HMPPS workforce statistics bulletin: December 2017
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

National Offender Management Service workforce statistics. The quarterly National Offender Management Service (NOMS) workforce statistics bulletin is designed to monitor changes to staffing figures and the structure of NOMS staff population over time. It is produced on a quarterly basis to most appropriately reflect the dynamic nature of the data included within many of the tables, and covers all civil service employees of NOMS.

Published 15 February 2018  
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service 
(HMPPS) Workforce Statistics Bulletin, as at 31 
December 2017 
Main points 
44,707 full time equivalent 
(FTE) staff in post 
 
This represents increases of 950 (2.2%) staff in post since 30 
September 2017 and 1,780 (4.1%) since 31 December 2016. 
This consists of 8,978 FTE staff in the NPS, 32,299 in PSP 
and 3,430 HQ and Area Services. 
19,925 FTE band 3-5 prison 
officers in post 
 
Representing increases of 715 (3.7%) since 30 September 
2017 and 2,038 (11.4%) compared to 31 December 2016. 
This is the highest number of officers in post since 30 
September 2013. Over the last year, 4,563 band 3 officers 
were appointed, an increase of 161.8% compared to the 12 
months to 31 December 2016. 
4,363 FTE band 2 operational 
support staff in post  
 
This corresponds to decreases of 59 (1.3%) compared to the 
previous quarter and 250 (5.4%) against the previous year. 
3,369 FTE band 4 probation 
officers in post  
 
This figure represents decreases of 65 (1.9%) over the 
quarter and 246 (6.8%) compared to the previous year. In 
contrast, there were 2,161 FTE band 3 probation services 
officers, an increase of 290 (15.5%) FTE over the quarter and 
555 (34.6%) FTE over the past year. 
Overall leaving rate across 
HMPPS of 8.6%  
 
Representing a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared 
to the year ending 31 March 2017. The leaving rate of band 3-
5 prison officers was 9.7% in the year to 31 December 2017, 
no change compared to year ending 31 March 2017. 
This publication provides details of staffing levels, staff inflows and outflows, sickness 
absence rates and protected characteristics for the directly employed workforce of the Her 
Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Information presented covers Public 
Sector Prisons, the National Probation Service (NPS) and HMPPS headquarters, including 
area services which provide direct operational support to prisons. Technical details and 
explanatory notes can be found in the accompanying Guide to HMPPS Workforce Statistics 
and an annex presents data on prison officer recruitment from job offer to staff in post. 
 
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Points to note 
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service 
On 1 April 2017, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) replaced the National 
Offender Management Service (NOMS), an agency of the Ministry of Justice. HMPPS is 
focussed on supporting operational delivery and the effective running of prison and probation 
services across the public and private sectors. HMPPS works with a number of partners to 
carry out the sentences given by the courts, either in custody or the community. This 
publication covers the reporting period up to 31 December 2017 and therefore considers in 
detail, quarterly staffing levels and staff inflows and outflows for both NOMS and HMPPS 
since April 2010.  
For ease, the statistics in this publication will be referred to as those of the HMPPS workforce 
(i.e. staff working in HMPPS and with a contract of employment with HMPPS, excluding 
those on career breaks and those on secondment or loan outside of HMPPS but including 
staff on secondment or loan into HMPPS). Only staff in the public sector Prison Service, 
HMPPS HQ and Area Services as well as NPS are directly employed by HMPPS and 
therefore staffing in private sector establishments, community rehabilitation companies and 
other contractors are excluded. 
In April 2017, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) was launched and forms another distinct 
arm of HMPPS; further information on the introduction of the YCS has been set out in the 
accompanying Guide to Workforce Statistics. Although the HMPPS workforce statistics 
covered in this publication do not present figures under a separate YCS category, work is 
being developed so as to incorporate them in future quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics 
publications. 
 
Protected characteristics of new HMPPS staff 
Due to particularly low declaration rates, figures on the protected characteristics of HMPPS 
joiners have not been presented in this publication. This is currently being investigated and 
the information will be included again in future workforce statistics publications. 
 
Offender Management (OM) in custody 
Implementation of the first phase of the Offender Management (OM) in custody model 
commenced in summer 2017 with the aim of making prisons safer by developing more 
rehabilitative establishments to deliver a supportive environment for both prisoners and 
staff. As a result of these changes, staff benchmarks previously in place are no longer in 
use and are being replaced by new target staffing levels under the new OM in custody 
model. Work is ongoing to further develop these target staffing levels. Figures on target 
staffing levels and the difference to staff in post numbers across prison establishments have 
therefore not been presented in this publication. This information will be included in future 
workforce statistics publications once the target staffing levels have been sufficiently 
developed.  
 

