Accredited official statistics

HM Prison and Probation Service annual staff equalities report: 2023 to 2024

Published 28 November 2024

Applies to England and Wales

Main Points

69,053 (headcount) staff in post as at 31 March 2024	This was an increase of 5.0% compared to 31 March 2023. Females represented 54.7% of staff (no substantial change since last year) and 14.2% of staff who declared their ethnicity were from ethnic minority backgrounds (an increase of 1.5 percentage points since last year).
11,227 (headcount) new recruits to HMPPS in 2023/24	This was 435 (3.7%)  less than in 2022/23. Females accounted for 52.1% of joiners, which was a decrease of 6.2 percentage points compared to 2022/23,  and 44.7% of joiners were aged under 30 years old.
3,872 staff (6.2%) were receiving temporary cover allowances (TCA)	This was a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to 31 March 2023 . TCA rates were slightly higher for females (6.4%) compared to males (5.9%).
4.4% of permanent staff were promoted, an equivalent of 2,926 promotions	A decrease from the rate of 5.7% (3,594 promotions) in 2022/23. The promotion rate for female staff was higher in 2023/24 at 4.6% (1,712) than for males at 4.0% (1,214).
35.9% of staff received a recognition and reward bonus during the year	This was a decrease of 4.2  percentage points compared to 2022/23. The average value for each member of staff who received an award in 2023/24 was £168.
1,072 staff raised grievances, representing 1.6 per 100 staff	This was no change in the number per 100 staff from 2022/23. These resulted in 1,270 cases of which 576 (45.4%) were upheld/partially upheld. The number of grievance cases raised during the year increased very slightly compared to 2022/23, but the percentage of cases being upheld/partially upheld decreased slightly by 0.2 percentage points (from 45.6%).
Overall rate of conduct & discipline cases was 1.6 per 100 staff	An increase from 1.1 per 100 staff for 2022/23.   In 2023/24, the rate was almost three times higher for male staff (at 2.5 per 100 male staff) compared to female staff (at 0.9 per 100 female staff) and was highest amongst band 3-5 prison officers at 2.9 per 100 staff.
HMPPS staff lost an average of 11.2 working days due to sickness	A decrease from 12.7 days for 2022/23. For 2023/24, the average was higher for female than male staff (11.4 and 10.9 days respectively) and was higher for ethnic minority (excluding white minorities) staff (12.4 days) compared to white staff (10.6 days).
The overall leaving rate across HMPPS in 2023/24 stood at 11.6%	This is a decrease of 0.9 percentage points compared to 2022/23. The leaving rates were higher for male staff (12.6%) compared to female staff (10.7%) and was highest amongst OSG staff at 15.9%.

This publication considers staffing profiles and processes of the directly employed HMPPS workforce from an equality perspective. Technical details and explanatory notes can be found in the accompanying Guide and Glossary to the annual HMPPS Staff Equalities Report.

Please send any feedback you may have related to the content of this publication to: [email protected]

Statistician’s comment

As at 31 March 2024, there were 69,053 (headcount) staff in post and the size of the workforce has increased by 5.0% compared to March last year. Female representation rates were again higher than males (54.7% and 45.3%, respectively). In 2023/24, 11,227 new staff joined HMPPS, which was 435 fewer joiners than in 2022/23. Of these joiners, more than half (52.1%) were female which was a decrease of 6.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. This year, 69.5% of staff who joined HMPPS had declared their ethnicity which is the first time in the time series that the declaration rate had been above the set threshold to allow for meaningful analysis of representation rates. Just under a quarter (23.1%) of joiners had declared themselves as being from an ethnic minority background.  

In 2022/23, a revised performance management policy was introduced which aligns with the rest of the Ministry of Justice. As part of this, the recognition and reward system was also updated to encourage smaller and more regular in-year awards. It covers both cash bonuses and voucher awards. Of staff employed by HMPPS in 2023/24, 35.9% received a recognition and reward award during the year with an average value of £168 per person. This is a decrease from 2022/23 where 40.1% of staff received a recognition and reward bonus, with an average value of £170 per person.

Compared to the previous year, the rate of staff raising grievances remained the same at 1.6 grievances per 100 staff in 2023/24, while the rate of investigations and conduct & discipline cases both increased over the same period. The overall rate of conduct & discipline cases was 1.6 per 100 staff which was an increase from 1.1 per 100 staff for 2022/23. In 2023/24, the rate was almost three times higher for male staff (at 2.5 per 100 male staff) compared to female staff (at 0.9 per 100 female staff) and was highest amongst band 3-5 prison officers at 2.9 per 100 staff. Similarly, HMPPS staff were investigated at a rate of 3.6 per 100 staff which was an increase from 3.0 per 100 staff in 2022/23. Males were more than twice as likely to face investigations than females (5.3 and 2.1 per 100 staff, respectively). Band 3-5 prison officers were investigated at a rate of 6.7 per 100 staff which was more than twice as high as any other grade group.

Sickness rates have continued to decrease to stand at an average of 11.2 workings days lost in 2023/24, a decrease from 12.7 days in 2022/23. Probation Service Below Management grade staff had the highest sickness rates where they lost an average of 13.2 days to sickness. This was closely followed by frontline prison staff with band 3-5 prison officers losing an average of 12.1 days to sickness and OSG staff losing an average of 11.4 working days.

Leaving rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic to 8.3% in 2020/21, possibly due to increased uncertainty in the employment market. Following post-COVID increases, leaving rates have since seen a decrease from 12.6% in 2021/22 to 11.6% in 2023/24. Frontline prison staff had the highest leaving rate with 15.9% of OSGs and 13.1% of band 3-5 prison officers leaving in 2023/24.

