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“Many strengths” found at Crowley House Approved Premises rated ‘Good’ following inspection

Published:

Crowley House Approved Premises (AP) in Birmingham has received an overall rating of ‘Good’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

Crowley House is a women’s-only PIPE AP [notes to editor], meaning staff have additional training to understand the psychological and social needs of the residents.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “We found many strengths at Crowley House. Staff engaged well with residents and delivered high-quality rehabilitation work, and a range of well-developed interventions supported residents towards more independent living.”

Inspectors found strong partnerships between His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and NHS colleagues, with a clear alignment of values that supported consistent decision-making and a unified approach to service delivery. This collaborative approach contributed to a supportive and psychologically safe environment for both residents and staff.

Staffing levels aligned with the agreed model, and the AP had no vacancies at the time of inspection. However, as we have found repeatedly in our AP inspections, staffing numbers within Crowley House did not sufficiently reflect the high level of complexity and need within the resident group. In addition, the deployment of male staff within the premises was not aligned with policy or with recognised best practice for delivering trauma-informed services for women.

Mr Jones continued, “Overall, staff, management, and partnership agencies were delivering a service that was making a positive difference. By addressing some of the areas identified in this report, this service is well placed to build on its strengths and further improve outcomes for the women it supports.”

The Inspectorate’s report makes eight recommendations. Five are for the Crowley House leadership team, including to develop and publish a clear vision for the AP that sets out its delivery model, aims and objectives. Three are for HMPPS, including to take urgent action to ensure staffing levels are sufficient for the AP to operate safely, informed by the findings of the national AP activity and resourcing review.

ENDS 

Notes to editor 

  1. 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.
  2. PIPEs are specifically designed environments where staff have additional training to better understand the psychological and social needs of the people they support. PIPEs focus on both the physical setting and the quality of the relationships within it, recognising how important everyday interactions are. They use daily routines as learning opportunities, helping residents to work through complex personal and social difficulties.
  3. At the time of our inspection in April 2026, Crowley House had 15 residents in placement.
  4. The Inspectorate uses a four-point scale: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’, rating specific aspects of each service (for APs – leadership, staffing, safety, public protection, and rehabilitation) and giving an overall rating.
  5. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 01 July 2026 at 00.01.
  6. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  7. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications: media@hmiprobation.gov.uk