 
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1. Total staff in post 
 
44,707 full time equivalent (FTE) staff in post 
This represents increases of 950 (2.2%) staff in post since 30 September 2017 
and 1,780 (4.1%) since 31 December 2016. This consists of 8,978 FTE staff in 
the NPS, 32,299 in PSP and 3,430 HQ and Area Services. 
 
As at 31 December 2017, there were 44,707 staff in post in HMPPS on a full time equivalent 
(FTE) basis (Figure 1). This included 8,978 FTE staff in the National Probation Service 
(NPS) (making up 20.1% of all HMPPS staff), 32,299 (72.2% of HMPPS staff) in Public 
Sector Prisons (PSP) and 3,430 (7.7% of HMPPS staff) in HMPPS HQ and Area Services.  
Compared to 30 September 2017, the overall FTE increased by 950 (2.2%), FTE in the 
NPS increased by 262 (3.0%), FTE in PSP increased by 538 (1.7%), and FTE in HQ and 
Area Services increased by 151 (4.6%). 
The number of staff in post in HQ and Area services has declined over the last year and this 
was driven by recent organisational changes1. Excluding these changes, the like-for-like 
comparison would have shown overall increases at HMPPS of 2,306 FTE (5.4%) compared 
to the previous year. Since 31 March 2010, additional organisational changes have 
occurred, such as the creation of the NPS, movements to and from the private sector, and 
transfers into MoJ. Excluding these changes, the number of staff in post has decreased by 
8,449 FTE (19.1%) between 31 March 2010 and 31 December 2017. 
Figure 1: Number of HMPPS staff in post on a FTE basis, 31 March 2010 to 31 
December 2017 (Source: Table 1)  
 
                                               
1 Whereby 526 FTE staff based at HMPPS HQ and Area Services transferred over to the Ministry of Justice as 
of 1 April 2017. Refer to the accompanying Guide to Workforce Statistics for further details. 

 
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At 31 December 2017, there were 25,175 FTE operational prison service staff (56.3% of 
HMPPS staff), an increase of 659 FTE staff (2.7%) compared to 30 September 2017. Non-
operational roles across PSPs and HMPPS HQ accounted for 10,388 FTE posts (23.2% of 
HMPPS staff), an increase of 20 FTE (0.2%) since 30 September 2017. In the NPS there 
were 9,145 FTE (20.5% of all HMPPS staff), an increase of 271 (3.1%) against the previous 
quarter.  
Across HMPPS overall and excluding the NPS which was created on 1 June 2014, 29.1% of 
FTE staff in post had less than 3 years’ service as at 31 December 2017. This is an 
increase of 1.7 percentage points compared to 30 September 2017. Those with 10 years’ 
experience or more made up 54.3% of the workforce a 0.9 percentage point decrease since 
the previous quarter.  
 
 

 
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2. Band 3-5 prison officers and band 2 operational support staff 
19,925 FTE band 3-5 prison officers in post  
As at 31 December 2017, there were 19,925 FTE officers in post, representing 
increases of 715 (3.7%) since 30 September 2017 and 2,038 (11.4%) compared to 
31 December 2016. This is the highest number of officers in post since 30 
September 2013. Over the last year, 4,563 band 3 officers were appointed which 
represents an increase of 161.8% compared to the 12 months to 31 December 
2016. 
4,363 FTE band 2 operational support staff in post  
This corresponds to decreases of 59 (1.3%) compared to the previous quarter and 
250 (5.4%) against the previous year. 
 
The key operational grades in public sector prisons are the band 3 to 5 prison officers. They 
consist of band 3 prison officers, band 4 officer specialists, band 4 supervising officers and 
band 5 custodial managers.  
As at 31 December 2017, there were 19,925 FTE band 3 to 5 officers, an increase of 715 
(3.7%) since the previous quarter and 2,038 (11.4%) compared to the last year (Figure 2). 
This is the highest number of officers in post since 30 September 2013. 
In contrast, the number of band 2 operational support group (OSG) FTE staff decreased by 
59 (1.3%) compared to the previous quarter and by 250 (5.4%) against the previous year to 
stand at 4,363 at 31 December 2017. This is the lowest number of OSG staff in the time 
series.  
Figure 2: Number of band 3-5 prison officers in post on a FTE basis, 31 March 2010 to 
31 December 2017 (Source: Table 3) 
 