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 several partners to carry out the sentences given by the courts, either in custody or the community. This report considers profiles and processes of the HMPPS workforce from an equalities’ perspective.

HMPPS delivers services directly through public sector prisons, the youth custody service, and the Probation Service. The statistics in this publication relate to staff working within HMPPS with a contract of employment with HMPPS, who are all civil servants. Staffing in private sector establishments, Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and other contractors are excluded.

During June 2021, more than 7,000 staff from private CRCs came together with 3,500 probation officers already in the public sector in the new Probation Service.

The equality objectives of HMPPS are stated, along with progress and achievements, in the HMPPS Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23. The 2023/24 report is due to be published shortly.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmpps-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-23

There are many interactions between characteristics of staff that influence outcomes on staff processes. These include interactions between protected characteristics, such as between age and ethnicity, as well as other factors such as grade level. It is not possible within a report of this size to explore these interactions. Important considerations, such as differences in grade levels and how they may affect different groups of staff are highlighted, but no detailed analysis is included that removes the interactions and allows the unique contribution of protected characteristics to be isolated.

Values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction are suppressed. Please see our technical guide for further information on suppression.

Workforce statistics for HMPPS (and NOMS prior to 1 April 2017) are also published through the HMPPS Quarterly Workforce Bulletin:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

This report covers staff processes with reference to protected characteristics as set out below.

Staff Process

• Total Staff in Post

• Joiners

• Temporary Cover

• Promotions

• Recognition and reward bonuses

• Grievances

• Investigations

• Conduct and Discipline Cases

• Sickness Absence

• Leavers

Protected Characteristic

• Gender

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Disability

• Sexual Orientation

• Religion / Belief

An accompanying report relating to Offender Equalities statistics for 2023/24 will also be published on 28 November 2024 and available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmpps-annual-offender-equalities-report

Protected characteristics information is recorded for HMPPS staff on gender, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief, and work pattern. Caution should be exercised in attempting to make comparisons between the composition of the HMPPS workforce and the wider population of England and Wales based on protected characteristics. There is substantial regional variation of these distributions in the general population, and HMPPS staff are not distributed across England and Wales in the same proportions as the general population, this may render such comparisons invalid.

Data on the ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and religion/belief were collected from self-declared, non-compulsory fields on the Single Operating Platform (SOP) from January 2017 onwards. With lower declaration rates, the risk of bias increases, and the accuracy of a representation rate based on known declarations falls rapidly. Consequently, when a declaration rate falls below 60%, no representation rate is provided.

1. Total Staff in Post

There were 69,053 staff in post as at 31st March 2024, 5.0% more than at the same date in 2023.

Females accounted for 54.7% of staff (no substantial change since last year  ) and 14.2% of staff who declared their ethnicity were from ethnic minority backgrounds; which was an increase of 1.5 percentage points since last year . The age band with the largest proportion of staff was 30–39-year-olds (25.2%), an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to 31 March 2023.

The headcount of HMPPS staff in post increased from 65,746 as at 31 March 2023 to 69,053 as at 31 March 2024. This consisted of 31,807 staff in operational grades, 22,394 in the Probation Service grades, and 14,827 in non-operational grades.

Figure 1 shows a breakdown of grades by gender, and figures 2 and 3 show the make-up of the workforce across the available protected characteristics. Representation rates are only illustrated where information is recorded for over 60% of staff. Additional details on staff in post can also be found in tables 1a and 1b.

Gender

Females accounted for 54.7% (37,788) of all HMPPS staff as at 31 March 2024, which is similar to the proportion seen in the previous year of 54.8% (35,997 females). The overall trend shows a steady increase in the percentage of females since March 2020 which has then plateaued between 2023 and 2024.

Figure 1: HMPPS staff by grade and gender, as at 31 March 2024

Across all operational grades,   there was a higher proportion of males compared to females. Senior leaders in public prisons and HMPPS HQ (Senior Civil Servants and operational managers including governors) were made up of 41.3% (90) females, which is 3.3 percentage points higher than as at 31 March 2023. Furthermore, females accounted for 40.8% (399) of operational manager bands 7-9 and 31.1% (7,647) of prison officer bands 3-5. Operational Support Grades (OSGs) were the only operational grade group who had a higher proportion of females than males in post at 51.5%.

In contrast, there were more female than male staff in non-operational grades (in prisons, HMPPS HQ and Area Services); 63.3% in non-operational manager grades (an increase of 1.6 percentage points from 61.7% in March 2023) and 65.3% in non-operational grades below management level were female.

The Probation Service^{[footnote 1]} had higher female representation than the other parts of HMPPS. Females predominated in the Probation Service at all levels, comprising of 68.1% (248) of staff in senior Probation Service roles (bands A-D), 74.3% (1,797) in bands 5-6, and 76.0% (14,902) in Probation Service grades below management level (which includes probation officers at band 4).

Figure 2: HMPPS staff by gender, age, and ethnicity, as at 31 March 2024

Age

As at 31 March 2024, the age band with the largest proportion of staff was those aged 30-39, comprising 25.2% (17,379) of all staff. This is largely driven by frontline staff in prisons and probation. The proportion of those aged 40 or over as at 31 March 2024 stood at 53.6% (37,015), a decrease of 0.8 percentage points since the previous year, whilst those aged under 30 represented 21.2% (14,659) of the HMPPS workforce, which remains the same since last year.  The overall age distribution of HMPPS staff has remained fairly consistent since March 2019.

