| answer text |
<p> </p><p> </p><p>The Offender Management Act 2007 places the responsibility for
the provision of Probation Services on the Secretary of State for Justice. Under the
Act, the Secretary of State may make contractual or other arrangements with any other
person for the making of the probation provision. The process of commissioning probation
services will be informed by engagement with co-commissioning partners including,
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Local Authorities. Contracts will be responsive
to changing demands and priorities at local and national levels.</p><p>During the
Transforming Rehabilitation Programme, we have undertaken extensive engagement at
a national and local level with PCCs and Local Authorities. As part of this process,
we have established a national PCC Reference Group and a Local Authority Reference
Group which have proved to be useful forums to engage with those PCCs and Local Authorities
which are most interested in our reforms and enabled them to scrutinise the commissioning
and delivery of the Programme. PCCs and Local Authorities, together with other key
local stakeholders have also been able to provide structured advice on what works
locally via the creation of competition local advisory panels.</p><p>No organisations
are prohibited from bidding in the competition. However, to bid successfully to own
and run Community Rehabilitation Companies, they will need to meet the criteria we
set, which will include the ability to take on the necessary financial risk under
our proposed payment by results mechanism.</p>
|
|
