Effective practice blog

One of the strengths identified during our recent inspection of Tameside Youth Justice Service was how speech and language therapy (SALT) was embedded across the service. Rather than operating as a specialist function in isolation, communication needs were understood and responded to by staff throughout the organisation, with specialist support available when needed. This helped children to participate in assessments, contribute to planning, and engage more effectively with interventions.

As part of the development of our next Probation Inspection methodology (PI2026), we undertook pilot inspections in Devon and Torbay, Ealing and Hillingdon, and Newcastle. While the primary purpose was to test and refine our new inspection methodology, the pilots also provided an opportunity to identify examples of effective practice in casework across a range of settings. We are grateful to staff in the pilot areas for their openness and constructive engagement throughout this work. Their contribution has helped shape the development of PI2026 and provided valuable learning.  

Effective practice is where we see our standards delivered well in practice. The purpose of Effective Practice is to identify, develop and share examples of effective practice across probation and youth justice services, making it easier for practitioners, managers and leaders to learn from what works and improve outcomes for people under supervision.