Frontline band 3-5 prison officers and probation service below management grades were mostly made up of staff aged less than 40; 30.7% of band 3-5 prison officers in post were aged 30-39 and 26.7% were under 30, and for probation service below management grades in post, 23.7% were aged 30-39 and 24.2% were under 30. For all other grades groups, the age bands with highest proportion of staff were either 40-49 or 50-59.

Ethnicity

As at 31 March 2024, 86.2% of staff had declared their ethnicity. Of these, 14.2% (8,429) were from an ethnic minority background which is an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to 2022/23. Within the ethnic minority groups, 6.2% of staff were from a black or black British background (an increase of 0.9 percentage tage points since 31 March 2023) and 4.4% of staff were from an asian or asian British background (an increase of 0.5 percentage points since 31 March 2023). By grade, the lowest ethnic minority representation was for operational managers bands 7-9 at 6.1% (57), a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year (6.2%).  By comparison the grade with the highest ethnic minority representation was those in Probation Service below management grades, at 18.6%, an increase of 1.0 percentage points compared to the previous year (17.6%)

Figure 3: HMPPS staff by disability status, religion, and sexual orientation, as at 31 March 2024

Disability

Overall, 80.6% of staff had declared their disability status. Of those who had declared their disability status, there were 16.9% of staff who declared themselves as disabled compared to 83.1% who declared themselves as non-disabled. The lowest disability representation rate was for band 3-5 officers at 10.1% (1,974), and the highest representation rate was for Probation Service below management grade at 24.2% (3,887).

Religion

Overall, 78.8% of staff had declared their religious belief. Of those who had declared their religious belief, 42.5% were Christian, 48.4% had no religion and 9.1% were non-Christian. There were some differences between the groups within the non-Christian Religion category, with most non-Christian staff being Muslim or Other at 3.2% and 3.7% respectively, compared to 0.2% of staff who declared as Jewish.

Sexual Orientation

Overall, 79.7% of staff had declared their sexual orientation. Of those who had declared their sexual orientation as at 31 March 2024, 92.3% were heterosexual/straight compared to 7.7% of staff declaring themselves as LGBO (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Other). The LGBO representation has increased by 0.3 percentage points since 31 March 2023. The grades with the highest level of LGBO representation were OSG and prisons officer grades, at 8.9%, and 8.4% respectively, an increase of 0.1 percentage points and 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.

2. Joiners

There were 11,227 (headcount) new recruits to HMPPS in 2023/24; 435 less than in 2022/23 and a 3.7% decrease.

Females accounted for 52.1% of joiners and just under half of joiners (44.7%) were aged under 30 years old.

The number of staff appointed to HMPPS decreased from 11,662 in 2022/23 to 11,227 in 2023/24, a 3.7% decrease. The largest group of recruits were band 3 to 5 officers, with 4,821 appointed in the 12 months to 31 March 2024,  followed by Probation Service below management grades which includes Probation Service Officers, with 3,216 appointed in 2023/24. Figure 4 shows a breakdown of joiners across the available protected characteristics; additional details can also be found in the tables 2a and 2b.

Figure 4: HMPPS new joiners by protected characteristic, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Overall, 47.9% of those who joined HMPPS were male and 52.1% were female; this was a 6.2 percentage point decrease in female proportions compared to the previous year. Gender proportions varied by grade with most of the grades having new recruits who were largely female, such as operational manager (80.4%) and non-operational manager (74.9%) grades. However, band 3-5 officer recruits had a higher proportion of males (69.8%, an increase of 8.5 percentage points compared to 2022/23).

Just under half of new joiners (44.7%, equivalent to 5,023 individuals) in 2023/24 were aged under 30 whilst 30.6% (3,436) were aged 40 or older. Across grades, below management grades had a higher proportion of staff who joined aged under 30. Specifically, 46.0% (2,220) of band 3-5 officers joiners, 38.0% (672) of OSG joiners, 38.1% (414) of non-operational below manager joiners, and 50.4% (1,622) of Probation Service below management joiners were aged under 30. Non-operational management roles also followed this trend, with 35.4% (86) of joiners aged under 30. In operational management roles, a high proportion of staff who joined were aged between 40-49 years old (42.9%), whilst in Probation Service management roles, a high proportion of staff who joined were aged between 30-39 years old (32.4%).

Of the 78.4% of joiners that declared their disability status in 2023/24, 12.0% were self-declared as being disabled compared to 88.0% of non-disabled staff. The disability declaration rate has increased by 13.8 percentage points since 2022/23. Where numbers were large enough to disclose, the lowest disability representation was for band 3-5 prison officers at 6.5% and the highest representation rate was for non-operational managers at 25.1%, an increase of 8.8 percentage points compared to 2022/23.

There was a higher proportion of joiners who declared themselves as having no religion (53.3%) compared to those belonging to a religious group (46.7%, of which 34.9% were Christian and 11.8% were non-Christian). Compared to 2022/23, the representation rate has increased by 1.9 percentage points for non-Christian religions and increased by 3.3 percentage points for Christian religions. The declaration rate for religion has increased by 13.3 percentage points since 2022/23.

In 2023/24, 79.1% of joiners had declared their sexual orientation. Of those, a higher proportion of recruits were heterosexual/straight at 90.2% compared to 9.8% who were Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Other (LGBO). Of the LGBO categories, bisexual staff made up the largest proportions of joiners at 4.7% compared to gay/lesbian and ‘other’ (4.2% and 0.8% respectively). The LGBO declaration rate has increased by 13.6 percentage points since 2022/23.

