AN INSPECTION into a probation trust has found it to be of an overall high standard with offenders making progress against reoffending and child protection a priority.

York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust has been evaluated and a report published this month by Liz Calderbank, chief inspector of Probation.

The inspection assessed whether work with the individual offender protects the public, reduces the likelihood of reoffending and provides a high quality service to courts and victims.

The York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust said it was pleased to receive good results and useful suggestions for improvement.

Inspectors considered the management of risk of harm to others and the progress in addressing factors that have contributed to the offending behaviour to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

Inspectors at the York and North Yorkshire trust were pleased to find that reports to court were of a good quality and sentencers were satisfied with them; efforts were made to communicate with reluctant offenders; and that individuals were encouraged to take responsibility for their actions.

The report also found the trust had made significant progress in the quality of its risk of harm work and in most cases and child protection and safeguarding was given a high priority.

Inspectors made recommendations to assist York and North Yorkshire in its continuing improvement, including seeking information from children’s social care services to ensure work is based on an awareness of child protection issues and reviewing risk of harm plans in response to significant changes.

Ms Calderbank said: “We found that although some aspects of practice needed attention, overall work with offenders was delivered to a high standard, and we considered some aspects of the work to be excellent.

“The trust provided strong strategic leadership and enjoyed the respect and confidence of its partners and staff.

“Managers throughout the trust encouraged innovative practice and their quality performance arrangements had clearly contributed to the encouraging findings of this inspection.”

A spokesman from York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust said: “We were subject to the inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, achieving some good results and helpfully some useful suggestions for improvement. “Overall the outcome was a positive one.

“Our most recent staff survey showed an increasingly positive view of the organisation from our staff who are committed both to our values and the delivery of high standards of community sentences.”