Skip to content

Table of contents

  1. 2.1 Assessing
  2. 2.2 Planning
  3. 2.3 Delivery

All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated.

To view this licence, visit:
https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3

or write to:
Information Policy Team,
The National Archives,
Kew,
London TW9 4DU

or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

This publication is available at:
https://hmiprobation.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk.

© Crown copyright

Probation Delivery Unit Inspection Standards

Published:

Version 1.0 Published 05/10/2026

2.1 Assessing (Back to top)

2.1 Assessing is well informed, personalised and engaging, analysing how to achieve change and keep people safe.

2.1.1 Is assessing well informed, personalised and engaging, focusing on how to achieve change?

  1. Does assessing identify the offending-related factors?
  2. Does assessing analyse the individual’s strengths and protective factors?
  3. Does assessing recognise and analyse diversity factors?
  4. Does assessing analyse capacity for change, participation and community integration?
  5. Does assessing analyse the motivation, readiness and ability of the individual to engage and comply with the sentence?
  6. Does assessing provide an opportunity for the active participation of and co-production with the individual?
  7. Does assessing draw on available sources of information and involve other agencies where appropriate?
  8. Is assessing responsive to changes to ensure continued engagement and compliance?

2.1.2 Is assessing well informed, personalised and engaging, focusing on how to keep people safe?

Note: ‘Keeping people safe’ has two elements – one is public protection (which could be called ‘contributing to community safety’) and the other is safety of the individual (based on the 2025 thematic findings and recommendations).

  1. Does assessing identify and analyse all risk of harm to others?
  2. Does assessing analyse any specific concerns and risks related to actual and potential victims?
  3. Does assessing incorporate the needs of the victim(s)?
  4. Does assessing draw on available sources of information, including past behaviour and convictions, and involve other agencies where appropriate?
  5. Does assessing analyse whether work to contribute to community safety could be undertaken collaboratively with other agencies?
  6. Is assessing responsive to change, maintaining effective arrangements that support community safety?
  7. Does assessing identify and analyse the safety of the individual?
  8. Does assessing analyse whether work that would keep the individual safe could be undertaken collaboratively with other agencies?
  9. Is assessing responsive to change, maintaining effective arrangements to keep the individual safe?

2.2 Planning (Back to top)

Planning is well informed, personalised and engaging, focusing on how to achieve change and keep people safe.

2.2.1 Is planning well informed, personalised and engaging, focusing on how to achieve change?

  1. Does planning set out what is needed to achieve change and prioritise the areas that are most critical? 
  2. Does planning take account of the individual’s strengths and protective factors and seek to reinforce or develop these to build resilience?
  3. Does planning address all the individual’s diversity factors, including how they could affect engagement and compliance?
  4. Does planning create opportunities for change, participation and community integration?
  5. Does planning take account of the motivation, readiness and ability of the individual to engage and comply with the sentence?
  6. Does planning provide opportunities for the active participation of and co-production with the individual?
  7. Is there effective planning of delivery with other services, including for exit planning and referral to mainstream services?
  8. Is planning responsive to changes to ensure continued engagement and compliance?

2.2.2 Is planning well informed, personalised and engaging, focusing on how to keep people safe?

  1. Does planning set out what is needed to keep other people safe, addressing risks and prioritising those which are most critical?
  2. Does planning pay attention to the available timescales, coordinating with any other agencies’ planning and the need for sequencing?
  3. Does planning set out the necessary constructive and/or restrictive interventions to manage the risk of harm?
  4. Does planning make appropriate links to the work of other agencies involved with the individual to manage the risk of harm and any multi-agency plans?
  5. Does planning address any specific concerns and risks related to actual and potential victims?
  6. Is planning responsive to change, maintaining effective arrangements to contribute to community safety?
  7. Does planningpromote safety for the individual as a foundation for change?
  8. Does planning include relevant action to be taken collaboratively with other agencies to keep the individual safe?
  9. Is planning responsive to change, maintaining effective arrangements to keep the individual safe?

2.3 Delivery (Back to top)

Personalised, coordinated and engaging services are delivered to achieve change and keep people safe.  

2.3.1 Are personalised, coordinated and engaging services delivered to achieve change?

  1. Are the right services delivered to engage the individual and achieve change?  
  2. Does delivery take account of the individual’s strengths and protective factors, and seek to reinforce or develop these to build resilience?
  3. Do the services provided address all the individual’s diversity factors, making them the most likely to engage the individual and achieve change?
  4. Is there a focus on maintaining an effective relationship with the individual, encouraging and enabling engagement?
  5. Is delivery aligned and coordinated with the delivery of other services, including exit planning and referral to universal services where relevant?
  6. Are the quality and impact of the work to achieve change with the individual reviewed and adapted where necessary?
  7. Is enforcement action taken when appropriate?

2.3.2 Are personalised, coordinated and engaging services delivered to keep people safe?

  1. Are the right services delivered to keep other people safe, contributing to effective risk management?
  2. Is attention given to the protection of actual and potential victims in the delivery of services?
  3. Is the involvement of other agencies in managing and minimising the risk of harm well-coordinated?
  4. Are home visits undertaken where they would support the effective management of risk of harm?
  5. Are the right services delivered to promote the individual’s safety?
  6. Are services delivered collaboratively with other agencies to promote the individual’s safety?
  7. Are the quality and impact of work to safeguard the person on probation reviewed and adapted where necessary?