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“Consistent and concerning trend” shows no improvement in quality of SFO reviews

Published:

HM Inspectorate of Probation has published its fourth annual report of Serious Further Offence (SFO) reviews [see notes to editor]. This year’s findings show no improvement from last year and highlight an increasing backlog of overdue reviews.

For the first time, this year’s report also engaged directly with the families of victims affected by SFOs through survey responses and in-person meetings [see notes to editor].

The Inspectorate quality assured 90 SFO reviews this year, with 53 per cent being rated as ‘Requires improvement’. In contrast, just 46 per cent were rated as ‘Good’, and one per cent as ‘Outstanding’.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “Serious further offences, while rare, need to be monitored carefully given the inadequate public protection work we so frequently find when out on inspection. Whilst the probation service as whole remains under unprecedented strain reviews into SFOs remain vital in providing scrutiny and learning opportunities in the hope of preventing future ones, and the lack of quality improvement, rising backlog, and increasing delays must be addressed as a matter of urgency.”

Since the Inspectorate’s last annual report, the backlog of SFO cases had continued to grow and inspectors reported increasing concern regarding the time being taken to complete SFO reviews, with 77 per cent of reviews [see notes to editor] receiving an extension varying from weeks to a year. These delays are hindering the Probation Service’s responsivity to learning and practice needs, and have contributed to the growing backlog of overdue reviews. Delays in SFO reviews also mean that the probation practitioners involved face increased periods of stress and anxiety.

This report, following last year’s focus on Probation Service staff, draws on the direct experience of families affected by SFO reviews. It shows consistent themes of poor communication, and a lack of transparency, with families consistently reporting that engagement with the Probation Service was characterised by delays, showed limited compassion, and was delivered as a formality that neither supported the process nor acknowledged the gravity of their loss. 

Last year’s annual report made 11 recommendations to HMPPS, which focused on the quality of SFO reviews, seven of which were repeated from the previous year. This year seven recommendations have been made to HMPPS, three of which are specifically aimed at improving the experiences of victims and their families. Recommendations have also been made to improve the quality and timeliness of SFO reviews.

Mr Jones added: “I urge HMPPS to engage fully with all these recommendations, in the hope that the necessary improvements, in particular those supporting a more transparent and compassionate approach to engagement with the families and victims of SFOs, may be put in place as soon as possible.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

  1. Serious Further Offences (SFOs) are specific violent and sexual offences like murder, manslaughter and rape committed by people who are, or were recently, under probation supervision. Between 2024 and 2025, HMPPS received 872 SFO notifications – an increase of 13 per cent on the previous year.
  2. Following our thematic inspection of Serious Further Offence reviews published in May 2020, the Secretary of State for Justice asked us to undertake a quality assurance role of serious further offence reviews completed by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Inspectorate quality assures approximately 20 per cent of the SFO reviews submitted across all probation regions.
  3. Further information can be found on our website, including a link to how serious further offence reviews are undertaken and a link to a list of previous independent serious further offence reviews.
  4. This is the Inspectorate’s fourth SFO annual report and contains quality assurance findings between April 2024 and April 2025.
  5. This year the Inspectorate gathered feedback from the families of victims who engaged with us through a survey distributed via support charities, as well as from families who reached out to us directly. Their insights are fully detailed in the report, with sample quotes including:
  • “No communication from probation. Limited access to information. Local probation units were particularly unhelpful and obstructive.”
  • “The tone of the SFO was disrespectful in its trivialisation of the offences… then the lack of promised follow-up completely devalued my daughter’s life and our grief. There were no apologies for the mistakes made.”
  • “The SFO report itself is cold, clinical and confusing. The victim is given absolutely no recognition or acknowledgement. Her death is a short sentence at the end that is simply referred to as ‘The SFO’. That is the most disrespectful thing of the whole experience.”
  • “We as a family have felt unheard and misunderstood through the whole process – we are not trying to make the Probation Service feel defensive, just to acknowledge the huge, devastating consequences of their failures and genuine commitment to certain improvements so that no other family has to experience what we have been through because of the Probation Service’s failings.”
  1. This report is available on our website on 09 December 00.01.
  2. In our 2023/2024 SFO Annual Report, this figure was 76 per cent.
  3. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  4. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications, Louise Cordell media@hmiprobation.gov.uk.