RT Article
T1 A fork in the road: Probation unification in England and Wales two years on
JF Probation journal
VO 72
IS 3
SP 256
OP 273
A1 Millings, Matthew
A1 Burke, Lol
A1 Annison, Harry 1985-
A1 Carr, Nicola
A1 Robinson, Gwen
A1 Surridge, Eleanor
A2 Burke, Lol
A2 Annison, Harry 1985-
A2 Carr, Nicola
A2 Robinson, Gwen
A2 Surridge, Eleanor
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1936157942
AB This article presents findings from a major longitudinal research project of probation in England and Wales, arguing that the process of its ‘unification’ (re-nationalisation) continues to be a painful process whose end state remains elusive. Having previously articulated how practitioners experienced unification as ‘painful but necessary’, here, using the imagery of a journey, we argue that the speed and direction of travel have encountered a more perilous trajectory than expected as high workloads and staffing challenges have persisted. Second, we argue that enduring challenges in bedding in new working practices – and building the confidence of new and existing colleagues to deliver them – have acted as ‘hazards’ that have needed careful navigation. Third, we argue that staff experience a sense of individual and collective operational vulnerability, in the face of the relentless demands placed upon them. In conclusion, we identify a series of forks in the road that prompt profound questions about the delivery of probation services now and in the future.
K1 public protection
K1 recruitment and retention
K1 staff experiences
K1 Organisational change
K1 Probation unification
DO 10.1177/02645505241303755