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Chief Inspector of Probation restates calls for ‘urgent and focused action’ as HM Inspectorate of Probation publishes first combined Annual Report

Published:

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation has published its 2025-2026 Annual Report. For the first time, this report covers all Inspectorate programmes, including probation, youth justice, and national and area inspections, as well as organisational development, research, and impact.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “This has been a period of significant activity for the Inspectorate against a backdrop of systemic challenges and ongoing policy reform across probation and youth justice services. Since our last Annual Reports [see notes to editor] we have launched three new inspection programmes, uncovering both concerning patterns and examples of positive improvement across all areas of inspection activity.”

The Inspectorate has continued to see probation services hamstrung by their public protection work, with concerning deficits across all areas of probation practice. The decision was made in late 2025 to pause its core adult programme to deliver six months of dynamic inspection activity focusing on public protection. Consistent themes across this programme have included workforce instability, high workloads, and poor, inconsistent multi-agency information sharing. This programme is due to conclude in July 2026, and national findings will be shared in September 2026.

In June 2025, following extensive consultation and piloting, the Inspectorate published the first report in its new youth justice inspection programme which puts children and victims at the heart of the inspection process. Findings to date reveal that work to keep children and communities safe is the area that Youth Justice Services (YJS) most needed to develop, however, positively, inspections have contributed to local and national improvements in the quality of information police share with YJS about victims.

September 2025 saw the launch of the Inspectorate’s Approved Premises (AP) [see notes to editor] inspection programme. This is the first time the AP network has been subject to independent scrutiny, and inspections have painted a picture of AP staff working extremely hard under significant systemic pressures. Staff shortages have so far been the most pervasive issue found, with almost every AP being understaffed at the time of inspection. As a result, the Chief Inspector has repeatedly called on HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to review staffing, pay, and resourcing arrangements nationally.

Mr Jones continued, “Our programmes continue to recognise committed, motivated practitioners working hard to achieve better outcomes for the people they manage, however, there is still much more to do to. I am pleased to have this opportunity to share the evidence that continues to underpin our call for urgent, focused action to protect the public, support victims, and give the Probation Service the foundations it needs to succeed.”

Notes to editor 

  1. This combined annual report follows probation and thematic inspection reports published since our last Probation Annual Report in March 2025. In terms of youth justice, the combined annual report focuses on the first 12 months of the new youth justice inspection programme which commenced in Spring 2025, with the first report from the programme being published in June 2025. The Approved Premises Inspection Programme published its first report in September 2025. The report also shares effective practice guides and spotlights, as well as research publications published between 31 March 2025 and 01 April 2026.
  2. Approved Premises (APs) are residential units which provide temporary placements in the community for high-risk and complex people on probation. They offer enhanced supervision and rehabilitative support to individuals following release from prison.
  3. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 20 July 2026.
  4. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  5. For media enquiries; please contact Head of Communications: media@hmiprobation.gov.uk