HMPPS workforce statistics bulletin: September 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 16 November 2017  
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service 
(HMPPS) Workforce Statistics Bulletin, as at 30 
September 2017 
Main points 
43,757 full time equivalent 
staff in post 
 
This represents increases of 354 (0.8%) staff in post since 30 
June 2017 and 697 (1.6%) since 30 September 2016. 
19,210 band 3-5 prison 
officers in post 
 
At 30 September 2017 there were 19,210 FTE officers in post, 
representing increases of 1,207 (6.7%) compared to 30 
September 2016 and 455 (2.4%) since 30 June 2017. This is 
the highest number of officers in post since 30 September 
2013. Over the last year, 3,699 band 3 officers were appointed 
which represents an increase of 149.4% compared to the 12 
months to 30 September 2016. 
4,422 band 2 operational 
support staff in post  
 
This corresponds to decreases of 255 (5.4%) against the 
previous year and 56 (1.2%) compared to the previous quarter. 
1,871 band 3 probation 
services officers  
 
This figure represents an increase of 357 (23.6%) FTE 
probation service officers over the past year. 
Leaving rate of 9.6% 
amongst band 3-5 prison 
officers 
 
This is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the 
year ending 31 March 2017. The overall leaving rate across 
HMPPS over the last year stood at 8.5%, a 0.2 percentage 
point fall compared to the 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 30 September 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 
(ie. 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. 
Data sources 
The findings within this publication relating to the reporting period up to 31 December 2016 
come from data stored in Oracle HRMS. Data covering the period from 1 January 2017 
onwards have been extracted from the newly introduced Single Operating Platform (SOP). 
Whilst we are confident that the statistics compiled from SOP remain fit for purpose, SOP 
has only this year come into use and figures are subject to ongoing investigations whilst we 
continue to assess the impact of any changes. Further details on caveats to consider when 
interpreting the findings can be found in the Guide to HMPPS Workforce Statistics.  
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 in order 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 
 
43,757 full time equivalent staff in post 
This represents increases of 697 (1.6%) staff in post since 30 September 2016 
and 354 (0.8%) since 30 June 2017. 
 
As at 30 September 2017, there were 43,757 staff in post in HMPPS on a full time 
equivalent (FTE) basis (Figure 1). This included 8,717 FTE staff in the National Probation 
Service (NPS) (making up 19.9% of all HMPPS staff), 31,762 (72.6% of HMPPS staff) in 
Public Sector Prisons and 3,278 (7.5% of HMPPS staff) in HMPPS HQ and Area Services.  
Compared to 30 June 2017, the overall FTE increased by 354 (0.8%), FTE in the NPS 
decreased by 42 (0.5%), FTE in Public Sector Prisons increased by 269 (0.9%), and FTE in 
HQ and Area Services increased by 126 (4.0%).  
The number of FTE staff in post in HQ and Area services  has declined over the last year 
and this was driven by recent organisational changes.1 Excluding these changes, the like-
for-like comparison would have shown overall increases at HMPPS of 1,223 FTE (2.9%) 
compared to the previous year. Excluding changes in staff numbers as a result of earlier 
organisational changes but including the creation of the National Probation Service, 
transfers into MoJ and movements in and out of the private sector, the reduction in staff 
from 31 March 2010 to 30 September 2017 was 9,399 (a 21.2% decrease). 
Figure 1: Number of HMPPS staff in post on a FTE basis, 31 March 2010 to 30 
September 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 30 September 2017, there were 24,515 FTE operational prison service staff (56.0% of 
HMPPS staff), an increase of 382 FTE staff (1.6%) compared to 30 June 2017. Non-
operational roles across PSPs and HMPPS HQ accounted for 10,368 FTE posts (23.7% of 
HMPPS staff), no change since 30 June 2017. In the NPS there were 8,874 FTE, a 
decrease of 28 (0.3%) against the previous quarter.  
Across HMPPS overall and excluding the NPS which was created on 1 June 2014, 27.4% of 
FTE staff in post had less than 3 years’ service as at 30 September 2017. This is an 
increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to 30 June 2017. Those with 10 years’ 
experience or more made up 55.2% of the workforce a 0.4 percentage point decrease since 
the previous quarter.  
 
