Delivering Efficiency and Effectiveness in Probation Through Best Value  - Publication of the Consultation Response Document

On 26 November David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Justice, announced the publication of the response document to the public consultation on a Best Value system within Probation.

During the passage of the Offender Management Bill through Parliament last year, the Government signalled a move away from a regime in which probation boards had to outsource a certain percentage of their work, to a model based on the principles of best value.  Under this model, the provider that demonstrated the best value would deliver the service, whichever sector it was from. 

The Ministry of Justice developed a proposed framework for how Best Value would work which was then used for the public consultation. The responses have helped inform the development of how the Best Value system would work.

Probation boards and trusts would review their services, to see how effectively and efficiently they are delivering, and making changes to their service delivery.  Those may involve improvements to in-house service delivery, or they may involve competing the service - the provider which delivers the best value will be the one which delivers the service.  In either case, it would enable boards and trusts to demonstrate and drive efficient and effective delivery.

The consultation response document can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at www.justice.gov.uk/publications/cp0608.htm.