National Probation Service
Bulletin
025/06 RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFENDER
MANAGERS IN ELECTRONIC
MONITORING BREACHES
Following the recent publication of the NAO Report on
Electronic Monitoring of Adult offenders, this is to clarify
the responsibilities of Offender Managers in breaches of
Electronic Monitoring requirements.
The Electronic Monitoring (EM) contractor is only
responsible for enforcement action in cases where a
Curfew is the only requirement of a Community Order.
In all other cases the Offender Manager (OM) is
responsible for issuing the final warning or initiating
breach action and must take responsibility for the breach
case through to its resolution. The EM contractor is
responsible for contacting the OM and providing the
information of a violation within 24 hours (Annex C of PC
23/2005).
OMs must also ensure that they communicate the
progress and results of breach action back to the EM
contractor. In December 2005, Group4 Securicor found
that in only 25% of 855 cases had they received
information back about the breach from the relevant
agency. SERCO have experienced similar problems.
EM contractors have reported problems with the quality
of notification information which they receive from the
Court when a curfew requirement has been made. The
notification does not always state whether a Community
Order had been made with or without other requirements
in addition to the Curfew. This matter has been taken up
with HMCS nationally but Probation Areas need to
ensure local liaison is pro-active in establishing
communication between the OM and the EM contractor
at the commencement of a relevant Order.
Issue 36 March 2006
CONTENTS
025/06 Responsibilities of OMs in EM Breaches
026/06 The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime
027/06 PPO Toolkit
028/06 Interim Guidance
029/06 Custody Plus
030/06 NPS HR Warehouse
031/06 NOMS OPU Office Relocation
032/06 Napo Directory Errata
033/06 Appointments
034/06 Events
035/06 NPD Diary
036/06 Issued Recently
In order to ensure high performance for the NPD
enforcement target and the LCJB end to end
enforcement targets, areas should invite their local
contractor to inter-agency forums and involve them in
the agreement of protocols and processes designed to
deliver timely and effective enforcement.
Where an offender is subject to HDC and to supervision
on licence, breach of the HDC is reported directly to the
Release and Recall Section, copied to the Offender
Manager.
Further information and guidance is in PC 23/2005.
Please ensure that your area’s practice conforms to
these requirements.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
If you have any specific enquiries concerning the
enforcement of EM requirements please contact:
Email: Helen.west6@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
 026/06 THE CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
VICTIMS OF CRIME
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, comes into
force on 3 April 2006, and has been designed to address
areas of dissatisfaction amongst victims. Presently, some
victims are not satisfied with how they are looked after by
criminal justice agencies, for example, some are
unsatisfied with how they are updated about their own
case. The Victims’ Code will give victims legal rights to
minimum standards of information, protection and support
that they can expect from criminal justice agencies
throughout England and Wales. An enhanced service for
identified vulnerable or intimidated victims will be also
available.
Victims will have a right of appeal if they are unfairly
treated according to the Victims’ Code of Practice. They
will be able to make a complaint against the respective
agency and if they are not satisfied with the response they
will be able to take their complaint to the Parliamentary
Ombudsman.
The obligations for the National Probation Service (NPS)
contained within the Code reflect the statutory duty that
already exists upon the service to work with victims. In
essence the NPS has a duty to provide a service to the
victims of sexual or violent offences where the offender
has received a 12 month or more custodial sentence
including the victims of mentally disordered offender in
certain circumstances.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Email: victimsandconfidence@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Or alternatively visit
www.cjsonline.gov.uk
027/06 PPO TOOLKIT
The guidance on the PPO scheme was issued in 2004
and is to be updated this year. This is the work of the
PPO team in Crime Reduction and Community Safety
Group in the Home Office rather than NOMS or NPD,
though we contribute to it. Likewise, the PPO Premium
Service document published in 2005 was (mostly) a
2
high-level document on the responsibilities of different
agencies, again not compiled by NPD.
The NPS has a target (PT3) to complete 90 per cent of
risk of harm assessments and OASys sentence plans
within five days of commencement. There is steady
improvement towards this. But what do we actually do
with PPOs?
NPD wants to run a series of regional workshops in
2006-7 to disseminate good practice with PPOs. But
first of all we need to know what this is. The PPO
National Reference Group is preparing a best-practice
‘toolkit’. We’re keen to hear your ideas. For instance:
• What problems have you faced in identifying
PPOs? How have you overcome them?
• How have you raised extra funds, from whom?
• If your area covers several CDRPs, how do you
supply a consistent service when the definitions
may differ?
• If you can’t co-locate with the police because
your area is too large, how do you deliver a
