News

Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Areas merge

13th Apr, 2010
This site will no longer be updated as Staffordshire has now merged with West Midlands Probation to form Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust.  To view the new website please visit www.swmprobation.gov.uk. Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation to merge .....

28th Jan, 2010
In 2007, the Government announced that all Probation Boards in England and Wales would have the opportunity to become Probation Trusts by April 2010 subject to successful applications. Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Boards made a joint su... Click for more...

New website and resources to support professionals working with at-risk groups ...

19th Nov, 2009
A new website and handbook, Link Up Link In, supporting joint-working among frontline professionals, was launched in September 2009. The cross-Government campaign, managed and delivered by the Social Exclusion Task Force, targets those working w... Click for more...

Day in the Life of a Probation Officer ...

10th Nov, 2009
On 3 November 2009, BBC One's The One Show aired a short story on the day in the life of a probation officer. This was filmed with the co-operation of Lancashire Probation Area and shows some of the important work that probation staff do.  ... Click for more...

Winners of the Staffordshire Justice Awards 2009 ...

5th Nov, 2009
A police officer with 43 years service and a team who have brought about a new era of co-operation and collaboration in the reduction of the impact and devastation of domestic abuse, are just two of the named winners of the Staffordshire Justi... Click for more...

Latest MAPPA report published .....

26th Oct, 2009
STAFFORDSHIRE MAPPA : BEACON OF BEST PRACTICE IN PUBLIC PROTECTION UK multi-agency teams that manage serious offenders in the community under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), including Staffordshire, are being seen as beacons of ... Click for more...

DVD pieces things together for victims and witnesses ...

20th Oct, 2009
Staffordshire Police supported by the Local Criminal Justice Board have launched a DVD to help victims and witnesses of crime. Fronted by Sky Newsreader and BBC2's 'Eggheads' presenter, Dermot Murnaghan, JIGSAW (Justice Information Guide Support... Click for more...

SPANews Issue 3 published ....

30th Sep, 2009
Issue 3 of SPANews has now been published - click here to download a copy.  For hard copies, please contact : Jacqui Thompson PR/Information Support Officer Staffordshire Probation Area University Court Staffordshire Technology Park Beaconside S... Click for more...

Department of Health publish report into people with mental health difficulties in the criminal just

30th Sep, 2009
Lord Bradley's review of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, has been published in the Department of Health's website and in paper form.  The Government has welcomed the report and its re... Click for more...

Jack Straw announces plans for National Victims Service .....

30th Sep, 2009
Families of murder and manslaughter victims are to benefit from a boost in practical and emotional support, after Jack Straw announced proposals for a new National Victims Service, beginning with a service for those affected by murder and manslaugh... Click for more...

Reports published into the management of Dano Sonnex within the Criminal Justice System ...

30th Sep, 2009
The Ministry of Justice has published reports on the management of Dano Sonnex within the criminal justice system, following his conviction for the murders of French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez. Click here to visit the MoJ website ... Click for more...

The Dark Stuff

16th Sep, 2009
Lifeline has produced a new short overdose awareness animation that manages the rare feat of being credible and funny while still getting its message across. Mr Mange goes over ... People often think that heroin overdoses are caused by variat... Click for more...

Communities invited to share their views on criminal justice ...

23rd Jul, 2009
  A new online poll launched this week is making it even easier for people in Staffordshire to tell the Government how they want to get involved in criminal justice services. Back in April, the Government launched a consultation looking ... Click for more...

Communities set to benefit from cashback from criminals

22nd Jul, 2009
    Communities in Staffordshire could benefit from 'cashback' from criminals as up to £95,000 in seized assets are to be spent on worthwhile projects nominated by members of the public. The Community Cashback fund has been made ava... Click for more...

New Probation Association website has gone live ...

6th Jul, 2009
The Probation Association is the employers' organisation, working with and on behalf of probation boards and trusts. They are a collective national voice, shaping and influencing opinion, policy and practice and promoting the work of probation s... Click for more...

Inside Justice Week launched

6th Jul, 2009
Inside Justice Week is a local initiative to speak directly to you.  Whatever opinions you may have about the work of the Criminal Justice System, we invite you to interact with us to expand your knowledge and challenge your views. We e... Click for more...

Community Payback Working to make local communities better places to live

22nd Jun, 2009
In Staffordshire during 2008/09 in excess of 140,000 hours were carried out by offenders sentenced by the courts to Community Orders with Unpaid Work Requirements.  The work included cleaning church yards, litter removal, repairing park benches, r... Click for more...

Offenders receive achievement awards ...

26th May, 2009
Over 30 offenders attended an Awards Ceremony at Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre this week as part of Adult Learner's Week 2009 run by Stoke on Trent Library Service. The offenders, supervised by Staffordshire Probation Area, gained awards in Skills f... Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation Area wins top safety award

28th Apr, 2009
News item for Staffordshire Probation Area winning safety award from the British Safety Council Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation Area achieves Investors in People Award

23rd Apr, 2009
STAFFORDSHIRE PROBATION AREA ACHIEVES THE INVESTORS IN PEOPLE AWARD For the third time, Staffordshire Probation Area has achieved the Investors in People Award. Over 30,000 UK organisations are recognised as Investors in People, covering a wi... Click for more...