 
 
 

 
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The proportion of band 3-5 prison officers with less than 3 years’ service rose to 33.8% 
compared to 30.2% at 30 September 2017. In contrast, the proportion of officers in post with 
10 years or more experience decreased by 2.7 percentage points from 57.4% at 30 
September 2017 to 54.7% at 31 December 2017. The change in experience levels is largely 
due to staff reductions in 2013/14 and the current recruitment drive for additional prison 
officers.   
As at 31 December 2017, the proportion of band 2 OSG staff with less than 3 years’ service 
decreased to 32.1% compared to 32.4% at 30 September 2017; whereas those with 10 
years or more experience increased from 48.3% at 30 September 2017 to 50.0% at 31 
December 2017. 
Figure 3 provides a quarterly breakdown of the number of band 3 to 5 officers newly 
recruited and leaving since 2011/12. Over the year to 31 December 2017, 4,563 band 3 
officers were appointed (consisting of direct new recruits and individuals who converted to a 
band 3 officer grade), an increase of 2,820 (161.8%) compared to 1,743 in the previous 
year. The number of new band 3 officer appointments increased by 179 (18.8%) from 1,154 
between July and September 2017 to 1,324 between October and December 2017.  
The headcount number of band 3 to 5 officers who left HMPPS in the year ending 31 
December 2017 was 1,903, a decrease of 18 (0.9%) compared to the previous quarter but 
an increase of 113 (6.3%) compared to the previous. Examining reasons for leaving, 56.2% 
of prison officers who left resigned from their roles in the year ending 31 December 2017 
(up from 46.2% in the year ending 31 December 2016). Meanwhile 15.9% were dismissed 
and 14.9% retired in the year ending 31 December 2017, down from 25.9% and 15.7% 
respectively compared to the previous year. 
Figure 3: Newly appointed band 3 prison officers and band 3 to 5 prison officer 
leavers, April 2011 to December 2017 (Source: Table 14) 
 

 
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The number of band 2 OSG staff who joined HMPPS in the year ending 31 December 2017 
was 677, an increase of 1 (0.1%) since the year ending 30 September 2017 and an 
increase of 93 (15.9%) compared to the previous year. The headcount number of band 2 
OSG staff who left HMPPS was 488, a decrease of 33 (6.3%) compared to the year ending 
30 September 2017 and 19 (3.7%) compared to the previous year. 
Joiners and leavers are not the only movements into and out of the band 3 to 5 officer 
grouping. There are also typically differences in the proportion of new joiners and older 
officers who work part time as well as movements between grades. For these reasons, the 
change in FTE does not directly reflect the difference between the number of joiners and 
leavers.  This change has the effect of reducing the FTE of officers available as they 
progress through their career.  
 
2.1 Prison officer recruitment target 
As part of the Prison Safety and Reform White Paper published in November 2016, the 
Government committed to an increase of 2,500 prison officers by the end of 2018. The 
accompanying annex sets out progress so far on prison officer recruitment.  Between the end 
of October 2016 (the closest data point in time to when the commitment was made) and the 
end of December 2017, the number of Band 3 to 5 prison officers (FTE) has increased from 
17,955 to 19,925, a net increase of 1,970 FTE officers.  
At the end of December 2017, there were also 1,582 candidates who had received a job 
offer and been booked onto future Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) places 
between January 2018 and July 2018. This data is provided to give an idea of the quantity 
of candidates in the recruitment pipeline as at the end of December 2017. Given the 
dynamic nature of the data, these numbers will change as more individuals are booked onto 
POELT spaces over time and existing individuals drop out of the system. The POELT 
booking data is also a gross figure that does not account for leavers amongst existing officer 
staff that will happen between January 2018 and July 2018. 

 
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3. Probation practitioners and senior probation officers 
      3,369 FTE band 4 probation officers in post 
This figure represents decreases of 65 (1.9%) over the quarter and 246 (6.8%) 
compared to the previous year. In contrast, there were 2,161 FTE band 3 probation 
services officers, an increase of 290 (15.5%) FTE since 30 September 2017 and 
555 (34.6%) FTE probation service officers over the past year. 
 