premium service?
• How do you manage the interface with prisons?
• What content have you introduced into the
work? Why?
We’re very keen to hear about innovative ideas which
work.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Can any feedback or suggestions be sent 21 April 2006.
Email: robin.brennan@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7217 0916
028/06 INTERIM GUIDANCE ISSUED ON
POST SENTENCE REPORTS ON
OFFENDERS SENTENCED TO
IMPRISONMENT FOR PUBLIC
PROTECTION (IPP)
The Public Protection Unit in the National Probation
Directorate will be developing national probation practice
guidance on work with all indeterminate sentenced
prisoners. This will happen during 2006, as the issues
concerning the management of all lifers and IPPs are
worked through. Interim guidance issued to Probation
Service staff on 14 March 2006, is intended to help staff
who are currently managing the initial reporting
processes with individuals who have been sentenced to
Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), and
additionally have very short tariffs.
Pre-Sentence Reports and OASys
The Pre-Sentence Report (PSR) is the main vehicle for
the provision of risk assessments on which the court can
made their judgement of risk. Consequently in the
majority of IPP cases there should be a standard
delivery PSR with a full OASys including a rigorous
assessment of the risk of serious harm.
The PRS author should send a copy of the PSR to the
holding prison. Establishments receiving IPP prisoners
should therefore have a detailed offence analysis and
risk of serious harm assessment in the PSR for use in
their management immediately post sentence.
The information gathered and used in the OASys
undertaken during PSR preparation contains the
information required in the Post-Sentence Report (LSP
1F). This document is used for the efficient
management of indeterminate sentence prisoners and
their progress through the early stages of custody post-
sentence.
The following advice is intended to aid the timely
progress of IPPs to a First Stage establishment, where
there is a PSR, with a risk of serious harm assessment,
undertaken with a full OASys.
The LSP 1F Post-Sentence Report by External
Probation Officer
The Post Sentence Report (LSP 1F) should be prepared
following an interview with the offender. The Post
Sentence Report is presently required to be completed
and forwarded to the holding establishment within a
maximum of 4 months of the date of conviction and is
the essential prerequisite for a move to a First Stage
establishment. However, in IPP/DPP cases, these
reports should be prepared as soon as possible after
3
sentence, and where the information is largely covered
in the PSR and OASys, within two months of sentence.
Where there is a Pre Sentence Report and full OASys
that contain a rigorous risk assessment and an outline of
how the risk factors should be addressed, the Post
Sentence Report will build on these.
The purpose of the Post Sentence Report is in further
assessing risk and need, in assisting with the sentence
plan, and the safer management of the individual and
others, whether in the custodial setting, or in the
community from which the offender has come.
The Post Sentence Reports should highlight any special
needs that the offender may have, and any vulnerability,
particularly if they are at risk themselves. Where
information is already contained in a Pre Sentence
Report and OASys assessment, it does not need to be
repeated. The Post Sentence Report should add
information to what is contained in the PSR and the
OASys; draw attention to any risks that are heightened
by the offender’s sentence, custodial status, or
vulnerabilities. It is a report not for sentence, but for the
system to better manage the offender, deliver
appropriate services to them, and keep them, and others
as safe as possible.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Email: jo.thompson8@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Email: akile.osman@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
029/06 CUSTODY PLUS
Whilst there has been no official announcement of the
implementation date beyond “Autumn 2006” in the
recently published Five Year Strategy, probation areas
should be preparing for implementation on Monday 6
November.
It is expected that Custody Plus will only be available for
offences committed on or after that date but this will be
confirmed nearer the time”
Further Information:
Email: Richard.Mason3@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
 030/06 NPS HR DATA WAREHOUSE 031/06 NOMS OPEN GOVERNMENT UNIT
RELOCATION
Following the conclusion of a recent tendering exercise,
Methods Consulting has been appointed to undertake The NOMS Open Government Unit has moved from the
the next phase of the HR Data Warehouse Project, 4th Floor to the 3rd floor in Abell House, the address is as
which will see the development of a Proof of Concept follows:
Pilot.
3rd Floor
This is a process by which the concept can be tested, by Abell House
building essential components of the process and testing John Islip Street
both the technology and approach that can be applied to London
a full roll-out of the system. Using real data collected SWP 4LH
from a number of Areas, the pilot will examine how; data
is collected, can be mapped to provide consistence and Tel: 020 7217 2125
deliver an initial suite of reports that can be assessed Fax: 020 7217 5150
against national and local requirements. In addition, the
pilot will enable us to identify ‘lessons learned’ that can
be applied to a full roll-out that will seek to eliminate 032/06 NAPO DIRECTORY ERRATA
many of the problems during full implementation.

