Sonia Flynn shares an update on the rollout of the internal professional register for probation practitioners.    

Over the years there has been a call to celebrate our qualifications, skills and experience which define the unique role probation practitioners hold in the criminal justice system. We have consulted widely on the best way to recognise the competence and commitment of all probation qualified staff to high standards of professionalism and there has been significant work carried out to get the systems ready.

We want registered probation professionals to carry the same prestige as other important professions in the public service. Our professional register also provides assurance to HMPPS, government and our stakeholders/partners that those individuals authorised to assess and manage the risk of people on probation have the right qualifications, knowledge and skills to do so. 

We are approaching this in phases and have already rolled out the first phase to ​senior probation officers and probation officers in courts and sentence management, and approved premises managers and area managers. This initial phase is just the beginning for the professional register which will be expanded further to recognise a broader range of roles carried out by qualified probation professionals. We have launched professional standards, specific to probation practitioners, and continue to build awareness of them, particularly in relation to continuous professional development and its importance in delivering excellence in our service. 

Following the successful launch of phase one of the professional register, I am pleased that we will share our policy development journey through two interactive sessions at the Insights23 Festival on Tuesday 26 September (16:00-17:00), and Wednesday 4 October (10:00-11:00). You can book your tickets here. 

For further information you can visit our intranet page or email us.