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Ministry of Justice organisational review - copy of letter to NOMS and HMPS staff

29.1.08

This morning the Justice Secretary made a written ministerial statement (new window) to Parliament on the outcomes of the MOJ Organisational Review and plans for taking this forward. As part of this review, and in line with the recommendations from Lord Carter’s recent review of Prisons, we have looked at how we can organise NOMS and HMPS more effectively to drive forward the management of offenders, focus resources on front-line delivery and further improve efficiency.

We have agreed a way forward. We intend to bring NOMS and the Prison Service together, streamlining headquarters and rationalising regional structures in order to improve the focus on frontline delivery. Strategic policy for offender management will become a separate responsibility, including a regulatory function (e.g. ensuring there is a level playing field for providers from all sectors) and will link more closely with the other parts of the criminal justice system.

Phil Wheatley, who is currently the Director General of HMPS, will become the Chief Executive of NOMS and Helen Edwards will become the Ministry of Justice’s Director General for Criminal Justice and Offender Management Strategy, including responsibility for OCJR. OCJR will remain a tri-lateral organisation with its own CEO. Both of us will sit on the MoJ Board.

This reorganisation means that while reducing re-offending continues to be the main aim, commissioning will focus more robustly on ensuring the efficient use of available resources with delivery through effective contract and Service Level Aagreement management in line with Lord Carter’s recommendations. The reorganisation will also improve the management of individual offenders as they move through the prisons and probation system. This will help to ensure resources are used efficiently to protect the public and reduce the likelihood of further offending.

These are significant changes, and need to be managed well to avoid disruption to front-line services particularly at a time of significant operational pressure.  While the changes at national level will be implemented from 1 April, integration at regional level will be phased over the next 12-24 months. For each of the English regions we will appoint a Director of Offender Management (DOM) to commission all of the prison and probation services in their region, whether from public, private or third sector providers.  The DOMs will have the real authority to deliver national policies in ways which meet the needs of their region.  In turn, individual prison governors and Probation Trusts will have the authority they need to determine how best to deliver against their contractual requirements.  These new arrangements will be implemented in London and Wales from April 2008, and elsewhere over the next 12-24 months.

The detail on structures, systems and processes to make this work effectively now needs to be developed. Now we have announced our plans, we intend to engage with staff in the period up to 1 April and beyond. We will involve Trade Unions in the development of the next stage of design as part of the normal consultative process and staff engagement and union consultation will continue as changes are implemented. From the beginning of February we will start a process to identify functions as either delivery responsibilities for NOMS or strategy, policy and regulatory responsibilities. This work will lead to the agreement of a Framework Document for NOMS by Spring.

Phil Wheatley & Helen Edwards