New Equality and Diversity section launched ...

1st Apr, 2009
"... more than just a statement of how we will meet our statutory requirements and legal duties ..." (Staffordshire Probation Area Equality Scheme, March 2009) Staffordshire Probation Area has today launched a new Equality Scheme and a new se... Click for more...

Community Scheme Launched in Cannock

6th Mar, 2009
Officers from Cannock Neighbourhood Policing Unit (NPU) have set up a scheme to help low-risk offenders put something back into their community. Under the banner of the night-time economy project, the police and the probation working are working... Click for more...

Projects to cut crime in line for cash .....

30th Jan, 2009
Projects to cut crime or improve community safety in Stafford could be in line for cash help to get off the ground if organisers apply for funding. The Partners Assuring a Safer Staffordshire (PASS) group has grants of up to £2,000 available for gr... Click for more...

Carry an illegal knife, face the consequences ...

19th Jan, 2009
Tougher, more intensive punishments for people who carry illegal knives were announced recently by Justice Minister David Hanson who outlined the Government's position for 2009. From 5 January courts will be able to hand out tougher and more intensi... Click for more...

New publication scheme launched!

1st Jan, 2009
In line with guidance from the Information Commissioner, Staffordshire Probation Area has today launched a new style publication scheme.  This scheme sets out publications that are available under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. ... Click for more...

Download a copy of SPANews Issue 2

22nd Dec, 2008
The new edition of SPANews has just been published, click here to download a copy and read about the Prolific Offender Unit in Stafford, and inside knowledge about our Chief Officer! For a hard copy please contact jacqui.thompson@staffordshire.proba... Click for more...

Offender Management Inspection Report published.

16th Dec, 2008
A report published today by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation shows that offender management in Staffordshire Probation Area is continuing to improve. Click here for the press release. Click here for the full report. Click for more...

Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO) Teams Update

10th Dec, 2008
Staffordshire Probation Area has probation officers in two multi-agency teams in the north and south, working alongside health and social care colleagues.  These teams provide a valuable resource to courts, field teams, Approved Premises and MAPPA... Click for more...

"Project Pothole" - Employer Engagement in Unpaid Work ...

26th Nov, 2008
NOMS made funding available for up to 8 Probation Areas or Trusts to develop a model of engaging employers in collaborating with the design and sponsorship of unpaid work projects that enable offenders to learn skills that are relevant to the local job... Click for more...

Judge for Yourself with a new interactive tool ...

11th Nov, 2008
Judge for Yourself is an innovative on-line programme in which members of the public can decide what they think is the most suitable sentence for virtual offenders. The interactive tool allows people to experience the work of probation first han... Click for more...

Staff Conference announced

30th Oct, 2008
This year's staff conference is to be held on 28 November 2008 at the Britannia Stadium, in Stoke. The focus will be on achieving public confidence through delivering effective and quality services in local communities.  A range of speakers wil... Click for more...

MAPPA report published today

20th Oct, 2008
Ongoing improvements in the management of violent and sexual offenders in Staffordshire are outlined today (20 October 2008) in a report from the area's police, probation and prison services. Click here to download press release Click here to Dow... Click for more...

JUSTICE AWARDS 2008

15th Oct, 2008
Two Staffordshire Probation Area staff members have been short listed for the final round of this year's national Justice Awards.  John Hollinshead (Unpaid Work) has been shortlisted for the Engaging Communities category and Cliff Thompson (Worksk... Click for more...

SSAFA Forces Help Needs YOU!

15th Oct, 2008
SSAFA Forces Help Needs YOU! There are over 10 million people eligible for help from SSAFA Forces Help, the leading national charity committed to helping those who serve in our Armed Forces, those who used to serve and the families of both.  Th... Click for more...

SPANews

20th Jun, 2008
SPANews - Issue 1 The first edition of Staffordshire Probation Area News is lauched this month (June 2008).  The publication, to be issued twice yearly, arises as an outcome of the staff consulation events in 2007 and is intended fo... Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation Area wins International Safety Award

18th Apr, 2008
It has just been announced that Staffordshire Probation Area has gained an International Safety Award 2007. The Award Scheme The International Safety Awards Scheme is devised to recognise and reward organisations that show a commitment to improvi... Click for more...

Best Value Consultation Launched

9th Apr, 2008
A consultation on a new drive to reduce re-offending was launched today to establish how Probation Trusts and Boards will provide the most cost-effective route to help rehabilitation and punish offenders. Six new Probation Trusts were establish... Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation Employee Receives Prestigious Award From HRH The Princess Royal

28th Feb, 2008
HRH The Princess Royal presented Cliff Thompson, Work Skills Programme Manager of Staffordshire Probation Area, with the Butler Trust Keith Bromley Award for Education and Skills Training at Buckingham Palace on Monday 3 March 2008.  The awar... Click for more...

