Offender Management inspection

The Offender Management inspection (OMI) entails visits to all 42 NOMS areas over a three year period from May 2006. The inspection programme was developed with HM Inspectorate of Probation.

The Offender Management Inspection 2 (OMI 2) programme is led by HMI Probation and entails visits to all NOMS areas and trusts over a three-year period from September 2009.

Its primary purpose is to assess the quality of offender management, both in the community and in custody, against HMI Probation’s published criteria in relation to assessment, interventions and outcomes, and HMI Prisons Expectations. Inspectors take and read a sample of cases, and then conduct interviews with offender managers. In addition there are meetings and interviews with service users and other staff. The supporting management arrangements in each area are assessed via a mixture of written evidence and meetings.

OMI in prisons

Joint OMI work between HMI Probation and HMI Prisons has been developed further. From September 2009, we are inspecting offender management in prisons under these new arrangements, covering phase II and phase III of implementation.

The criteria for offender management inspection in prisons can be downloaded here.

HMI Probation inspectors will be joining HMI Prisons on all announced inspections to assess the quality of offender management arrangements for prisoners who are within the scope of the national offender management model.

As part of the inspection we will:

  • inspect a sample of case files both in and out of scope of the offender management model
  • meet with offender management unit (OMU) practitioners. This meeting is designed to provide inspectors with representative views about the frontline operation of offender management
  • meet with operational and strategic managers (governor/director, deputy governor, head of reducing reoffending, head of learning and skills, offender supervisor coordinator, OMU manager, senior probation officer, public protection manager). This meeting is designed to provide inspectors with evidence about the operational and strategic management and leadership of the prison in respect of offender management.

An offender management survey will also be issued to a random selection of 25 prisoners who are in scope of the national offender management model.

The joint inspection of offender management arrangements will usually last for two days at the beginning of the prison inspection, with inspectors from both inspectorates engaged in the meetings and the assessment of case files. These findings will feed into and be built upon during the remainder of the prison inspection.

A summary of joint provisional findings will form part of the feedback to prison senior management at the end of the week and will be reflected in the published prison inspection report. This may include recommendations for improvement, as well as highlighting examples of good practice. Thematic findings from the case sample will be published periodically.

Reports

London - London prison OMI report (2008) (PDF 0.45mb)

South-East - South-East of England (2008) (PDF 0.42mb)

South-West - South-West OMI report (PDF 0.47mb)

Yorkshire and Humberside - Yorkshire and Humberside OMI (2008) (PDF 0.47mb)

HM Inspectorate of Prisons

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