Key facts
- A union representing probation officers in England and Wales has declared no confidence in management due to excessive workloads.
- The union is threatening industrial action if staff support and pay are not increased within three months.
- Plans to electronically tag up to 40,000 former offenders will increase the burden on probation officers.
- A previous watchdog report highlighted staff shortages and unmanageable workloads posing risks to the public.
- The Ministry of Justice plans to recruit 1,300 additional probation officers by 2029.
The union representing probation officers in England and Wales has declared no confidence in management, citing excessive workloads that they argue put the public at direct risk. This declaration comes as the government plans to significantly expand the use of electronic tagging for former offenders.
Napo, the probation officers' union, is threatening industrial action in three months unless increased support and pay are provided. The union's executive has passed a motion stating that the current situation is untenable, with managers allegedly attempting to remove a tool that measures probation officer workloads. This move, the union fears, would obscure the extent of staff overwork.
Official reports have previously highlighted issues within the probation service, including staff shortages, lack of experience and training, and unmanageable workloads. The National Audit Office reported that the Prison Service met only 26% of its targets for timeliness of appointments and service delivery in 2024-25, a decline from previous years. Additionally, 31% of target probation appointments did not occur between 2023 and 2025.
In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to recruit 1,300 additional probation officers by 2029, supported by a £700 million investment. This includes funding for the expansion of tagging technology. Prisons Minister James Timpson acknowledged the severe pressure on the service, stating that staff manage an average of 32 ex-offenders each and that the system was inherited in a broken state.