The Ministry of Justice has released its consultation paper on its overhaul of the probation service, in which it promises £500,000 of grant funding for voluntary sector bidders.
Following yesterday's announcement, the document, entitled Transforming Rehabilitation: A revolution in the way we manage offenders, describes the Ministry’s plans, asks for views on its proposals and sets out its programme of engagement with stakeholders.
It seeks to reassure voluntary organisations that a payment-by-results (PBR) structure will not put them under undue financial strain, thanks in part to a pledge for £500,000 of grant funding to build their capacity over the next two years.
“We will ensure that under PBR arrangements, disproportionate levels of financial risk are not passed down to voluntary and community sector organisations (VCS), and ensure sustainable funding streams and support access to social investment,” writes Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.
"To support the VCS under a PBR framework in the future, the National Offender Management Service is investing £150,000 of grant funding in 2012/13 to develop a capacity-building action plan for the sector. A further grant of £350,000 will then be available in 2013/14 to execute the plan," he advised.
Partnerships encouraged
Grayling also says he is keen to see partnerships between voluntary sector organisations, or between them and private sector providers, coming forward to compete for contracts.
“Our reforms will make use of local experience, and integrate with existing local structures,” he continues. “We want to introduce a system which allows for closer alignment of the variety of services which offenders use, through co-commissioning with other government departments, police and crime commissioners, and local authorities.
“Smaller voluntary sector organisations will not be excluded either. We will take steps to ensure they can form part of subcontracting arrangements which are managed fairly and sustainably.”
Responses to the consultation (which can be read in full on its website) should be sent by 22 February, either by email to [email protected] or via post to Transforming Rehabilitation consultation, Ministry of Justice, 8.25 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ.
Public protection ‘would be paramount’
Meanwhile, St Giles Trust, a charity which works to reduce reoffending, has told civilsociety.co.uk that the risk of a PBR system allowing probation officers to cover up reoffending by their clients in order to meet their targets was unlikely to be a problem, based on its experience.
"No, we don't believe that probation staff covering up offending is an issue," a spokeswoman said. "If it is deemed to be by the Ministry of Justice - who are the ones ultimately designing the contracts - it is for them to address and ultimately we believe that public safety will be of paramount importance.
"This is still very early days and the details of any future contracts have yet to be drawn up but whoever designed the PBR model must factor it in."
She continued: “In terms of St Giles Trust's existing services, we work in partnership with both probation and the police to manage risk. We have found that in existing pilot PBR proposals in the criminal justice system we haven’t had any such problems.
“What is exciting for us in these proposals is a focus on rehabilitation alongside enforcement, support for short-sentenced prisoners and an opportunity to bring our expertise to bear on cracking the costly, destructive cycle of reoffending.”