Declaration rates for ethnicity are above the threshold to allow for meaningful analysis for the first time in the time series. Of the 69.5% of joiners that declared their ethnicity in 2023/24, 76.9% were from white backgrounds compared to 23.1% from ethnic minority backgrounds. There were some differences between groups in the ethnic minority group, with 11.6% of joiners declared as coming from a black background and 7.2% of joiners declared as coming from an asian background  . Across grades where rates are high enough to disclose, band 3-5 prison officers and probation service below managements grades had the highest proportions of ethnic minority staff joining (25.2% and 24.3%, respectively), whereas non-operational below management grade staff had much lower proportions with 13.4% of staff joining being from an ethnic minority background. The declaration rate for ethnicity has increased by 17.1 percentage points since 2022/23.

3. Temporary Cover

As at 31 March 2024, 3,872 staff (6.2%) were receiving temporary cover allowances (TCA).

TCA rates were higher for females, those aged 30-39 years old, white staff, non-disabled staff, and non-religious staff.

Temporary cover payments are a system that enables staff to work temporarily in a more senior role and receive an additional payment while this work is undertaken. Although temporary cover payments tend to be received for a considerable duration while an individual covers a role at a higher grade on a temporary basis, these figures are based on snapshots at a moment of time at the end of a financial year. As such, they may not accurately represent the rates of those receiving cover payments during the financial year.

As at 31 March 2024, 3,872 staff were receiving temporary cover allowances for filling posts of a higher grade on a temporary basis. This represents 6.2% of staff, an increase from 6.1% of staff as at 31 March 2023.  Across grades, operational managers had the highest TCA rates at 10.9% of staff and Probation Service managers had the lowest rate at 1.8%. The rate of temporary cover allowances is illustrated in figure 5, with additional details in tables 3a and 3b.

Figure 5: Temporary cover allowances (TCA) per 100 staff, as at 31 March 2024

As at 31 March 2024, 6.4% of females were on temporary cover compared to 5.9% of males. The TCA rates were lower for female non-operational managerial staff (6.2% compared to 8.0% for males), but higher for female operational managerial staff (11.2% compared to 10.7% for males),  and for females in junior roles, such as band 3-5 prison officers (7.2% compared to 6.4% for males) and non-operational below management grades (4.4% compared to 3.2% for males). The TCA rates among female staff in Probation Service grades were mixed where they were higher than males at the below management grade (7.5% compared to 5.6 for males) but lower than males at the management grades (1.7% compared to 1.9% for males).

Temporary cover payments were most prevalent amongst those aged 30 to 39 (7.9%) compared to 7.4% of staff under 30s, 6.7% for staff aged 40 to 49, 4.3% of staff aged 50 to 59 years old, and 1.7% of staff aged 60 or over. For Probation Service below management grade staff, temporary cover payments were most prevalent amongst those aged under 30 years old at 12.5% compared to 8.9% of staff aged 30-39.

As at 31 March 2024, 4.9% of ethnic minority staff were receiving temporary cover payments compared to 6.5% of white staff which is 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous year (5.0% and 6.6% respectively). Within the ethnic minority category, staff who declared as mixed ethnic groups had the highest rate of receiving TCAs at 6.0% and staff who declared themselves as Black or Black British had the lowest rates at 4.5%. To note, numbers within the ethnic minority subset groups were low so some caution is advised when viewing rates.

The proportion of staff receiving temporary cover allowances was lower amongst disabled staff compared to non-disabled (5.3% and 6.6% respectively as at 31 March 2024). This is similar to the rates seen in the previous year.

As at 31 March 2024, 5.5% of staff with non-Christian religions were receiving temporary cover payments, compared to 5.9% of Christian staff and 7.0% of staff with no religion. Within the non-Christian religion subset groups, staff who declared as Sikh had the highest rate of receiving TCAs at 6.6%. This figure should be treated with caution due to the small number of Sikh staff in post as 31 March 2024 (412).

The proportion of staff receiving temporary cover allowances was higher amongst staff who declared themselves as LGBO (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Other) at 8.7% compared to 6.2% of heterosexual staff. This is consistent across the time series shown in the tables.

4. Promotions

In 2023/24, 4.4% of permanent staff were promoted, an equivalent of 2,926 promotions.

The rate of promotions was higher for: females, those aged 30-39 years old, white , non-disabled, and staff who identified as LGBO.

Promotions relate to staff moving to a more senior grade through an internal process. Operational Support Grade staff who convert to become prison officers are known as ‘conversions’ and not defined as promotions and so this specific grade change does not appear in this report. Promotions are reported in terms of the grade of the staff prior to promotion rather than the grade they were promoted into. Similarly, rates are calculated in relation to the number of staff in the lower grade.

In 2023/24, 4.4% of staff were promoted (the equivalent of 2,926 promotions within the year), a decrease from the rate of 5.7% (3,594 promotions) in 2022/23.

The rate of promotions, which represents the number of individuals promoted per 100 staff, in 2023/24 across all protected characteristics is illustrated in figure 6. Additional details on promotions can also be found in tables 4a and 4b.

Figure 6: Promotions per 100 staff, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

The promotion rate for female staff was higher in 2023/24 at 4.6% (1,712) than for males at 4.0% (1,214). Over the past 4 years, promotion rates have been consistently higher among female staff compared to male staff. This trend was also seen across band 3-5 prison officer, OSG, all non-operational grades, and Probation Service below management grades in 2023/24. For Probation Service management grades, the promotion rates for males and females were the same at 1.2%. Operational Managers were the only grade group where males had a higher rate of promotion compared to females, at 9.0% and 8.4% respectively.

