Probation Service (PS) –Travel For Persons On Probation This

probation service (ps) –travel for persons on probation this instruction applies to:- reference:- hmpps hq probation servic

Probation Service (PS) –Travel for Persons on Probation
This instruction applies to:-
Reference:-
HMPPS HQ
Probation Service
AI 02/2016
PI 02/2016
Issue Date
Effective Date
Expiry Date
Revised 26 June 2021
26 June 2021
N/A
Issued on the authority of
HMPPS Operational Policy Sub Board
For action by
All staff responsible for the development and publication of policy
and instructions
HMPPS HQ
Public Sector Prisons
Contracted Prisons
Probation Service (PS)
Other Providers of Probation and Community Services (including CRS)
Governors
Heads of Groups
HMPPS Rehabilitation Contract Services Team
PS Regional Probation Directors
PS Probation Delivery Unit Heads
PS Managers of Approved Premises and Courts
PS managers and staff
Instruction type
Service specification support/delivery of non-specified
service/Finance function
For information
Provide a summary of the policy aim and the reason for its development
/ revision
This Travel PI for Persons on Probation gives a framework for
consistency across the Probation Service in relation to the
payment/reimbursement of Travel costs to persons on Probation. This
policy is in keeping with the wider HMPPS/PS strategies of reducing
re-offending, promoting equality and diversity and delivering
effective, quality, evidence informed services.
The PI seeks to ensure regularity, propriety, value for money, the
appropriate stewardship of public funds and compliance with HMPPS
financial and administrative instructions and is linked to the NPS
Policy on the management of petty cash.
26 June 2021 This policy has been revised to reflect the termination
of CRC contracts from June 2021 and provide up-dated references to
structures and roles.
Contact
For queries about this PI please contact:
[email protected]
Associated
documents
NPS Petty Cash Policy guidance
NPS Guidance on Financial Systems - Travel Warrants & advance purchase
of travel tickets and taxi fares.
NPS Guidance on Transporting Offenders in Cars
PSI 72/2011 Discharge
PI 17/2015 Travel and Subsistence
Target Operating Model (Feb 2021)
Replaces the following documents which are hereby cancelled: Previous
Legacy Trust Offender Travel policies in relation to the NPS. Replaces
all previous legacy CRC Offender Travel policies.
Audit/monitoring: Mandatory elements of instructions must be subject
to management checks and may be subject to self or peer audit by
operational line management/ HQ managers, as judged to be appropriate
by the managers with responsibility for delivery. In addition, HMPPS
will have a corporate audit programme that will audit against
mandatory requirements to an extent and at a frequency determined from
time to time through the appropriate governance.
Introduces amendments to the following documents: and updates PI
02/2016 NPS Offender Travel Policy.
Notes: All Mandatory Actions throughout this instruction are in
italics and must be strictly adhered to.
CONTENTS
Hold down “Ctrl” and click on section titles below to follow link.
Section
Subject
For reference by:
1.
Executive Summary
Background
Desired Outcomes
Application
Mandatory Actions
Resource Impact
All
2
Operational Instructions
Assessment Process
Eligibility Criteria
General Principles
Courts and Approved Premises
Modes of Transport
Staff transporting offenders in cars
Finance and Administrative Systems
PS Managers and Staff
3
Policy and Strategic Context
All
1. Executive summary
Background
1.1 As the result of Transforming Rehabilitation the former Probation
Trusts were dissolved and replaced by the public sector National
Probation Service (NPS) and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies
(CRCs) which transferred into private ownership from 1 February 2015.
The previous NPS Offender Travel Probation Instruction (PI) aimed to
bring national consistency and accountability to the reimbursement of
offender travel costs by the NPS. From 26th June 2021 all 21 Community
Rehabilitation Companies will unify with the NPS to create a new
unified Probation Service. This policy has been updated to include the
former CRCs, who will be briefed for Day 1 on the PI but allowed
flexibility to adopt the PI up until 1st October to allow for adequate
preparation with persons on Probation should this create a change in
policy. It also reflects the Target Operating Model (TOM) guidance.
This updated Probation Instruction (PI) aims to bring national
consistency and accountability to the reimbursement of travel costs to
persons on Probation within the unified Probation Service.
Desired outcomes
1.2 This Offender Travel PI gives a framework for consistency across
the PS with flexibility for Regions to respond to the local context
and specific need of the person on Probation. It seeks to ensure
regularity, propriety, value for money, the appropriate stewardship of
public funds and compliance with HMPPS financial and administrative
instructions and is linked to the NPS Policy on the management of
petty cash.
