Frequently asked Q's

• The key facts
  • The Probation Service supervises people who have left the prison system or are involved with justice services.
  • You can complain about the Probation Service if you are unhappy about an issue that you cannot resolve informally.
  • You can appeal to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) if you are unhappy with the Probation Service’s response to your complaint.
  • You may be able to get support to make a complaint about the Probation Service.
• What is the probation service?

  The Probation Service is a statutory criminal justice service that supervises people released from prison into the community. 

  Probation officers build relationships with people on probation, using the right key skills, activities and behaviours. They do this to achieve the best outcomes to help people to make positive changes to their lives. 

  You can read more about the probation service here. 

  This information looks at how you can complain about the probation service. 

  What are Commissioned Rehabilitative Services?

  Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRSs) also help people with convictions resettle in the community. These services are provided at a local level by expert services. 

  This information does not cover complaints about CRSs. If you want to complain about a CRS, ask them for their complaints policy. 

• How can I informally resolve my issue?

  You might be unhappy with something to do with the Probation Service. It might be something like:

  • someone did something you do not agree with,
  • you think someone did not do something they should have, or
  • you think you are not being treated fairly.

  To try to resolve your issue you can speak to people like:

  • your Probation Officer,
  • their manager, or
  • the Senior Probation Officer. 

  It can be quicker and easier to sort things out informally than making a complaint. But if you still cannot sort the issue out you can complain.

• How can I make a complaint?

  Who should I complain to?

  You can complain by:

  • speaking to someone, either in person or by phone, or
  • putting it in writing, either in an email or letter.

  You should clearly use the word ‘complaint.’

  You can make your complaint to your local Probation Service contact centre. You can find a full list of them here.

  You can ask the team for a copy of their complaints policy.

  Your local Probation Service contact centre should tell you how to make a complaint. 

  You can also make a complaint to the Probation Service by emailing: HMPPSPublicEnquiries@justice.gov.uk 

  What should I say in my complaint?

  You can explain: 

  • what has happened, 
  • why you are not happy, and 
  • what you would like to happen next. 

  If you complain in person or over the phone, you should make a note of:

  • the full name of the person you spoke to,
  • what you talked about, and
  • the date and time

  You can explain things like:

  • where and when it happened,
  • who was involved, and
  • what was said and done. 

  Explain clearly what happened and why you are making a complaint. Include all the main points but try to keep your complaint as short as you can. 

  They will investigate your complaint. They may want to speak to you to get more information. 

  When they have looked into the complaint, they should contact you. This should say:

  • what action they are going to take, if any, and 
  • the reasons for their response. 

  You should receive the outcome in writing within 25 days of your complaint being acknowledged. 

  Sometimes you have a time limit to make your complaint. You can ask your local Probation Service about this or read their complaints policy. 

  Once you have gone through the full complaints process, you might still not be happy with the response. You can contact the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). See the 'What if I am unhappy with the response to my complaint?' section for more information. 

• What if I am unhappy the response to my complaint?

  If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you can contact the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). The PPO is independent from the Probation Service.

  You can only complain to the PPO if you are the person directly affected by the complaint. But they can sometimes accept complaints from someone on your behalf. This is if you are unable to complain on your own. You can contact the PPO to ask for more information about this.  

  You can only complain to the PPO if: 

  • you have gone through your local Probation Service’s complaints process, and 
  • your complaint is in writing, and one of the following applies:
    
    • you are on probation and have not had a response to your complaint within 45 days, or
    • you are detained and have not had a response to your complaint within 30 days, or 
    • it is within 3 months of their final complaint response.

  You should give details about why you are unhappy with the Probation Service’s response. 

  It will help to send any paperwork you have from the Probation Service complaints process.  

  You can find the contact details of the PPO below. 

  Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO)

  Phone: 020 7633 4100 or 0845 010 7938
  Address: Third Floor, 10 South Colonnade, London E14 4PU 
  Email: mail@ppo.gov.uk 
  Website: https://ppo.gov.uk

  You can read more about PPO complaints here. It covers: 

  • how the PPO decide whether to investigate your complaint,
  • how they investigate it, and
  • how they make a decision about your complaint. 

