Recurring concern

Failure to maintain complete and timely probation records

First to latest report 12 Jun 2019 — 29 Aug 2019

Reports that mention this concern
2
Times this concern has been raised
2
Stated actions linked to this concern
4

What this concern includes

Includes failures to create, maintain or update complete and timely records of probation supervision, contacts, assessments, decisions and actions when those records are needed for safe offender management and continuity between probation staff.

What is not included
  • Excludes generic probation staffing, accommodation, workload or supervision deficiencies where probation-record reliability is not the unsafe condition.
  • Excludes failures to communicate or transfer information when the underlying probation records are complete and the problem is only later information sharing.
  • Excludes clinical, prison, care-home and other non-probation records unless the assertion explicitly concerns the same probation-record process.
  • Excludes failures in the substantive quality of a supervision decision or intervention where the relevant probation records were complete and timely.

Reports and published responses 2 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. Manchester North

    AI-generated summary

    Michael Hoolickin · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Michael Hoolickin was attacked and stabbed in an unprovoked assault on 14 October 2016 and died at Manchester Royal Infirmary on 17 October 2016. The report identifies organisational and management failures in supervising the perpetrator, including failures concerning drug testing, information sharing and provision of relevant information, which resulted in a missed opportunity to initiate recall to prison. The Inquest found that this probably contributed to Michael Hoolickin’s death, although it was not causative of the attack.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Poor or absent records by SPOs and ACOs

    Wider context from the report

    “The Court had serious concerns as to the poor records or complete lack of records particularly by SPOs and the ACOs. ”

    Source location

    Michael Hoolickin · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 5 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Publish updated guidance on professional-judgment decision-making and recording in NDelius through the EQUIP database.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “HMPPS is engaged on a programme of work to modernise tools available to probation practitioners in their management of offenders. Those responsible for this work closely with operational staff in NPS to ensure that changes we make reflect their priorities and support front line staff in the way that they work. The team will look at the issues raised in this case as soon as possible, and establish what improvements can be made quickly. The team will consult front line staff to ensure any solutions developed reflect practitioners’ needs. Updated Guidance on professional judgment decision making and recording on NDelius has already been added to the EQUIP database.”

    Source location

    2019-0292-Response-from-HM-Prison-and-Probation-Service-Redacted.pdf
    Page 2 · response
    Published 25 October 2019

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Publish strengthened evidence-based guidance on licence compliance, engagement, decision-making and accountability for recording professional judgment.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Lack of clarity and specific instructions to the NPS on the system of SPO and ACO warnings issued to offenders and serious concerns as to the poor records or complete lack of records particularly by SPOs and the ACOs.”

    Source location

    2019-0292-Response-from-HM-Prison-and-Probation-Service-Redacted.pdf
    Page 2 · response
    Published 25 October 2019

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Roll out the National Supervisory and Line Management Framework, including required supervision, practice observation, case review and recording oversight.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “At no stage after March 2016 was the offender’s OASys risk assessment updated. Moreover, the lack of formal supervision meant this was not addressed.”

    Source location

    2019-0292-Response-from-HM-Prison-and-Probation-Service-Redacted.pdf
    Page 2 · response
    Published 25 October 2019

    Open published response

  2. Sunderland

    AI-generated summary

    Miss Nguyen Ngoc Quyen · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Miss Nguyen Ngoc Quyen died on 15 August 2017 at Success Road, Shiney Row, Houghton Le Spring; her death was consistent with the effects of fire. The report identified concerns about failures to act sufficiently, promptly and in a coordinated manner on known breaches of life licence conditions, including failures in information sharing between the Police and Probation Service, alongside wider organisational and supervision failings.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of contemporaneous probation computer records

    Wider context from the report

    “The Inquest highlighted many other issues: - • The Probation Service in Sunderland had staffing and accommodation problems. Operations and efficiency appeared to be in stark contrast between North West and North East. • The time spent with ████████ was short and in a working environment not conducive to meaningful engagement. • Unwin undermined the supervisory process by attending appointments with his child and not progressing in a more timely way the request to create a portfolio of his employment, culminating in an unsigned reference dated 25th July 2017. • There were no contemporaneous computer records from 13th December 2016 until 18th August 2017, the day before ████████ appeared in Court for murder. ”

    Source location

    Miss Nguyen Ngoc Quyen · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Roll out the national Supervision and Line Management Framework across National Probation Service divisions, including required supervision meetings, practice observations and recording of challenged decisions.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “To better support front line probation staff in the effectiveness of their supervision of offenders a new national Supervision and Line Management Framework has been developed and is being rolled out across the NPS Divisions during 2019. This work forms part of the National Probation Service 2020 Change Programme and has been developed using ideas and evidence from the Skills for Effective Engagement Development and Supervision Programme (SEEDS). This Framework is designed to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of management oversight through practice supervision sessions and observation of practice. Through observation of practice senior probation officers will be able to see whether staff are being sufficiently challenging and adopting a properly investigative approach in their face to face supervision of the offender.”

    Source location

    2019-0194-Response-by-HM-Prison-and-Probation-Service
    Page 2 · response
    Published 15 August 2019

    Open published response

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

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Data last updated 7 September 2026