Application
1.3 This PI applies to all PS Regions within England and Wales.
Regional Probation Directors will be responsible for the dissemination
of this PI to Heads of PDU, Heads of Programmes, Heads of Unpaid Work,
managers and staff within the Regions. This PI is also of relevance to
Approved Premises and Court teams. All managers and staff need to
comply with this PI.
Mandatory actions
1.4 Regional Probation Directors must ensure that all PS managers and
staff are aware of this PI and assure themselves that processes are in
place to ensure that all decisions about the reimbursement of travel
to persons on Probation are made in accordance with the PI, evidenced
appropriately and that HMPPS/PS financial processes are followed.
1.5 All Managers and staff must be familiar with this PI and ensure
that all decisions regarding eligibility for travel for persons on
Probation are made in accordance with the PI and evidenced in the case
record on NDelius.
1.6 All Managers and staff must ensure that travel costs for persons
on Probation are reimbursed/paid in accordance with the Operational
Instructions of this PI and in compliance with HMPPS/PS financial and
administrative systems.
1.7 All staff responsible for the management of people on Probation
must ensure that on commencement of an order or licence an assessment
of need is conducted with specific reference to travel. A decision
must be made regarding eligibility in accordance with the eligibility
criteria and principles outlined in the Operational
Instructions/Guidance sections of this PI and the decision recorded in
NDelius. The decision must be reviewed where there is a change in
circumstances and clearly recorded in NDelius.
1.8 Any exercise of professional discretion to award travel costs to
persons on Probation outside of the eligibility criteria must be
endorsed by the line manager and evidenced in NDelius.
Resource Impact
1.9 The PI does not introduce a new service or delivery requirement,
it is to standardise policy across the PS. The policy will give
greater consistency in relation to financial accountability and
management, as well as fairness of eligibility criteria. There is not
expected to be an ongoing resource impact for administering these
arrangements beyond additional time for probation practitioners,
administrators and senior managers to understand and ensure compliance
with these arrangements by 1st October 2021.
1.10 The variation in former CRC policies, combined with a period of
transition to the current arrangements, means that it has not been
possible to quantify the overall financial impact of this policy. We
recognise that when this PI is implemented initially there may be
people on Probation in some areas who receive lower or higher levels
of reimbursement than under their previous CRC policy. This is
unavoidable in the short term as we move to a consistent policy,
however a national unified organisation requires a consistent national
policy.
1.11 This PI makes explicit the need to comply with existing PS
finance mechanisms. It links to the NPS Petty Cash Policy, the
implementation of which will have resource implications for the former
CRC sites, resulting from the need to devote staff time to deliver the
administrative and financial systems. This policy seeks to reduce both
expenditure and staff resource requirements by introducing standard
purchasing arrangements and promoting the use of advance tickets and
accounts rather than cash reimbursements where possible. There is a
small additional resource implication for Unpaid work teams that are
not located near to a PS office who will need to implement systems for
access to travel warrants/petty cash.
(Approved for Publication)
Jim Barton
Director, CRC Contract Management
2. Operational instructions
Assessment Process
2.1 As part of every induction the PS Probation Practitioner must
conduct an assessment of the person on Probation and their travel
needs in relation to their statutory order/licence. This assessment
should focus on the management of risk, the needs of the supervised
individual including any health, mental health, disability or
vulnerability need, and also on their responsivity. This will include
examining the specific demands of the order/licence, their financial
situation and the impact of funding travel on the person on Probation
and their immediate family. Details of the assessment and the
decisions made must be recorded in nDelius, must be reviewed regularly
and as a minimum reviewed whenever there is a change in circumstances.
2.2 Where in exceptional circumstances professional judgement is
exercised to grant costs to persons on Probation outside of the
standard eligibility criteria the decision must be endorsed by the
line manager, clearly recorded in nDelius and regularly reviewed
Eligibility Criteria
2.3 Only those persons on Probation subject to a statutory order or
licence will be eligible for travel costs.
2.4 Travel costs will only be paid where the person on probation is in
receipt of means tested state benefits, or is in full time education,
or is in the process of applying for a means tested state benefit
where they meet the benefit eligibility criteria (e.g. people released
from prison).