The rate of promotions declines as the age of staff increases after the 30-39 age bracket.  In 2023/24, staff aged under 30 had a promotion rate of 4.9% while staff aged 30 to 39 had the highest rate of promotion at 6.2% of staff in post, compared to 4.4% for staff aged 40 to 49, 3.3% for the 50-59 age group and 0.9% for staff aged 60 and over.

Across operational grades, operational managers had a higher rate of promotion (8.8%) compared to the more junior grades, where 4.9% of band 3-5 officers and 3.4% of OSGs were promoted. However, across non-operational and probation service grades, the below management grades had a higher rate of promotion than the managerial positions (6.5% of non-operational below managegment compared to 4.3% non-operational managers, and 2.9% of probation service below management compared to 1.2% of probation service management grades).

In the 12 months ending 31 March 2024, ethnic minority staff had a lower promotion rate at 3.5% than white staff at 4.7%. Within the ethnic minority groups, those identifying as mixed ethnicity had the highest rate at 5.3%. Probation Service management grade was the only grade where ethnic minority staff had a higher promotion rate compared to white staff (1.4% for ethnic minority group compared to 1.2% for white).

In 2023/24, the rate of promotion between staff who declared themselves disabled was lower than that of non-disabled staff, at 3.6% and 4.7% respectively. This pattern was seen across all grades apart from band 3-5 prison officers, where the rate was the same at 5.0%.

In 2023/24, the promotion rate was higher for Christian staff (4.2%) compared to staff affiliated with non-Christian religions (3.5%). These rates were lower compared to the promotion rates of those with no religion (5.1%). Within the non-Christian religion subset groups, staff who declared as Hindu had the highest rate of promotion at 4.5%.

Staff who identified themselves as LGBO (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Other) had a higher rate of promotion compared to heterosexual staff (5.5% and 4.5% respectively). Across grades (where figures are large enough to disclose), non-operational managers who identified themselves as LGBO had a lower rate of promotion (2.9%) compared to heterosexual operational managers (4.5%). For all other grades, staff who identified as LGBO has a higher rate of promotion compared to heterosexual staff in the same grade.

5.  Recognition and reward bonuses

In 2023/24, 35.9% of staff employed in the year were awarded a recognition and reward bonus.

The rate of bonuses awarded was higher for; females (40.6%) compared to their male counterparts (30.2%), white staff (38.0%) compared to ethnic minority staff (31.6%), and disabled staff (40.4%) compared to non-disabled staff (36.7%).

Recognition and reward (R&R) bonuses allow local management the opportunity to recognise and reward any member of staff for exceptional performance in a particularly demanding task or situation through a one-off non-consolidated lump sum payment of up to £2,000 (or up to £20,000 with CEO approval). R&R bonuses can be rewarded in either cash or voucher form. The figures here represent staff receiving an award of either kind.

In 2023/24, there was a total of 77,271 staff in post within the year (including leavers), of which 27,723 staff (35.9%) were awarded a recognition and reward bonus in the year. The average value of R&R bonuses for staff who received a bonus was £168 of awards per staff member.

Across the grades, both the rate of bonuses awarded and the average value per person was higher for managerial positions than for junior positions. In operational grades, 48.4% of operational managers were awarded bonuses with an average of £624 per person, compared to the more junior operational positions of band 3-5 officers at 25.0%, and OSGs at 14.8%, with averages of £149 and £89 per person respectively. A similar pattern was seen for non-operational and Probation Service grades too; 52.9% of non-operational managers were awarded bonuses with an average of £405 per person, compared to more junior non-operational positions at 32.8% (average of £136 per person), and 74.9% of Probation Service management grades were awarded bonuses with an average of £273 per person, compared to 48.9% of Probation Service below management grades with an average of £106 per person.

The rate of recognition and reward bonuses and the average value per award across protected characteristics are illustrated in figures 7 and 8 below. Recognition and reward bonus statistics can be viewed in tables 5a & 5b.

Figure 7: Percentage of staff who received a recognition and reward bonus, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Figure 8: Average value of recognition and reward bonuses per employee, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

In 2023/24, females were awarded recognition and reward bonuses at a higher rate than males at 40.6% compared to 30.2%, respectively. However, the average value of the bonuses was higher for males who received an average of £173 compared to females who received an average of £165. The rate of R&R bonuses awarded was higher for females than males across all the known grades. 

In 2023/24, staff in the 40-49 age group had the highest rate of bonuses awarded at 41.4%, and the average value of bonuses for this age group was the highest compared to the other age groups at £201. Staff aged under 30 had the lowest rate of bonuses awarded at 29.2% as well as the lowest average value of £115.

In 2023/24, the rate of bonuses awarded to ethnic minority staff was lower compared to white staff (31.6% compared to 38.0% respectively), and the average value of bonuses awarded to ethnic minority staff was lower with an average of £161 for ethnic minority staff and £173 for white staff. There were differences between the rates and average value of bonuses awarded to the different groups of ethnic minority staff. Staff who declared themselves as Mixed Ethnic were awarded the highest bonus rate, at a rate of 36.0%, with an average value of £181  per person.  In contrast, staff who declared themselves as Black or Black British were awarded the lowest number of bonuses at a rate of 27.6% and were also awarded the least, with an average value of bonuses of £152.

The rate of bonuses awarded in 2023/24 to those who declared as disabled was 40.4%, compared to 36.7% for non-disabled staff. The average value of these bonuses was lower for those declared disabled at £154 compared to non-disabled at £177.

In 2023/24, the rate of bonuses awarded to those who declared themselves as being non-Christian (35.5%) was lower compared to those who declared as Christian (38.2%) and those being affiliated with no religion  (37.0%). Staff who declared themselves as LGBO (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Other) were awarded bonuses at a higher rate than heterosexual/straight staff (38.5% compared to 37.3%). The average value of awards awarded to LGBO staff was similar to heterosexual/straight staff (£173 and £171, respectively).