Please note that the entry for HMP Usk gives the
The outcome of this will be a working model of the HR
incorrect fax number, the correct fax number is:
Data Warehouse, piloted in a small number of Areas that
will enable us to assess with a greater degree of
Fax: 01291 671 752
certainty, the scale and costs of rolling out the system
across all Areas of the NPS. The project will be led by
Please note that the entry for Manchester Magistrates
Frank Somers, and he will be supported by Christian
Court staff based in Quay House gives the incorrect fax
Willis and Emile King, with quality assurance provided by
number, the correct number is:
Jeremy Foot.

Fax: 0161 834 3064

The Areas selected as pilot sites are: -

Avon and Somerset 033/06 APPOINTMENTS

London
Yorkshire & Humberside
(excluding South Yorkshire) Russell Bruce has been appointed Acting Chief Officer
for County Durham Probation Area.
The project is due to be completed towards the end of
April and a further update will be supplied at that time. David Reeve has been appointed as the Acting Board
Chair of Norfolk Probation Area.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Email: Helen.Smith2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Ursula Brennan has been appointed as Chief Executive,
Tel: 020 7217 0738 Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR),

4
 034/06 EVENTS 25th Contract Retender, Commercial User
Group Meeting 4, venue tbc
26th Staff Training for South West Probation
Tackling Racism Together conference, ‘working in Areas, venue tbc
partnership to effectively tackle racism and race crime’. 27th Staff Training for South West Probation
Areas, Cleve Hotel, Somerset
Bringing together representatives from the police, local 28th Staff Training for South West Probation
authorities, community safety teams, the education Areas, Dorset Probation Area,
sector, the youth offending sector and Government, this Bournemouth
important national conference will examine how national
and local agencies can work in partnership to prevent
036/06 ISSUED RECENTLY
racism and race crime through effective initiatives.

The conference will consider how strategies can be Probation Circulars 2006:
developed to bring people together to build more
cohesive communities. PC06 Business Planning 2006-07
PC07 Voluntary, Community and Private Sector
FURTHER INFORMATION: Alliances
Venue: The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool PC08 Revised Notification, Screening and Review
Date: 17th – 18th May Procedures for Serious Further Offences
Booking this event can be done online at: PC09 Offender Management for Custodial Sentences
www.neilstewartassociates.com/li235 or alternatively PC10 Offender Engagement: Effective Consultation
Email: info@neilstewartassociates.co.uk and Involvement of Offenders in Developing
Tel: 020 7490 8830 Services
PC11 Area Audit of Unpaid Work Provision
The NPS takes no responsibility for the content or
possible cost of external conferences. Other Publications:

035/06 NPD DIARY HMIP Report on Hanson and White

NPS Performance Report 19
A Five Year Strategy for Protecting the Public and
April Reducing Reoffending
CJS in Brief Issue 8
3rd Risk of Harm Middle Managers HR News Issue 7
Workshop, Horseferry House, London
4th Warwickshire Probation Area’s Staff
TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR THE NPS
Conference, Coventry
BULLETIN, OR TO BE ADDED TO THE
4th – 5th NOMS IT Roadshow Event 2006
DISTRIBUTION LIST CONTACT:
5th NOMS IT/IS Conference, London
NPSBULLETIN@HOMEOFFICE.GSI.GOV.UK
7th Contract Retender, Commercial User
Group, Meeting 3, venue tbc
12th Contract Retender, Board Meeting,
Horseferry House, London
24th North West Regional Probation Areas &
North West Sentencers Conference,
Lancashire