 

 
 
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2. Band 3-5 prison officers and band 2 operational support staff 
19,210 band 3-5 prison officers in post  
At 30 September 2017 there were 19,210 FTE officers in post, representing increases 
of 1,207 (6.7%) compared to 30 September 2016 and 455 (2.4%) since 30 June 2017. 
This is the highest number of officers in post since 30 September 2013. Over the last 
year, 3,699 band 3 officers were appointed which represents an increase of 149.4% 
compared to the 12 months to 30 September 2016. 
4,422 band 2 operational support staff in post  
This corresponds to decreases of 255 (5.4%) against the previous year and 56 (1.2%) 
compared to the previous quarter.  
 
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 30 September 2017, there were 19,210 FTE band 3 to 5 officers, an increase of 1,207 
(6.7%) compared to the last year and 455 (2.4%) since the previous quarter (Figure 2). This 
is the highest number of officers in post since 30 September 2013 and the largest annual 
increase across the time series.  
In contrast, the number of band 2 operational support group (OSG) FTE staff decreased by 
255 (5.4%) against the previous year and by 56 (1.2%) compared to the previous quarter to 
stand at 4,422 at 30 September 2017. This is the lowest number of OSG staff in the time 
series.  
Figure 2: Number of band 3-5 officers in post on a FTE basis, 31 March 2010 to 30 
September 2017 (Source: Table 3) 
 
 
 

 
 
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The proportion of band 3-5 prison officers with less than 3 years’ service rose to 30.2% 
compared to 27.2% at 30 June 2017. In contrast, the proportion of officers in post with 10 
years or more experience decreased by 2.0 percentage points from 59.4% at 30 June 2017 
to 57.4% at 30 September 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 30 September 2017, the proportion of band 2 operational support staff with less than 3 
years’ service decreased to 32.4% compared to 32.6% at 30 June 2017. Band 2 operational 
support staff in post with 10 years or more experience increased from 46.8% at 30 June 
2017 to 48.3% at 30 September 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 30 September 2017, 3,699 band 3 
officers were appointed (consisting of direct new recruits and individuals who converted to a 
band 3 officer grade), an increase of 2,216 (149.4%) compared to 1,483 in the previous 
year. The number of new band 3 officer appointments increased by 150 (15.8%) from 949 
between April and June 2017 to 1,099 between July and September 2017.  
The headcount number of band 3 to 5 officers who left HMPPS in the year ending 30 
September 2017 was 1,848, an increase of 128 (7.4%) compared to the previous year but a 
decrease of 8 (0.4%) compared to the previous quarter. Examining reasons for leaving, 
53.3% of prison officers who left resigned from their roles in the year ending 30 September 
2017 (up from 44.0% in the year ending 30 September 2016). Meanwhile 19.1% were 
dismissed and 15.2% retired in the year ending 30 September 2017, down from 25.6% and 
16.9% respectively compared to the previous year. 
Figure 3: Newly appointed band 3 officers and band 3 to 5 prison officer leavers, April 
2011 to September 2017 (Source: Table 14) 
 
The number of band 2 operational support staff who joined HMPPS in the year ending 30 
September 2017 was 666, an increase of 51 (8.3%) compared to the previous year and an 
increase of 32 (5.0%) since the year ending 30 June 2017. The headcount number of band 

 
 
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2 operational support staff who left HMPPS was 506, a decrease of 38 (7.0%) compared to 
the previous year and 21 (4.0%) compared to the year ending 30 June 2017. 
Joiners and leavers are not the only movements into and out of the band 3 to 5 officer 
grouping. For this reason, the change in FTE does not directly reflect the difference 
between the number of joiners and leavers. There are also typically differences in the 
proportion of new joiners and older officers who work part time as well as movements 
between grades. 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 September 2017, the number of Band 3 to 5 prison officers (FTE) has risen from 17,955 
to 19,210, a net increase of 1,255 FTE officers.  
At the end of September 2017, there were also 1,211 candidates who had received a job 
offer and been booked onto future Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) places 
between October 2017 and April 2018. This data is provided to give an idea of the quantity 
of candidates in the recruitment pipeline as at 30 September 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 October 2017 and April 2018. 
 

