NOMS workforce statistics bulletin: December 2016
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 February 2017  
National Offender Management Service (NOMS) 
Workforce Statistics Bulletin, 31 December 2016 
Main points 
42,927 Full Time 
Equivalent staff in post 
 
This represents a reduction of 366 staff in post over 
2016 and a fall of 133 on the quarter. 
5.3% shortfall of band 3-5 
prison officers 
 
Across public sector prison establishments, the shortfall 
to prison officer target staffing levels increased by 1.0 
percentage points from September 2016. There was also
an increase to the shortfall for band 2 operational support 
staff, from 11.2% to 12.1%.  
Leaving rate of 9.0% 
amongst band 3-5 prison 
officers  
 
This is an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared 
to the year ending March 2016. The overall leaving rate 
across NOMS over the last year stood at 8.0%, a 0.6 
point rise compared to the year ending March 2016.   
Fall of 347 prison officers 
over the year  
 
At 31 December 2016 there were 17,888 FTE band 3 to 
5 officers in post, a fall of 347 (1.9%) on the year and 
115 (0.6%) over the past three months. 
12.0 sick days per person 
in the National Probation 
Service  
 
This is higher than the average 10.6 working days lost 
amongst both NOMS staff overall and staff within prison 
service establishments. 
This publication provides details of staffing levels, staff inflows and outflows and for the first 
time this quarter sickness absence rates for the directly employed workforce of the National 
Offender Management Service (NOMS). Information covers Public Sector Prisons, the 
National Probation Service (NPS) and NOMS headquarters, including area services which 
provide direct operational support to prisons. The annual bulletin, due to be published on 18 
May 2017, will provide a more in-depth commentary. Technical details and explanatory 
notes can be found in the accompanying Guide to NOMS Workforce statistics:  
 
 
 
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2 
 
1. Total Staff in Post 
 
42,927 Full Time Equivalent staff in post 
This represents a reduction of 366 staff in post since 31 December 2015 and a 
fall of 133 since 30 September 2016. 
5.3% shortfall of band 3-5 prison officers 
Across public sector prison establishments, the shortfall to prison officer target 
staffing levels increased by 1.0 percentage points from September 2016. There 
was also an increase to the shortfall for band 2 operational support staff, from 
11.2% to 12.1%. 
 
As at 31 December 2016, there were 42,927 staff in post in NOMS on a full time equivalent 
(FTE) basis (Figure 1). This includes 8,725 FTE staff in the National Probation Service 
(NPS) (making up 20.3% of all NOMS staff), 30,742 (71.6% of NOMS staff) in Public Sector 
Prisons and 3,461 (8.1% of NOMS staff) in NOMS HQ and Area Services. Compared to 31 
December 2015 the overall FTE has fallen by 366 (0.8%), FTE in the NPS fell by 72 (0.8%), 
FTE in Public Sector Prisons fell by 502 (1.6%) while NOMS HQ and Area Services 
increased FTE by 209 (6.4%). The increase in NOMS HQ numbers was mainly as the result 
of the continuing movement of functions performed by psychologists, intelligence officers 
and HR managers out of establishments. 
Excluding changes in staff numbers as a result of organisational changes, the reduction in 
staff from 31 March 2010 to 31 December 2016 was 10,755 (a 24% decrease). Compared 
to December 2015, the like-for-like reduction was 517 FTE (a 1.2% fall).  
Figure 1: Number of NOMS staff in post on a FTE basis, 31 March 2010 to 31 December 
2016 (Source: Table 1)  
 
Note: On 1 June 2014 the National Probation Service was formed and 8,430 FTE staff transferred from 
Probation Trusts into NOMS. 
 
0
10,000
20,000
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Dec
Mar
Jun
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2010
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Full Time Equivalent Staff
End of Quarter Snapshot
Estabs
HQ
NPS

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1.1 Staff in post by grade  
At 31 December 2016, there were 23,417 FTE operational prison service staff (54.6% of 
NOMS staff), a reduction of 542 FTE (2.3%) compared to the previous year.  
Non-operational roles across public sector prisons and NOMS HQ accounted for 10,670 FTE 
posts (24.9% of NOMS staff), an increase of 234 FTE (2.2%) compared to the previous year.  
In the NPS there were 8,840 FTE, a fall of 57 since the previous year. This includes 3,615 
FTE probation officers in post (8.4% of NOMS staff), representing an increase of 376 
compared to 31 December 2015.  
 
1.2 Benchmarks (Public Sector Prisons) 
Benchmarks are target staffing levels agreed with the Governor and Deputy Director of 
Custody.  Each establishment’s benchmark has been carefully designed to provide a 
staffing level sufficient to deliver safety, decency and security. Benchmarks are subject to 
change in order to maintain a safe, decent and secure operating level in every 
establishment. 
Across all grades the shortfall to benchmark levels at 31 December 2016 in public sector 
prisons was 2,290 FTEs (7.0%) against a target of 32,806. This target has reduced by 114 
since September 2016. 
Within the largest staff group, band 3-5 prison officers, the shortfall to target staffing levels 
at 31 December 2016 was 983 FTE (5.3%), an increase of 1.0 percentage points from 4.3% 
in September 2016. Over half of prison establishments had a deficit of 5% or more (Figure 
2). Band 2 operational support staff made up the second largest staff group and had an 
overall shortfall of 627 FTE (12.1%) against target level, up from 11.2% on the quarter.   
 
Figure 2: Distribution of Shortfalls of Band 3 to 5 Officers to Benchmark by 
Establishment, 31 December 2016 (Source: Table 14) 
 
 
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Above 10% short
5-10% short
2-5% short
0-2% short
At or above benchmark
Number of establishments

4 
 
2. Joiners and leavers 
 
Leaving rate of 9.0% amongst band 3-5 prison officers 
This is an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to the year ending March 
2016. The overall leaving rate across NOMS over the last year stood at 8.0%, a 0.6 
point rise compared to the year ending March 2016.   
 
In the last year, 3,445 staff were recruited to NOMS, a fall of 1,873 compared to the previous 
year. These joiners consist of 2,670 across public sector prisons, 613 in the NPS and 162 in 
NOMS HQ and area services. There were 3,910 leavers in the last year, an increase of 149 
compared to the previous year. This includes 3,029 leavers from public sector prisons, 664 
from the NPS and 217 from NOMS HQ and area services.   
2.1 Leaving rates1  
Leaving rates across NOMS have been increasing since 2011/12. The overall rate across 
the whole of NOMS for the year to 31 December 2016 was 8.0% compared to 7.4% for the 
year to 31 March 2016. 
The leaving rate for band 3 to 5 officers has increased at a faster rate than the average to 
9.0%, almost double the rate in 2012/13 (4.6%). The highest band 3-5 officer rate is in Kent, 
Surrey and Essex where the rate has increased from 10.2% to 15.9% between March and 
December 2016. The rate for prison officers is lower than the 10.0% for band 2 operational 
support grades, which has fallen from 10.4% compared to 2015/16. Probation officers had a 
lower than average leaving rate of 5.4% in the year to 31 December 2016. 
Almost half of all leavers over the year to 31 December 2016 resigned (49%), compared to 
43% in the previous year. The proportion of retirees meanwhile fell from 23% to 19%.  
Figure 3: Annual leaving rates of permanent staff in key operational grades 
(excluding VEDSR), year to March 2010 to year to December 2016 (Source: Table 8d) 
 
 
 
                                               
1 Calculated as the percentage of staff with a permanent contract of employment who left NOMS for reasons 
other than voluntary early departure schemes and redundancy (VEDSR). 
Band 3-5 Officers
Band 2 / 
Operational 
Support
Probation Officer
NOMS overall
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Mar-10
Mar-11
Mar-12
Mar-13
Mar-14
Mar-15
Mar-16
Permanent Leavers as percent of 
Average Staff
Dec-16 

5 
 
3. Band 3 to 5 Prison Officers 
Fall of 347 prison officers over the year  
At 31 December 2016 there were 17,888 FTE band 3 to 5 officers in post, a fall of 347 
(1.9%) on the year and 115 (0.6%) over the past three months 
 
The key operational grades in public sector prisons are the band 3 to 5 officers. They 
consist of band 3 prison officers, band 4 officer specialists, band 4 supervising officers and 
band 5 custodial managers.  
On a like-for-like basis i.e. excluding transfers to and from the private sector, there has been 
a reduction of 6,450 FTE (26.7%) band 3 to 5 officers between 31 March 2010 and 31 
December 2016. In the year ending December 2016, band 3 to 5 officer FTE fell by 347 
(1.9%) and by 115 (0.6%) over the latest three months to 17,888 FTEs.  
Figure 4 provides a quarterly breakdown of the number of band 3 to 5 officers newly 
recruited and leaving since 2010/11. Over the last year, 1,728 band 3 officers have been 
appointed, a fall of 542 compared to 2,270 in the previous year. The headcount number of 
band 3 to 5 officers leaving NOMS in the year to 31 December 2016 was 1,764, an increase 
of 242 compared to the 1,522 officers leaving in the previous year.   
Figure 4: Newly appointed band 3 officers and band 3 to 5 officer leavers, April 2010 
to December 2016 (Source: Table 15) 
 
 
Recruits and leavers are not the only movements in 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 recruits and leavers. There are also typically differences in the proportion of 
new recruits and older officers who work part time as well as movements between grades. 
0
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2015/16
2016/17
Recruits, conversions and leavers (headcount)
Direct Recruits
Conversions
Leavers

6 
 
This change has the effect of reducing the full-time equivalent of officers available as 
officers progress through their career.  
Figure 5 provides a more complete view of officer workforce changes than just the number 
of appointments and leavers. In total the FTE contribution of officers lost to the workforce in 
addition to those leaving, due to re-grades, promotions and changes to working hours was 
the equivalent of 516 officers. 
 
Figure 5: Movements into and out of Band 3 to 5 Officer Grouping (Full Time 
Equivalent), 31 December 2015 to 31 December 2016 (Source: Table 15) 
 
 
  
 
3.1 Length of Service 
The relatively large volume of officers being recruited over the past year has led to an 
increase in the proportion of officers with less than 5 years’ service to 21% of the workforce 
compared to 15% a year ago. Despite this shift there are 27% of officers with over 20 years’ 
experience, down slightly from 28% in December 2015. 
 

7 
 
4. Sickness Absence 
 
12.0 sick days per person in the National Probation Service 
This is higher than the average 10.6 working days lost amongst both NOMS staff 
overall and staff within prison service establishments. 
 
Over the last year, NOMS staff lost on average 10.6 working days to sickness absence. 
This was an increase of 2.3% compared to the year ending 31 March 2016 but a reduction 
of 5.6% on the year ending March 2015 when the highest sickness rates in the time series 
were recorded. 
NPS staff had the highest average working days lost (AWDL) at 12.0 followed by Prison 
service establishments (10.6) and NOMS HQ & Area Services (6.6) (Figure 6). 
The rate for all of NOMS has varied between 9.8 and 11.2 in the years since 2009/10. 
Figure 6: Average working Days Lost to Sickness Absence, Year to 31 March 2010 to 
Year to 31 December 2016 (Source: Table 16) 
 
The most common category of sickness absence in terms of days lost is mental and 
behavioural disorders, which includes stress related absences. In the last year, 29.9% of 
absences were for mental and behavioural disorders. This category was most prevalent for 
probation officers where 40.2% of working days lost were attributed to mental and 
behavioural disorders. 
Musculoskeletal absences accounted for the second largest proportion of working days lost 
and together the top two categories contributed 45.0% of all working days lost. 
Kent, Sussex and Essex have the highest sick rate across prison regions at 14.7 AWDL. 
The highest probation division is London Probation Service at 13.5 AWDL. 
NOMS HQ
Public Sector 
Prisons
NPS
NOMS Total
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Mar-10
Mar-11
Mar-12
Mar-13
Mar-14
Mar-15
Mar-16
Average Working Days Lost
Dec-16 

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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 NOMS workforce structure as well as how 
the data is collected and processed. Information on the revisions policy and 
disclosure relevant to NOMS staffing data is also included  
 
A set of summary tables for the latest quarter and year as well as over time 
 
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:  
Kate Shaw 
Performance and Analysis Group  
NOMS Agency  
Clive House  
70 Petty France 
London  
SW1H 9EX  
 
Next update: 18 May 2017 
URL: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-
workforce-statistics  
 
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