  You can find the PPO’s Terms of Reference here. This will help you to know if they will look at your complaint.

  The PPO will tell you if they will investigate your complaint within 10 working days of receiving your complaint. If not, they should tell you why. 

  The PPO aims to deal with your complaint within 12 weeks from the start of the investigation. Serious complaints may take longer. 

  The PPO might agree that the Probation Service have done something wrong. They will recommend what the Service should do to put things right.  

  What if English is not my first language? 

  If English is not your first language, and you want to contact the PPO in your own language you can:

  • write to them explaining your complaint in your own language, or
  • speak to them in your own language. Let them know in advance and they will provide an interpreter.

  You can read more about complaining in your own language here.

  What can I do if I disagree with the PPO’s decision?

  You might:

  • disagree with the PPO’s decision,
  • think that the PPO does not understand your complaint, or
  • think they have missed something important.

  If you are not happy with the PPO’s decision, you can appeal to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). You can do this by writing to them and explaining why you disagree. 

  You can do this by using their online complaint form here.

  If you cannot complete the form online you can download a form to send by post. This must be signed by your Member of Parliament (MP). Your MP must then send the complaint to the PHSO. 

  You can find your MP’s contact details here or call 020 7219 3000.

  If your appeal is not successful, they will write to you and explain why. 

  Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)

  The PHSO makes final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England. Or by UK government departments and other UK public organisations. 

  Phone: 0345 015 4033
  Address: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Citygate, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3HQ
  Email (for MPs only): phso.enquiries@ombudsman.org.uk 
  Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk 

• Who can help me to complain?

  Friend or relative

  You can ask a relative or friend to help you make your complaint. 

  You might need your relative or friend make the complaint for you. If you do, your local Probation Service might only accept the complaint if you consent to them acting for you. But they might accept it without your consent if you lack mental capacity.

  You can find more information about Mental capacity and mental illness – The Mental Capacity Act 2005 on our webpage. 

  An advocate

  An advocate is someone who supports you to express your views and wishes and helps you to resolve an issue.  

  There might be advocacy services that could help you make a complaint. 

  You would need to speak to a community advocacy service. To search for services, you can try the following.

  • Use an internet search engine – use search terms like ‘community advocacy Leicestershire’ or ‘general advocacy Devon’.
  • Ask a support worker or key worker if you have one.
  • Ask your local council whether they have contact details for local advocacy services. 

  You can find more information about Advocacy for mental health – Making your voice heard on our webpage. 

  Your MP

  You could ask your local MP to help you make a complaint. They could help you to complete forms or perhaps make a complaint on your behalf.

  You can find out who your local MP is by:

  • accessing their website here, or
  • contacting the House of Commons Enquiry Service on 020 7219 3000.
• Useful contacts

  Civil Legal Advice (CLA)

  This organisation can sometimes offer free, confidential, and independent legal advice for people in England and Wales. CLA offer a free interpreting service if English is not your first language. You can also use the free interpreting service if you need to use British Sign Language.

  The Probation Service

  The Probation Service for England and Wales is a statutory criminal justice service, mainly responsible for the supervision of offenders in the community. They also provide reports to the criminal courts to assist them in their sentencing duties.

  The Law Society 

  You might want to get some legal support after making a complaint. This organisation can help you find a solicitor. 

  Unlock

  Unlock provide information and advice to people navigating life with a criminal record. They also offer one-to-one support and a support helpline.

  Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) 

  Gives advice on discrimination and human rights issues to people in England, Scotland and Wales. They offer British Sign Language interpretation. They also have a live webchat contact option on their website.

• Is this information accessible?
  • There is an accessibility function on this webpage called Recite.
  • On the desktop site, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner next to ‘Donate.’
  • On the mobile site, scroll right and click on the ‘Turn on accessibility’ icon.

  The Recite function allows you to:

  • translate the text into many different languages,
  • hear the text read aloud, in over 100 languages,
  • change the type and size of font, and
  • change the line height and character spacing,
    change the background colour of the text.

  For more information, you can watch this 2 minute video about How to use the Recite accessibility function.