A necessary but painful journey: Experiences of unification in a probation service region

Abstract

In this article, we present some initial findings from the first year of a longitudinal study of the experiences of unification by staff in one Probation Service region. Their reaction to unification is explored as well as their hopes and fears regarding the newly unified service. Despite working in what was often presented as an unsettled and fractured environment marked by on-going staff shortages – whilst at the same time having to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – amongst most participants there remained a high level of loyalty to the probation profession (or the idea of probation). However, while many expressed optimism regarding the longer-term prospects for the unified organisation, this was also overlaid with concerns about how unification would play out in the short to medium term. Their enduring sense of commitment and loyalty to their role was also being tested by what some saw as overbearing pressure to manage risk, coupled with the fear of being exposed if people whom they supervised committed a Serious Further Offence.

Should I stay or should I go? What to do about the probation staffing crisis

“…Some of the initial findings of research exploring staff experiences of working in the Probation Service post-unification point to some of the factors that may be relevant (Millings et al, 2023). Staff working on the frontline have reported experiences of exhaustion due to high workloads which are of course exacerbated by staffing shortages.…”

“…As readers of this journal will be acutely aware, the Probation Service in England and Wales has been through years of ceaseless reforms that have left an impact on staff motivation and morale (Walker et al, 2019). In Millings et al's (2023) research, staff described a feeling of relentless pressure associated with the demands of the job. Those with longer careers in probation spoke about how much the job had changed over time, with an even greater amount of time spent on paperwork and in front of a computer screen.…”