 
 
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3. Probation practitioners and senior probation officers 
1,871 band 3 probation services officers  
This figure represents an increase of 357 (23.6%) FTE probation services 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 30 September 2017, there were 1,871 FTE band 3 probation services officers in post, an 
increase of 15 (0.8%) on the quarter and 357 (23.6%) over the last year; 3,434 FTE band 4 
probation officers, representing decreases of 89 (2.5%) over the quarter and 116 (3.3%) 
compared to the previous year; and 632 FTE band 5 senior probation officers, showing 
increases of 17 (2.7%) since the last quarter and 73 (13.0%) 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 30 September 2017  
(Source: Table 3) 
 
 
In the last year, 483 probation services officers2 were appointed, an increase of 12 
compared to the year ending 30 June 2017 whilst 157 left, an increase of 7 compared to the 
same period. There were 31 probation officers appointed in the last year, which represents 
an increase of 3 probation officers compared to the year ending 30 June 2017. Meanwhile, 
193 probation officers left over the last year, a decrease of 5 compared to the year ending 
30 June 2017.  
                                               
2 Once a probation services officer undertakes and obtains the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), 
they are eligible to apply for a probation officer role.   
 

 
 
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4. Joiners and Leavers 
Leaving rate of 9.6% amongst band 3-5 prison officers 
This is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the year ending 31 March 
2017. The overall leaving rate across HMPPS over the last year stood at 8.5%, a 
0.2 percentage point fall compared to the year ending 31 March 2017.     
In the last year, 5,636 staff joined HMPPS, a rise of 782 (16.1%) compared to the year ending 
30 June 2017. These joiners consisted of 4,652 across PSPs, 771 in the NPS and 213 in 
HMPPS HQ and area services. Compared to the year ending 30 June 2017, these represent 
increases of 19.1%, 4.0% and 2.9% respectively. 
There were 3,994 leavers in the year ending 30 September 2017, a decrease of 76 (1.9%) 
compared to the year ending 30 June 2017. This includes 3,097 leavers from PSPs (a fall of 
2.0%), 669 from the NPS (a decrease of 0.1%) and 228 from HMPPS HQ and Area services 
(a decline of 5.4%).  
3.1 Leaving rates3 
The overall leaving rate across the whole of HMPPS for the year to 30 September 2017 was 
8.5% compared to 8.7% for the year to 31 March 2017 (Figure 5), with leaving rates falling 
for all the key operational grades. Specifically for band 3 to 5 prison officers, the 9.6% 
leaving rate in the year ending 30 September 2017 represented a 0.1 percentage point 
decrease compared to the year ending 31 March 2017. The leaving rate for band 2 
operational support grades was 10.2% in the year ending 30 September 2017, a decrease 
of 0.3 percentage points 
.   
The leaving rate for staff at the NPS overall was 6.8%, a 0.5 percentage point decrease 
compared to 31 March 2017. In the operational grades within the NPS, the leaving rate was 
highest amongst probation service officers at 8.4%, which has remained the same as the 
year ending 31 March 2017. In contrast, leaving rates for probation officers and senior 
probation officers stood at 5.0% and 4.4% in the year ending 30 September 2017. 
Figure 5: Annual leaving rates of permanent staff in key operational grades 
(excluding VEDSR), year to March 2010 to year to September 2017 (Source: Table 8d) 
 
                                               
3 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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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 is 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:  
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx  
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: 15 February 2018 
URL: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-
workforce-statistics  
 
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