“Significant resourcing challenges” facing Gwent Probation Delivery Unit, rated ‘Requires improvement’ 

Martin Jones, Chief Inspector of Probation, said: “Our inspection came at a time of significant resourcing challenges for Gwent PDU. Although the new head of service understands what is needed and has been proactive in creating a clear vision and strategy for the service, there was still much to do to bring the quality-of-service delivery up to standard.”

Absence rates, including loan arrangements for probation officers were high, which was causing unmanageable workloads and high levels of absence caused by work-related stress. The leadership team were taking steps to minimise the impact of these resourcing challenges on people on probation; however, these steps often led to a drift in the delivery and coordination of services to address reoffending and support desistance. Despite the high workloads, staff were motivated, committed and took flexible approaches to engage people on probation in their sentence plans.

Significant improvements were needed in the public protection work within the cases inspected, with inspectors finding an absence of, or limited, detail within initial information received from the police and children’s services. These findings are in line with the Inspectorate’s wider inspection programme and, given these consistent deficiencies in public protection work, since October 2025 HM Inspectorate of Probation has been undertaking a new, six-month Dynamic Inspection of Public Protection of all twelve regions [see notes to editor].

A broad range of services were in place across Gwent, with co-location arrangements with Gwent Drug and Alcohol services. However, the staffing challenges within the PDU and with external providers was not always conducive to the coordination of service delivery. Work to address these structural barriers was in the initial stages during this inspection.

Mr Jones continued: “I am confident Gwent PDU can build on actions already taken to address its main challenges. The culture of the organisation was moving in the right direction, and we are confident in the approach leadership is taking.”

The report makes six recommendations, including to improve the quality of work to assess, plan, manage, and review risk of harm, and to make arrangements with the police and children’s services to ensure sufficient information sharing to identify actual and potential victims accurately.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

1. Probation Delivery Units (PDUs) replaced Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service (NPS), which merged into a unified Probation Service in June 2021.
2. The report is available at https://hmiprobation.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/ on 01 December 2025
3. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales. 
4. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’. The Inspectorate rates specific aspects of each service and also gives an overall rating.
5. Fieldwork for this inspection took place in September 2025
6. HM Inspectorate’s Dynamic Inspection of Public Protection is a new programme, starting in October 2025. The Inspectorate will be pausing its core adult programme to undertake six months of dynamic inspection activity, focusing solely on the Service’s delivery of public protection. It will inspect all twelve regions and inspections, then deliver follow-up activity with strategic leaders and managers to identify what can be done to support and guide regional leaders into improving work, increasing knowledge and confidence and providing a solid foundation for further improvement. 
7. For media enquiries, please contact Louise Cordell, Head of Communications 07523 805224 / media@hmiprobation.gov.uk