PROBATION’S PARTNERSHIP APPROACH WINS NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD 

The Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust has scooped the national Achievement Award for Partnership Development, which was presented at a special awards ceremony in London attended by HRH The Princess Royal.

The annual awards are organised by the British Quality Foundation, which in January 2008 gave the Probation Trust a high four star-rating as part of its Recognised for Excellence scheme. The top star-rating is five.

The focus of Probation’s partnership approach is to work with other criminal justice and voluntary partners to reduce re-offending. The Probation Trust has promoted the benefits of working in partnership for more than 10 years. The initial joint working saw the development of multi-agency teams working with prolific offenders and with people whose drug taking had contributed to their offending behaviour.

In recent years the Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust (LRPT) has established a partnership with Leicester City Council which sees supervised offenders undertaking weekly reparation work on council estates in the city.

LRPT also works with Leicestershire Cares to provide two week mentored work placements with local companies for motivated offenders who are trying to find employment. Chief Executive Heather Munro explained:

We are thrilled to have received this award on behalf of our staff. When we achieved our four-star rating, the British Quality Foundation acknowledged that one of our strengths was our credible partnerships with outside agencies.

At LRPT we are attracting further funding to deliver and commission additional services in our engagement with offenders to reduce their risk of re-offending.

The Achievement Award for Partnership Development is sponsored by Wincanton and the judging panel was ‘highly impressed by the Trust’s unique and innovative approaches to providing holistic and integrated offender support, in partnership with a wide range of community providers.’

HRH The Princess Royal commented:

The winners and finalists of the UK Excellence Awards, the BQF Achievement Awards and the Southern England Excellence Awards have demonstrated exceptional performance. They are role models for excellence, they are never satisfied with what they have achieved and are constantly seeking further improvements. In today’s fast-changing world, this is the only way to stay ahead because if you are not improving, you are really falling behind those who are.

PRESS ENQUIRIES Contact Chief Executive Heather Munro on 0116 251 6008 or Communications Officer Fiona Buchanan on 07711 160685