2.5 In exceptional circumstances where the person on Probation has no
income (e.g. sudden homelessness, crisis, under DWP sanction or is
awaiting the outcome of a benefit claim) the Probation Practitioner
may make the decision to award travel costs, however this decision
must be defensible, recorded in nDelius and endorsed by the line
manager. Foreign National Offenders (FNO) may need to be considered
under exceptional circumstances where they have no income/recourse to
public funds.
2.6 Travel costs will not generally be funded for persons in
employment, subject to assessment of specific individual circumstances
and potential impact on low income families (outlined above).
General Principles
2.7 It is expected that all persons on Probation will be responsible
for funding travel to one appointment per week to the office/Probation
premises (unless conditions at 2.14 are met). Full reimbursement will
be made for travel costs for the second and subsequent attendances in
any week.
2.8 All persons on Probation (subject to risk and needs assessment)
are expected to travel the first 3 miles of the journey to the
office/Probation premises at their own expense. This is based on the
statutory walking distance utilised by the Department of Education.
Probation Practitioners can exercise discretion regarding the 3 mile
rule according to the needs/risk assessment process outlined above.
2.9 Where the journey to the office/premises involves a long distance
(e.g. rural areas) reimbursement will be made for the journey over 3
miles or any expenditure over £1.50 (each way) whichever is the least.
Where PS managed persons on Probation attend a scheduled appointment
with a Commissioned Rehabilitative Services provider, the
reimbursement of travel costs remains the responsibility of the PS and
decisions about eligibility should be made by the PS Probation
Practitioner as outlined above.
2.10 The Target Operating Model (TOM) for the Unified model states
that “it is an aspiration that travel time for supervised individuals
to attend a contact meeting should not exceed 60 minutes each way.
Research has shown that individuals are more likely to attend and
comply when their journey time is reasonable and not costly...It is
recognised that 60 minutes will be challenging in some rural areas and
that achievement of this ambition is unlikely for all.” TOM, Feb 2021.
For Unpaid Work placements, the aspiration is to limit travel to a
maximum of 90 minutes each way. To further remove barriers and improve
compliance the TOM also states, “Where women and other carers identify
travel time impacts on caring responsibilities, appropriate placements
and travel arrangements will be sought to minimise this impact.” (TOM,
Feb 2021). Once the Probation Service has evolved to the full TOM this
will further support this policy.
Courts and Approved Premises
2.11 Those attending for Pre-sentence Reports (PSRs) or attending
court are not eligible for travel costs except when attending Drug
Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) Review Court.
2.12 In those limited circumstances where a person attending court
results in placement in an Approved Premises (AP) they are eligible
for travel costs from the court to the AP subject to the eligibility
criteria outlined above. Wherever possible the person should purchase
and pay for their travel from court to the AP themselves by the
cheapest mode of travel available and will be reimbursed by the AP on
arrival upon production of the ticket/receipt. Where they do not have
means to pay themselves they should be signposted to the local
Probation Office and arrangements made for them to collect a travel
warrant/petty cash. PS court teams not located near to a PS office
will need to implement systems to enable access to travel
warrants/prepayment vouchers/petty cash in situ for these limited
cases.
2.13 In accordance with section 2.29 of PSI 72/2011 Discharge, every
prisoner being discharged, regardless of whether or not they receive a
discharge grant, will be issued with a travel warrant, or payment of
fares where a warrant is inappropriate, to their destination within
the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or the Republic
of Ireland. Therefore individuals remanded in custody prior to
attending court who are subsequently required to reside in AP as part
of their sentence will receive a travel warrant from the prison upon
discharge (or from the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service if released
directly from court) and will need to utilise this to travel to the
AP.
2.14 Residents in AP are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses
to and from their Probation appointments subject to the principles
regarding eligibility and the distance to be travelled outlined above.
The probation practitioner is responsible for deciding on eligibility
and communicating this to the AP. The AP will be responsible for the
provision of travel warrants/pre-payment vouchers and the
administration of petty cash in relation to offender travel and will
ensure that funding is encoded to the correct division/delivery unit.
Modes of Transport
2.15 Journeys should be made by the cheapest possible method of public
transport with maximum use made of prepayment vouchers, scratch-cards,
tokens, etc.
Reimbursement of actual cash travel fares should be kept to an
absolute minimum and should be accompanied by a valid travel ticket.
2.16 Rail warrants (accessed via PS systems) should be used for train
travel wherever possible.
