NEW PERFORMANCE RATING -

Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Area achieves **** four star rating.

PROBATION assessments on performance are changing: instead of a league table, the 42 Probation Areas will be awarded stars in four key areas of work.

Probation Areas can be allocated a rating of one to four stars in regard to:

• Public protection work
• Managing offender supervision
• Working with offenders to change criminal behaviour, and
• Organisational procedures and actions.

Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Area (LRPA) has been placed in the top group, with the highest four star rating. LRPA has also been invited to apply for trust status, which would enable the Probation Area to take more independent action in regard to matching resources to priority areas of work - and its partnerships.

Chief Officer of LRPA Heather Munro explained: "The difficult and challenging nature of Probation work means that we can never be complacent. We must always look for ways to further improve our protection of the public and reduce re-offending.

"Under the old assessment system, Leicestershire and Rutland was the only Probation Area in the country to have met or exceeded all our performance targets during the last year.

"We are now starting out as the Probation Area with the highest four star rating. This year marks the Probation Service's centenary, and we know the future is going to hold some significant changes for our service.

One of the changes will involve Probation Areas achieving trust status to have a greater say in how we respond to the needs and issues confronting our local communities and partners."