6. Grievances

In 2023/24, 1,072 staff raised grievances resulting in 1,270 cases. Of these cases, 45.4% were upheld/partially upheld.

This is an increase from 2022/23 where 989 staff raised grievances resulting in 1,176 cases. In 2023/24, the overall rate of staff raising grievances was 1.6 per 100 staff, which has not changed since 2022/23. The raising of grievances in 2023/24 was higher for: ethnic minority staff (at 2.4 per 100 staff) compared to white staff (at 1.4 per 100 staff), disabled staff (at 3.5 per 100 staff) compared to non-disabled staff (at 1.2 per 100 staff), non-Christian staff (at 2.4 per 100 staff) compared to Christian staff (at 1.7 per 100 staff) and staff with no religion (at 1.3 per 100 staff), and LGBO staff (at 2.4 per 100 staff) compared to heterosexual/straight staff (at 1.5 per 100 staff).

A grievance is defined as any concern, problem or complaint raised by an individual member of staff relating to his or her employment. Only grievances that have gone through the formal procedure are analysed here. Grievances resolved locally or through mediation are not recorded centrally. Further details on grievances can be found in tables 6a, 6b(i), 6b(ii).

In 2023/24, there were 1,072 staff who raised grievances, resulting in 1,270 cases. Of these cases, 45.4% (576 cases) were upheld or partially upheld, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. The overall figure for the number of grievances raised in 2023/24 represented 1.6 per 100 staff, no change since 2022/23. Across grade breakdowns, operational mangers had the highest rate in terms of raising a grievance at 2.0 per 100 staff.

Figures 9 and 10 show the rate per 100 staff raising grievances and the percent of cases upheld or partially upheld, split by protected characteristic.

Figure 9: Number of staff per 100 staff raising grievances, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Figure 10: Percent of cases upheld or partially upheld, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Overall, female staff raised grievances in 2023/24 at the same rate as males, with both at 1.6 per 100 staff. Across probation service grades, females raised fewer grievances compared to males in below management grades but more at the senior grades. In operational grades (operational managers, band 3-5 officers, OSGs) female staff raised a higher rate of grievances than male staff but there were differences in non-operational grades (non-operational manager and non-operational below management grades), where female staff raised a higher rate of grievances than male staff at the senior grades but had a lower rate at the below management grades. The largest difference between rates of female and male staff who raised a grievance was for the OSG grade group (at 2.0 and 0.9 per 100 staff respectively). The percentage of cases upheld or partially upheld in 2023/24 was higher for females (48.5%) than for males (41.8%).

In 2023/24, there was a tendency for the rate of grievances to increase with age. Staff under 30 had a grievance rate of 1.0 per 100 staff compared to 2.0 per 100 staff aged 50-59 and 1.9 for staff aged 60 and over.

The overall rate of grievances raised per 100 staff was higher amongst ethnic minority staff compared to white staff, at 2.4 per 100 and 1.4 per 100 staff respectively. However, the percentage of cases upheld or partially upheld was higher for white staff at 46.2% compared to staff from an ethnic minority background at 41.2%.

Overall, self-declared disabled staff raised more grievances, at a rate of 3.5 per 100 staff, than non-disabled staff, at 1.2 per 100 staff. Considering grades where numbers are large enough to disclose, this pattern was seen across all grades.

Non-Christian staff raised more grievances than Christian staff, at 2.4 and 1.7 per 100 staff, respectively. Of the non-Christian staff, the rate of grievances raised was highest for Jewish staff at 3.4 per 100 staff. Considering grades where numbers are large enough to disclose, this pattern of non-Christian grievance rates being higher than Christian rate was seen across all grades, apart for OSGs. Christian staff had a higher proportion of cases being upheld or partially upheld at 43.1% ompared to non-Christian staff at 41.8%. Staff with no religion had the highest proportion of cases being upheld/partially upheld at 50.1%.

Staff who identified themselves as LGBO raised more grievances, at a rate of 2.4 per 100 staff, compared to heterosexual staff, as at a rate of 1.5 per 100 staff. The percentage of cases upheld or partially upheld was higher for LGBO staff (49.1%) than for heterosexual staff (44.4%).

7. Investigations and Conduct & Discipline cases

In 2023/24, the overall rate of investigated staff was 3.6 per 100 staff, an increase from 3.0 per 100 staff in 2022/23

The rate was higher amongst; male staff (5.3 per 100 males) compared to female staff (2.1 per 100 females), ethnic minority staff (4.5 per 100 staff) compared to white staff (3.4 per 100 staff), and those aged 30-39 (4.3 per 100 staff) compared to staff in other age bands.

In 2023/24, the overall rate of conduct and discipline cases was 1.6 per 100 staff, an increase from 1.1 per 100 staff in 2022/23

The rate was almost three times higher for male staff (2.5 per 100 male staff) compared to female staff (0.9 per 100 female staff). Staff from an ethnic minority background had a higher rate of conduct & discipline cases (2.1 per 100 staff), compared to white staff (1.5 per 100 staff).

Over the last few years, HMPPS has been working on improving professional standards with the aim of improving confidence in speaking out. Case numbers may therefore have increased due to individuals having greater confidence in speaking out about issues and due to clearer expectations in how managers should handle disclosures.

Investigations into staff conduct are designed to establish the truth of the case and to determine whether conduct and discipline action is recommended. A conduct and discipline case imposes a penalty on a member of staff for wrongdoing. In cases of summary dismissal, it is not always possible to have had a full internal investigation.

