Agenda item

(i)           Report of the Corporate Director of Resources.

(ii)          Presentation by John Graham, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Durham Tees Valley CRC and Kay Nicolson, Head of Area for Durham and Darlington, National Probation Service.

The Chair welcomed the Acting Chief Executive of the Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (DTVCRC), John Graham and the Head of Area for Durham and Darlington Probation, National Probation Service (NPS), Kay Nicolson who were in attendance to provide the Committee with an update presentation in relation to the Probation Programme - 'plans for the future model' (for copy see file of minutes).

The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC thanked Members for the opportunity to speak and noted there had been significant changes in terms of plans for the probation service.  He reminded the Committee of the roles of the two organisations, in terms of offenders:

·        NPS – responsible for managing high risk offenders, advising courts, allocating cases to CRC’s, supporting victims, and managing approved premises.  NPS deliver some Accredited Programmes, including those which address sexual offending.

·        CRC’s – responsible for supervising low and medium-risk offenders, providing through-the-gate resettlement services to released prisoners.  CRC’s deliver Unpaid Work requirements and mandated offending related Accredited Programmes.

He asked Members to recall that in May 2019 there had been three strategic priorities made by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in terms of probation, those being: getting the change right; professional recognition; and maximising influence.

The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that the plans for the future now were for the work undertaken by CRCs to be undertaken by the NPS in terms of responsibility for offender management, unpaid work, accredited programmes, resettlement and court advice – across low, medium and high-risk offenders will be held by the National Probation Service in England and Wales. 

He added there would be a continued role for the voluntary and private sector in the delivery of wrap-around and rehabilitative services through the dynamic framework and regional innovation fund.  Members were asked to note that the North East had split from Yorkshire and became a separate probation region in April 2020.

The Committee were informed that North East, Regional Probation Director would be Bronwen Elphick, the former Chief Executive Officer from DTVCRC who had attended committee on previous occasions.  It was explained that from June 2021 the three probation organisations locally, NPS North East, DTV CRC and Northumbria CRC would come together to form the new NPS North East.

Members learned that the North East region would be subdivided into Probation Delivery Units (PDUs) headed by an Assistant Chief Officer grade, with Durham and Darlington being a single PDU with Kay Nicolson as the Head.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted the transition process was well-underway to re-unify services with the aim of taking the best from all three probation organisations to develop the future delivery model.

The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC explained that the Justice System continued to face significant challenges in the face of COVID-19, nationally and locally: levels of face to face contact were limited by social distancing restrictions in fixed estate; unpaid work vans could previously carry eight service users; Accredited Programmes involved groups of up to twelve service users and two tutors; Victim Contact Scheme had operated utilising remote technology, with no backlogs in engaging with victims; resettlement work in prisons was restricted; and there were significant Court backlogs.

The Committee learned that locally, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the level of face to face contact was amongst the highest in the country.  Members noted there was no enforcement backlog in the local Courts, breaches, and enforcement of Orders, where required, were up to date.  It was explained that the funding and structure for the Homelessness Prevention Team had been extended, with a number of successes locally.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that the delivery of Unpaid Work was the third highest in the country and 131 percent of pre-COVID-19 hours were being offered.  He explained that the Accredited Programme Delivery had the second highest rate in the country and was now at 85 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels.  It was added that Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Strategic Management Board meetings had continued, utilising technology to ensure service delivery, with that method to be taken forward as standard practice within the new NPS.  He noted that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) had praised the probation response to COVID-19 nationally and made specific reference to performance locally.

The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that, in terms of the challenge beyond COVID-19, there would still be backlogs to deal with and while the transition was well underway there was still a lot to do. 

He added that work would be undertaken integrating the new North East probation structure into existing local and regional structures and in terms of addressing any duplication, true collaboration, and joint commissioning.  He concluded by noting the challenge in terms of the reoffending rate, albeit not as difficult locally as in some other areas, and to protect the public.

The Chair thanked the Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC and asked as regards court backlogs and associated timescales.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that he was on the national steering group relating to community service and noted there would be a backlog after transition, into the Autumn 2021, notwithstanding any other COVID-19 restrictions.  He added that prior to Christmas 2020 the service was running at 80 percent of previous capacity, receiving orders at around 125 percent of previous capacity, and increase of around 40 orders per week.

The Chair asked if there would be any opportunity to increase capacity.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that the DTVCRC element was via contract, though working with the MoJ to look to bring in additional resources.  He explained one of the issues, even with additional staff, was welfare provision, as those reporting to carry out community service would need welfare facilities at a community site.  He noted that additional funding was being sourced to provide portable toilets or a welfare cabin, working with Local Authorities.

The Chair asked if returning under one umbrella would help in terms of avoiding duplication and having funding in one pot.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted that a unit was being set up that required cooperation between probation and health and between probation and Police.  He noted the recent Integrated Reoffender Management Strategy, a joint probation/Police piece of work, and that there was a push centrally to look to identify opportunities and then once understood then this could be used to emphasise that it was understood best at a local level in terms of identifying such duplication and opportunities.  He added that work had been undertaken locally by the Reducing Reoffending Group, the next step being the dynamic framework, with competitions ongoing in that regard.  The Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC noted there was also the regional innovation fund, and this could help in terms of new ways of working and joint commissioning, however, he noted that an organisation would need to take the first step in that regard.  The Chair thanked the Acting Chief Executive, DTVCRC and noted that the North East no longer being linked to North Yorkshire could also be useful in being able to work on issues more locally.

Resolved:  

That the content of the report and presentation be noted.