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“Progress made” at Kew Approved Premises, rated ‘Requires improvement’ following inspection

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Kew Approved Premises (AP) in Richmond, London has received an overall rating of ‘Requires improvement’ following an inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said: “At Kew AP we found a service that had made progress following a prolonged period of instability, supported by improved leadership and governance and effective work with partner agencies to manage risk and protect the public.”

Since the introduction of new management in November 2025, inspectors found evidence of stronger oversight of practice, improved staff support and a clearer focus on performance and quality assurance.

Public protection arrangements were also generally effective, with good information sharing and positive multi-agency working, particularly in the management of higher-risk residents.

However, significant staffing shortages meant the AP relied heavily on redeployed and temporary staff, and workforce instability had limited the delivery of rehabilitative activities, key work, pre-arrival planning and other important aspects of practice.

Inspectors also found inconsistencies in safeguarding practice, room-search arrangements and the management of some safety-related processes.

Mr Jones continued, “Given the significant staffing shortages and workforce instability leaders and staff should be commended for their efforts to keep the premises operational and maintain service delivery during a particularly challenging period. Further work is now needed to ensure residents receive consistent opportunities to address their needs, reduce their risk of reoffending and prepare for successful resettlement.”

The Inspectorate’s report makes nine recommendations. Six of these are for Kew AP leadership team, including to improve the quality and consistency of keywork so that it supports residents’ rehabilitation, risk reduction and resettlement needs. Four recommendations are for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, including to address staffing shortages and workforce instability at Kew AP.

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. At the time of our inspection in August 2026, Kew Approved Premises had 21 residents in placements, and this had increased to 24 by the end of our inspection.
  3. 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.
  4. The report is available on the HM Inspectorate of Probation website on 14 October 2026 at 00.01.
  5. HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth justice and probation services across England and Wales.
  6. For media enquiries, please contact Head of Communications: media@hmiprobation.gov.uk