Both investigations and conduct and discipline cases may involve multiple charges and may have multiple outcomes for the different parts of the case. More than one member of staff can also be charged and penalised in a single case. For the purpose of this report, a case is defined as a charge or set of charges being brought against an individual. Where more than one individual is charged together, they are counted as multiple cases in this report. Allegations which meet a criminal threshold will be referred to the Police for investigation. If a criminal justice outcome is secured, this will result in a summary dismissal as per PSI 10/2016 Conduct and Discipline and will not be recorded against a specific ‘type’ of misconduct in the Conduct and Discipline data.

Further details on investigations and conduct and discipline cases can be found in tables 7a, 7b(i) and 7b(ii), and 8a, 8b(i) and 8b(ii).

In 2023/24, 2,416 staff faced at least one investigation, representing a rate of 3.6 investigated staff per 100 staff, an increase from 3.0 investigated staff per 100 for 2022/23. Of the 2,606 cases, 1,646 (63.2%) had further action recommended. In 2023/24, band 3-5 officers had a higher rate of investigations than staff in other grades (6.7 investigated staff per 100 staff, with all other grades with a rate of 3.3 or below).

Overall, male staff were investigated at more than double the rate of female staff in 2023/24, at 5.3 investigated staff per 100 males compared to 2.1 investigated staff per 100 females. The rate of investigations for male staff was higher across all grades. The percentage of cases with further action recommended was higher for females at 63.7% compared to 62.9% for males.

Figures 11 and 12 show the rates per 100 staff who were investigated in 2023/24 and the proportion of cases where further action was recommended, split by protected characteristic.

Figure 11: Staff subject to at least one investigation per 100 staff in post, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Figure 12: Proportion of Investigations where further action was recommended, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

In 2023/24, there was a tendency for the rate of investigations to decrease with age from 4.1 and 4.3 investigated staff per 100 staff for those aged under 30 and 30 to 39 respectively, to 2.4 investigated staff per 100 staff aged 60 and over.

The proportion of ethnic minority staff investigated in 2023/24 was higher than the proportion of white staff investigated, at 4.5 investigated staff per 100 for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds compared to 3.4 investigated staff per 100 for white staff. The percentage of cases with further action recommended was also higher for ethnic minority staff (65.5%) than for white staff (62.7%).

In 2023/24, the proportion of staff with non-Christian religious beliefs investigated was higher than for Christian staff, at 4.7 per 100 staff compared to 3.2 per 100 staff, respectively. Christian staff had a lower proportion of cases with further action recommended (61.8%) compared to non-Christian staff or those with no religion (68.2% and 64.4% respectively). Staff who identified as LGBO were investigated at a higher rate than hetersosexual/straight staff, at 4.4 per 100 staff compared to 3.6 per 100 staff, respectively. This was consistent across the time series.

There were 1,086 staff subject to conduct and discipline action in 2023/24, a rate of 1.6 per 100 staff. There was a total of 1,133 conduct cases and of these 25.3% resulted in the penalty of dismissal ^{[footnote 2]}. The rate of conduct cases was highest amongst band 3-5 prison officers at 2.9 per 100 staff.

Figures 13 and 14 show the rates per 100 staff who were subject to conduct and discipline action and the proportions of conduct cases leading to dismissal in 2023/24, split by protected characteristics.

Figure 13: Staff per 100 staff subject to conduct and discipline action, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Figure 14: Percentage of conduct cases leading to dismissal, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

The rate of conduct cases involving male staff was almost three times the rate for female staff, 2.5 per 100 male staff compared to 0.9 per 100 female staff, and this trend was consistent across the grades. The proportions of cases resulting in dismissal were higher for male staff compared to female staff (25.9% and 24.0% respectively).

In 2023/24, the rate of conduct and discipline cases was highest among staff aged under 30, at 1.9 per 100 staff, and decreased with age where those aged 60 and over had a rate of 1.2 per 100 staff. This is a consistent trend across the timeseries.

In 2023/24, ethnic minority staff had a higher rate of staff subject to conduct and discipline action per 100 staff with 2.1 per 100 staff, compared to white staff with 1.5 per 100 staff. The percentage of dismissals resulting from conduct cases was higher for ethnic minority staff at 29.2% compared to white staff at 22.1%.

There was a smaller proportion of staff subject to conduct and discipline among those who declared themselves as disabled, at 1.5 per 100 staff, compared to non-disabled staff, at 1.6 per 100 staff. The percentage of cases resulting in dismissals was higher for disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff (23.6% and 23.0% respectively).

In 2023/24, staff with non-Christian religious beliefs, 2.4 per 100 staff, were subject to conduct and discipline action at a higher rate than Christian staff, 1.4 per 100 staff. Christian staff had a higher proportion of cases which resulted in dismissals (25.4%) compared to non-Christian staff (20.3%) and those with no religion (22.2%).

The rate of conduct and discipline cases was higher for staff who identified as LGBO compared to Heterosexual staff (2.0 per 100 staff and 1.6 per 100 staff respectively).

8. Sickness Absence

In 2023/24, HMPPS staff lost an average of 11.2 working days due to sickness, a decrease of 1.5 average working days lost compared to 2022/23.

The average working days lost due to sickness increased with age and was higher for females, and those that declared themselves as ethnic minority, disabled, non-Christian, or LGBO.

Sickness absence is represented in this section by the average working days lost (AWDL) due to sickness per employee per year. To note, figures relating to the effect of COVID-19 on HMPPS staff have been included from 2020/21 in this publication. For further information on sickness reason, please see our [HMPPS workforce release] (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics).

