There will be new
alliances with employers, targeting specific
industrial sectors with labour shortages, support
from Jobcentre Plus to help offenders get work
and the development of mentoring and other
support arrangements to help offenders get jobs
and keep them.
• Ensuring training providers and colleges are
better able to provide the skills offenders
need to get a job: Education and training for
offenders has improved in recent years, but
more needs to be done to ensure consistently
high quality across the country, both within
prisons and in the community. Key proposals
3
include: piloting a new model for delivery – the
‘Offender Learner Campus’ – to develop new
centres of excellence and better links with
mainstream education and training.
• Promoting a new emphasis on skills and jobs
for offenders across prisons and probation:
Previous efforts to improve training and job
opportunities for offenders have been hampered
by a lack of continuity through the system, with
some people ‘falling through the net’ on moving
prison or on release. We will ensure that prison
and probation services work together so that
improving skills and helping more offenders get
qualifications and jobs is seen by all as vital in
reducing re-offending. New Regional Offender
Managers, working with the Learning and Skills
Council, will help match training to job openings.
• Motivating and engaging offenders, with the
right balance of rights and responsibilities:
We need to motivate more offenders to improve
their skills and job prospects, and improve their
chances of living free of crime. We will combine
a range of incentives with other influences (such
as sentencing powers), along with high quality
training and other support to help more
offenders into jobs. One proposal includes the
testing of a new ‘employability contract’ to
motivate offenders.
The consultation began on 15th December 2005 and will
finish towards the end of May 2006. A series of
consultation events will be held around the country in
2006.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Copies are also available from: TSO (The Stationery
Office): PO Box 29, Norwich NR3 IGN.
Tel: 0870 600 5522
Or order through the Parliamentary Hotline
Tel: 0845 702 3474
Email: book.orders@tso.co.uk
Or alternatively visit www.tso.co.uk/bookshop
www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/
 004/06 CUSTODY PLUS 006/06 FAX NUMBER FOR HUMBERSIDE
IMPLEMENTATION PROBATION AREA SCUNTHORPE

Custody Plus is planned to be implemented in November Please note that the number below is the correct fax
2006. On this timetable training for trainers is due to number for Humberside Area in Park Square
commence in May this year. Scunthorpe.

It is proposed that training for PSR writers and offender Fax: 01724 289 343
management teams will be along similar lines to the
arrangements for the first phase of Criminal Justice Act
007/06 PROBATION BOARDS’
implementation last year, with ten regional train the
ASSOCIATION OFFICE
trainer events prior to area roll-out.
RELOCATION
Custody Plus training will link with the briefing and
training being planned to support Offender Management The Probation Boards Association has moved from
implementation. Discussions are underway with the Vigilant House to:
Judicial Studies Board about opportunities for probation
input to sentencer training on Custody Plus. 83 Victoria Street
London
FURTHER INFORMATION: SW1H 0HW
More detailed information about implementation, training
etc will be communicated as soon as it is available. Tel: 020 3008 7930
Email: cja.sip@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Fax: 020 3008 7931

005/06 NPS AREA OFFICE RELOCATION 008/06 NOMS & YJB APPROACH TO
COMMUNITIES AND CIVIL
RENEWAL
Please note that the Avon & Somerset Probation
Headquarters have moved from Brunel House to:
At the Reducing Re-offending Alliances Conference in
Queens House London in November 2005 Baroness Scotland launched
The Hedges the Alliances - the Corporate, Civic Society and the
St Georges Faith/Voluntary Sector - which outline how NOMS will
Weston-Super-Mare work in partnership with employers, civil communities
North Somerset and the voluntary and faith sector to help offenders into
BS22 7BB employment and integrate into their community.

Tel: 01934 528 740 Also launched at the conference was the NOMS and
Fax: 01934 528 797 YJB Approach to Communities and Civil Renewal,
which is part of the Government’s ‘Together We Can’
Action Plan. Informed by a formal consultation earlier in
the year, it aims to encourage and promote an approach
to offender management that brings communities focus
into regional reducing re-offending action plans and local
plans. It highlights many good practice examples of
community engagement that already exist in the work of

4
NOMS, probation, prisons, YJB and its partners. One of
its key priority areas is unpaid and reparative work
where local communities are being encouraged to have
a greater say in the type of work undertaken by
offenders serving community sentences through
‘Community Payback’, which was also launched
nationally at the conference.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
A copy of the NOMS and YJB Approach to Communities
and Civil Renewal and further information on the
Alliances are available on:
www.noms.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/
009/06 JUVENILE OFFENDERS UNIT
NAME CHANGE
With effect from Monday 9th January the Home Office
Juvenile Offenders Unit (JOU) is changing its name to
YOUTH JUSTICE AND CHILDREN UNIT (YJCU). This
name more accurately reflects the Unit’s responsibilities
following the incorporation of youth crime prevention
work and children’s issues into its remit.
From the same date we will be based on the second
floor of Fry Building at 2 Marsham Street. Telephone
numbers remain the same.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Email: emma.ross@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7035 0605
010/06 APPOINTMENTS
Kath Morris, currently Assistant Chief Officer in South
Yorkshire, has been appointed Regional Manager for
Yorkshire and Humberside.
Meg Blumsom currently Head of Community
Reintegration in NPD has been appointed Regional
Manager for the South West, commencing 1st March
2006.
Former Deputy Chief Officers Chris Noah and Roz
Hamilton have been appointed to help lead the National
5
Probation Service covering Greater Manchester. Chris
has taken up the new post of Director of Interventions
and Roz the Director of Offender Management.
011/06 EVENTS
PS Plus 2, the Resettlement Project operating in 39
Prison Service establishments across England is hosting
a major resettlement conference. The conference is
aimed at policy makers and managers in the criminal
justice, employment, education and training sectors.
The aim of the conference is to draw out the lessons for
resettlement best practice as we enter an era of
contestability. There will also be a comprehensive range
of workshops.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Venue: Central Hall, Westminster
Date: 22nd February
For further information or to request a booking form
please contact:
Email: psplus2@caldercon.co.uk
Tel: 0870 382 8028
Neil Stewart Associates in association with the National
Audit Office is holding an ‘Alternatives to Custody’
Conference.
The conference will examine a range of community
punishments, discuss how practitioners can overcome
barriers to their effective use, and showcase new
initiatives and best practice examples that could deliver
a reduction in re-offending.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Venue: Hotel Russell, London
Date: 7th March
Email: info@neilstewartassociates.co.uk
Tel: 020 7324 4330
The NPS takes no responsibility for the content or
possible cost of external conferences.
 012/06 NPD DIARY PC88 MAPPA National Business Plan 2005/08
PC89 E-OASys PSR (SDR) Templates
PC90 Role Boundary Issues in the NPS
February PC91 Case Transfer Protocol between Youth
1st Directing Safely Course for Chief Offending Teams (YOTs) and Probation Areas
Officers, Marriott County Hall, London PC92 Launch of New Internet Sex Offender
st
1 Health & Safety Briefings, Marriott Treatment Programme (i-SOTP)
County Hall, London PC93 The Probation Service Value for Money (VFM)
nd
2 Staff Training for East of England in Boards Releasing Resources for Front Line
Probation Areas, University of East Services
Anglia, Norfolk PC94 Developments in Unpaid Work: January 2006
3rd Staff Training for East of England
Probation Areas, Cramphorn Theatre, Probation Circulars 2006:
Essex
6th – 7th NOMS IT Roadshow Event PC01 List of Probation Circulars Issued in 2005
7th NOMS IT/IS Conference, Manchester PC02 Business Planning 2006 - 07
Airport Marriott Hotel, Manchester
7th SW/London Chief Officers Regional Other Publications:
Challenge/Dialogue, One Great George
Street, London NPS Performance Report 18
th
9 VM/Wales Chief Officers Regional NPS Annual Report 2004-05
Challenge/Dialogue, The Macdonald HM Government National Community Safety Plan 2006-
Burlington Hotel, Birmingham 09
10th Staff Training for London Probation HMIP/HMIC Joint Inspection – Managing Sex Offenders
Area, 2MS, London in the Community
13th – 14th NOMS IT Roadshow Event HMIP Thematic Inspection Report ‘Realising the
14th NOMS IT/IS Conference, Leeds Marriott Potential’: A Short Focused Inspection on OASys
Hotel, Leeds Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Drug Misuse Declared:
15th – 17th Staff Training for East Midlands Finding from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey
Probation Areas, Nottinghamshire Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Criminal Statistics 2004
Probation HQ YOT/HMIP Joint Inspection of Youth Offending Teams
22nd PS Plus 2 Resettlement Conference, Annual Report 2004/2005
Central Hall, Westminster, London CJS in Brief Issue 7
22nd – 23rd NOMS IT Roadshow Event
23rd NOMS IT/IS Conference, Nottingham,
TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR THE NPS
venue tbc
BULLETIN, OR TO BE ADDED TO THE
27th – 28th NOMS IT Roadshow Event
DISTRIBUTION LIST CONTACT:
28th NOMS IT/IS Conference, Cardiff, venue
NPSBULLETIN@HOMEOFFICE.GSI.GOV.UK
tbc

013/06 ISSUED RECENTLY

Probation Circulars 2005:

PC87 Recording Information on Individuals Who

Present a Risk to Children