2.17 There will be limited provision to reimburse people on Probation
for the use of their own or family members’ transport (cars or
motorbikes) only in exceptional circumstances (clearly recorded on
nDelius) where there is no other viable form of public transport
(either no public transport in that location or lack of availability
at the time of day when attendance is required). The person on
Probation/family member should present evidence that the transport is
legally owned, insured, taxed etc. The rate will be 15p per mile minus
the first 3 miles each way. Parking costs will only be paid where this
has been authorised in advance and no free parking is
available/suitable.
2.18 Taxi travel should only be used where no other form of public
transport is available or viable or where this can be justified for
health, risk, vulnerability or specific operational reasons. Taxis
should be obtained via an established PS account with individual
purchasing taking place only in exceptional circumstances.
Staff transporting people on Probation in cars
2.19 For operational or risk management reasons it may be necessary
for staff to drive a person on Probation, victim or relative to an
appointment.
2.20 Specific actions are required in all such cases before
transporting a person on Probation. These are essential to ensure the
health and safety and insurance liability risks are minimised:
*
Staff must use a hire, lease or pool car
*
A health and safety risk assessment must be completed
2.21 In exceptional circumstances a staff member may use their own
personal car, but prior authorisation must be obtained in writing from
their line manager using “transporting people on
Probation/victims/relatives in a private car authorisation form”.
Staff must fully outline the exceptional circumstances which they
perceive justifies the need to drive the person on Probation, victims
or relative in their own car and why a hire, lease or pool car cannot
be used.
2.22 Managers must confirm the business reasons outlined by the staff
member are justified and check the employee has the required business
user insurance that covers transporting person on
Probation/victims/relatives in a private car. Authorisation must be
limited to the specific circumstances outlined in the business case.
Blanket authorisation must not be granted for staff to carry people on
Probation, victims or relatives in all circumstances regardless of
specific business requirements.
2.23 Authorisation may only be granted by managers for a maximum of 12
months and must be renewed by the staff members where the insurance
provider changes during the period. The regional corporate admin hub
will maintain a central log of authorisations and provide an annual
management information report to the Regional Probation Director.
2.24 PS staff utilising their own vehicles for business purposes must
be familiar with and comply with PI 17/2015 Travel and Subsistence.
Finance and Administrative Systems
2.25 The PS has introduced standardised purchasing arrangements for
rail tickets, advance bus/ferry/tram tickets (via PRF (Purchase
Request Form)) and for the setting up of taxi accounts via Standard
Schedule Purchase Order (SSPO) where needed. Each Region has been
encouraged to examine the profile of need for people on Probation and
to engage with HMPSS/PS procurement colleagues to identify and
establish arrangements for travel that respond to the specific local
circumstances and local provision of transport.
2.26 The NPS Petty Cash policy will ensure that the PS has access to
petty cash in all appropriate locations, the management of which is
accordance with HMPPS financial and accountability processes.
2.27 All decisions about eligibility and rates of reimbursement for
travel must be made in accordance with the Travel for Persons on
Probation policy contained in this PI.
2.28 It is recognised that in some of the more widely dispersed rural
areas use is made of mini-buses/shared taxi transport for Unpaid Work
and Programmes. Where shared transport is utilised due consideration
should be given to the safety/confidentiality/vulnerability of the
person on Probation and the need for their home address to be kept
confidential from others.
3.
Policy and strategic context
1.
The PS Travel for Persons on Probation Policy contained in this
PI gives a framework for consistency across the PS with
flexibility for Regions to respond to the local context and
specific need. It seeks to ensure regularity, propriety, value
for money, the appropriate stewardship of public funds and
compliance with HMPPS financial and administrative instructions
and is linked to the PS Policy on the management of petty cash.
2.
This policy is in keeping with the wider HMPPS/PS strategies of:
*
Reducing re-offending
*
Promoting equality and diversity and ensuring equal access to
services
*
Delivering effective, quality, evidence informed services that
engage offenders and are targeted in accordance with risk, needs
and responsivity.
3. 3 It is recognised that implementing this national PS policy may
take time due to variances in policies (between legacy NPS and former
CRCs) prior to unification. However, this policy must be fully adhered
to by 1 October 2021 as these variances are not sustainable in the
national unified Probation service
3.4 It is expected that all managers and staff will implement the
Travel for persons on Probation Policy consistently and make offenders
aware of the implications.
3.5 Where a person on Probation attends an appointment organised with
the Commissioned Rehabilitative Service Provider, at any site, the
Probation Service will meet the travel costs, in line with this
instruction.