Staffordshire brings more offences to justice.

21st Feb, 2008
Staffordshire Criminal Justice Board welcomed the latest set of figures which show improved performance of the justice system across the county. Chris Sims, Chair of Staffordshire Criminal Justice Board, said, "The agencies that make up our Board wo... Click for more...

Staffordshire Probation Area wins Public Sector category excellence award.

11th Feb, 2008
Staffordshire Probation Area was a highly commended prize winner in the large public sector category and is the first probation area to achieve the Investors in Excellence (IIE) standard from a large and growing number of private and public sector ... Click for more...

New court support for witnesses in Staffordshire

21st Dec, 2007
An initiative to empower witnesses going to court and bring down the number of cases that staff because of witnesses refusing to testify has been launched locally in Staffordshire. Read the press release here. Click for more...

Operation Tick Tock Results

21st Dec, 2007
Fine dodgers have been targeted in an operation led by Her Majesty's Courts Service in Staffordshire which commenced yesterday.  A total of 26 individuals were arrested for fines and compensation totalling £34,000.  Those arrested appeared b... Click for more...

Congratulations to our Workskills Programme Project Manager

20th Dec, 2007
Cliff Thompson, the Workskills Programme Project Manager, has been selected to receive the Butler Trust Keith Bromly Award for Education and Skills Training for his outstanding contribution to the effective care of offenders.  Butler Trust awards ... Click for more...

Lord Carter's review of prison's published on 5 December 2007

11th Dec, 2007
"Securing the Future : proposals for the efficient and sustainable use of custody in England and Wales", Lord Carter's review of prisons, which gives options for improving the balance between the supply of prison places and demand for them and recommen... Click for more...

David Hanson launches Re-Offending Consultation

3rd Dec, 2007
David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Justice, recently announced the start of consultation on a new Strategic Plan to reduce re-offending. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) held a national event to launch a period of discussion with ... Click for more...

NOMS National Standards Come into Force

23rd Nov, 2007
On Sunday 30 September, the 2007 National Standards for the Management of Offenders came into force. The new Standards pull together the NOMS Offender Management Standards issued in 2006 and the 2005 Standards used by the National Probation Service.... Click for more...

Staffordshire Shows How Justice is Done

5th Nov, 2007
The public in Staffordshire will have the chance to get a unique glimpse into the Criminal Justice System as this year's Inside Justice Week gets underway across the county ... More info .... Click for more...

Winners of the Staffordshire Justice Awards 2007

5th Nov, 2007
A volunteer with 17 years service and a team who have operated an intensive programme of monitored evidence based activities designed to assist offenders break the cycle of offending, have been named as winners from the eight categories of the Stafford... Click for more...

MAPPA report published

22nd Oct, 2007
Reports into the management of offenders under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) ar being published today (22 October 2007).  MAPPA enables the responsible authorities, ie police, prisons and probation, to identify and manage off... Click for more...

Your views please! ...

9th Oct, 2007
Now that the website is up and running, we would welcome your feedback. Please email any comments using the "contact us" page or to jacqui.thompson@staffordshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk, or send to Editorial Group, Staffordshire Probation Area, Universit... Click for more...

Visit of Regional Offender Manager

3rd Oct, 2007
The Regional Offender Manager (ROM), Steve Goode, and his Commissioning team are visiting the Chief Officer, Board Chair and Directors this afternoon (3rd October) for a quarterly review of the Area performance against Service Level Agreement (SLA. Click for more...

Visit of Probation Boards Association to Head Office

1st Oct, 2007
Christine Laurie, Chief Executive of the Probation Boards Association (PBA) and Alan Wooderson, recently appointed PBA Chair Designate are welcomed to Probation Head Office for their visit on 2nd October. Members of the Probation Board and the Strateg... Click for more...

Temporary Area Manager Appointed

26th Sep, 2007
Paul Darby, Cannock SPO, appointed to the temporary appointment based at Melbourne House. Click for more...

Welcome to Staffordshire Probation Area's new website.

19th Sep, 2007
Welcome to the web site of the Staffordshire Probation Area, part of the National Probation Service for England and Wales which comes under the direction of the Ministry Of Justice. The site aims to directly inform you about the orga... Click for more...

Latest Vacancies:

16th Sep, 2007
Director of Interventions and Business Development Click for more...

Investors in Excellence (IIE) Award

12th Sep, 2007
Further to success in 2006, Staffordshire Probaton Area has prepared a 2007 submission for the Investors in Excellence (IIE) Award. Click for more...

Offender Management Bill receives royal assent ....

27th Jul, 2007
The Offender Management Act received royal assent on Thursday 26th July.  The aim of the Act is to improve the delivery of probation services so as to reduce reoffending and better protect the public.  It will do so by allowing for the establ... Click for more...

Centenary celebrations for the National Probation Service

11th Jun, 2007
The National Probation Service celebrated its centenary at Westminster Abbey on Monday 11 June, 2007. Click for more...