In 2023/24, the AWDL due to sickness absence was 11.2 which is a decrease of 1.5 average workings days lost from 12.7 in 2022/23. In 2023/24, across operational, non-operational and Probation Service roles the AWDL was lower for senior staff compared to grades below management level. Operational, non-operational and Probation Service grades below management level had the highest levels of AWDL; 12.1 days for officers, 11.4 days for OSGs, 8.9 days for non-operational below managers and 13.2 days for Probation Service staff below management grade.

The average working days lost to sickness absence was higher for female staff at 11.4 days, than for male staff at 10.9 days. This is the first time in the time series that sickness rates have been higher for females than males. Across the grades, the AWDL was higher for males than females for Operational managers and non-operational below management grade groups. For all other grade groups the AWDL was higher for females than males.

Figure 15 illustrates the AWDL in 2023/24 across all protected characteristics. Further details on sickness absence can be found in tables 9a and 9b.

Figure 15: Average working days lost due to sickness absence, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

In 2023/24, the average working days lost to sickness absence increased with age from 9.2 days for those aged under 30 to 15.9 days for those aged over 60. This pattern was seen also across many of the grades.

In 2023/24, the AWDL was 12.4 for ethnic minority staff and 10.6 days for white staff. There were some differences in the AWDL between the groups within the ethnic minority group, with ‘Mixed Ethnic Groups’ having the highest rate of 13.6 days, followed by Asian or Asian British staff at 12.7 days, Black or Black British at 12.4 and other ethnic group at  4.7. Compared to 2022/23, there was a decrease in the AWDL among white staff of 1.6 days and a decrease for all ethnic minority groups (excluding white minorities) of 2.7 days .

By grade, in the 12 months ending 31 March 2024, the AWDL rate was higher for ethnic minority staff in all staff positions, apart from operational managers (6.1 AWDL for white staff compared to 1.3 for ethnic minority staff) and non-operational below manager grades (8.7 AWDL for white staff compared to 8.6 for ethnic minority staff).

For 2023/24, those who declared themselves as being disabled had more working days lost, on average, than that of non-disabled staff, at 19.6 days compared to 9.3 days, respectively. Disabled staff had a higher AWDL compared to non-disabled staff across all grade groups.

In 2023/24, staff who declared themselves as being a non-Christian had a higher rate of AWDL of 13.6 days compared to Christian staff (11.2 days) and staff with no religion (10.2 days). Of the non-Christian religions, Jewish staff had the highest AWDL of 16.1 days. Staff who declared themselves as LGBO had the highest rate of AWDL of 12.3 days compared to an AWDL of 10.8 days in heterosexual/straight staff.

9. Leavers

In 2023/24, the leaving rate of HMPPS staff was 11.6%, a decrease of 0.9 percentage point since 2022/23.

Leaving rates were higher amongst male staff (12.6%) compared female staff (10.7%). By age, the highest leaving rate was for those aged 60 and over (17.8%), followed by those aged under 30 (15.8%).

In the 12 months ending 31 March 2024, 7,771 permanent staff (headcount) left HMPPS. The leaving rate stood at 11.6%, representing a decrease of 0.9 percentage point from the previous year’s rate of 12.5%. For the 12 months to 31 March 2021, the increased uncertainty in the employment market following the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the drop in the number of resignations during most of the year, therefore impacting on the overall reduced leaving rates. Although there has been a decrease in the leaving rates when compared to 2021/22, the leaving rates in the 12 months to end of March 2024 were still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The rates presented include retirement but exclude voluntary exits under the Voluntary Early Departure Scheme and redundancies (VEDSR).

Leaving rates for each protected characteristic are shown in figure 16. Further details on leavers can be found in tables 10a to 10c.

Figure 16: Permanent staff leaving rates (excluding VEDSR), 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

The leaving rate for female staff was lower in the 12 months ending 31 March 2024 at 10.7% than the rate for male staff at 12.6%. This represents a decrease of 1.0 percentage points for female staff and a decrerase of 0.7 percentage points for male staff compared to the previous year.

Considering gender splits of leaving rates by grade group, operational below management grades had the largest leaving rates in 2023/24 with OSGs having a leaving rate of 15.9%, a decrease from 18.9% in 2022/23, and band 3-5 officers having a leaving rate of 13.1%, a decrease from 14.6% in 2022/23. OSGs was the only grade where females had a higher leaving rate than males; a rate of 16.2% compared to 15.6%, respectively.

As leaving rates include retirement, it would be expected that those aged 60 and over would have one of the highest leaving rates. Accordingly, the leaving rate for those aged 60 and over was the highest at 17.8% in the 12 months to 31 March 2024, an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous 12 months. Those aged under 30 had the second highest leaving rates of 15.8%, which was a decrease of 3.2 percentage points compared to the 12 months to 31 March 2023.

In 2023/24, the leaving rate was higher for ethnic minority staff at 11.6%, compared to white staff at 10.5%. Within the ethnic minority subgroups, those who declared themselves as mixed ethnic groups had the highest leaving rates at 13.2%. Staff who had declared themselves as disabled had a leaving rate of 11.9% which was higher than the leaving rate of non-disabled staff at 10.5%.

In 2023/24, staff who declared themselves as a non-Christian had a higher leaving rate of 11.9% compared to Christian staff (10.2%) and staff with no religion (11.0%). Staff who declared themselves as LGBO had a higher leaving rate of 12.1%, compared to heterosexual/straight staff at 10.7%.

Further Information

Accompanying files

As well as this report, the following products are published as part of this release:

• A technical guide and glossary providing details of the data sources and quality. