Health and Social Care Committee
The work of the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
Evidence from HM Inspectorate of Probation – HIW 25
Submission to HSC Committee regarding HIW from HM Inspectorate of Probation
Following your invitation to comment on HIW we submit the following:
We have worked with HIW for several years on a number of joint youth thematic inspections and performance inspections of youth offending work - which HMI Probation leads. From our initial meetings, HIW were willing to be involved in this work and have facilitated the resources to enable joint inspection to take place. They have participated in joint development and training, engaged with us in developing inspection criteria and have been willing to take on this new work even though the setting was unfamiliar to them.
Youth offending inspections have included discussions with service users which HIW have facilitated, elements of safeguarding and child protection and looking at direct work by case managers, specialist health workers placed within Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), and work by health workers outside the YOTs. These have included emotional and mental health (e.g. CAMHS), substance misuse and physical health issues. In all these aspects of inspection, HIW staff have participated willingly with us - an organisation which has a different methodology and culture. Whilst having little experience initially in relation to this
particular setting, they have gained knowledge and skills over the period of the inspections. In situations where there were concerns
about children and young people’s lives they have raised these
appropriately with the lead inspector.
HIW have always provided a suitable manager to undertake liaison with us in order to ensure the inspection programmes run smoothly. These individuals, (three to date and just about to meet the fourth), have been helpful, positive and engaging about the work. We have established a Memorandum of Agreement and HIW have always been reliable in undertaking their responsibilities to provide a suitable member of staff to participate in these inspections.
· The provision and availability of Welsh speakers in HIW
is under developed
· Some of the written contributions to inspection reports have required improvement
Overall
We can only report what we find which is limited to our direct experience of HIW and is only a very small part of their overall work. We have found them to be willing, helpful and able to contribute to our inspections and in turn help
areas to improve the services they provide.