Key grades in the NPS include band 3 probation services officers, band 4 probation officers 
(collectively known as probation practitioners) as well as band 5 senior probation officers.  
At 31 December 2017, there were 2,161 FTE band 3 probation services officers in post, an 
increase of 290 (15.5%) on the quarter and 555 (34.6%) over the last year; 3,369 FTE band 
4 probation officers, representing decreases of 65 (1.9%) over the quarter and 246 (6.8%) 
compared to the previous year; and 635 FTE band 5 senior probation officers, showing 
increases of 3 (0.5%) since the last quarter and 26 (4.2%) over the last year (Figure 4).  
Figure 4: Number of probation officers, probation services officers and senior 
probation officers in post on a FTE basis, 30 June 2014 to 31 December 2017  
(Source: Table 3) 
 
 
In the last year, 586 probation services officers were appointed, an increase of 103 
compared to the year ending 30 September 2017 whilst 174 left, an increase of 10 
compared to the same period. Once a probation services officer undertakes and obtains the 
Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), they are eligible to apply for a probation 
officer role. Meanwhile, 199 probation officers left over the last year, a decrease of 3 
compared to the year ending 30 September 2017.  

 
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4. Joiners and Leavers 
      Leaving rate of 9.7% amongst band 3-5 prison officers 
Representing no change compared to the year ending 31 March 2017. The overall 
leaving rate across HMPPS over the last year stood at 8.6%, a decrease of 0.1 
percentage points compared to the year ending 31 March 2017.     
In the last year, 6,663 staff joined HMPPS, an increase of 991 (17.5%) compared to the year 
ending 30 September 2017. These joiners consisted of 5,483 across PSPs, 960 in the NPS 
and 220 in HMPPS HQ and Area Services. Compared to the year ending 30 September 2017, 
these represent increases of 17.4%, 24.0% and 3.1% respectively. 
There were 4,062 leavers in the year ending 31 December 2017, a decrease of 79 (1.9%) 
compared to the year ending 30 September 2017. This includes 3,138 leavers from PSPs (a 
decrease of 2.1%), 688 from the NPS (a decrease of 0.1%) and 236 from HMPPS HQ and 
Area Services (a decrease of 4.5%).  
4.1 Leaving rates2 
The overall leaving rate across the whole of HMPPS for the year to 31 December 2017 was 
8.6% compared to 8.7% for the year to 31 March 2017 (Figure 5). Specifically, for band 3 to 
5 prison officers, the 9.7% leaving rate in the year ending 31 December 2017 represented 
no change compared to the year ending 31 March 2017. The leaving rate for band 2 OSG 
staff was 9.9% in the year ending 31 December 2017, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points 
to the year ending 31 March 2017.   
The leaving rate for staff at the NPS overall in the year ending 31 December 2017 was 
7.0%, a 0.3 percentage point decrease compared to the year ending 31 March 2017. In the 
operational grades within the NPS, the leaving rate was highest amongst probation service 
officers at 8.7%, increasing by 0.3 percentage points from the year ending 31 March 2017. 
In contrast, leaving rates for probation officers and senior probation officers stood at 5.2% 
and 4.4% in the year ending 31 December 2017. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                               
2 Percentage of staff with a permanent contract of employment who left HMPPS, including individuals who have 
retired early, but excluding staff who left due to voluntary early departure schemes and redundancy (VEDSR). 

 
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Figure 5: Annual leaving rates of permanent staff in key operational grades 
(excluding VEDSR), year to March 2010 to year to December 2017 (Source: Table 8d) 
 

 
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Further Information 
Accompanying files 
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release: 
• 
A technical guide providing details of the HMPPS workforce structure as well as how 
the data are collected and processed. Information on the revisions policy and 
disclosure relevant to HMPPS staffing data is also included.  
• 
A set of summary tables for the latest quarter and year as well as over time. 
• 
A supplementary annex presenting data on prison officer recruitment from job offer 
to staff in post. 
 
Official Statistics  
The statistics in this bulletin are classified as official statistics. The Statistics and 
Registration Service Act 2007 defines ‘official statistics’ as all those statistical outputs 
produced by the UK Statistics Authority’s executive office (the Office for National Statistics), 
by central Government departments and agencies, by the devolved administrations in 
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and by other Crown bodies (over 200 bodies in total). 
The statistics in this bulletin comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Official 
Statistics. The Code encourages and supports producers of statistics to maintain their 
independence and to ensure adequate resourcing for statistical production. It helps 
producers and users of statistics by setting out the necessary principles and practices to 
produce statistics that are trustworthy, high quality and of public value. 
 
Contact 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:  
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Email: xxx@xxx.xx  
 
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:  
William Rose 
Data Science & HR Analytical Services 
Ministry of Justice  
Area 9.02, 9th Floor  
102 Petty France  
London  
SW1H 9AJ 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx 
 
Next update: 17 May 2018 
URL: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-
workforce-statistics  
 
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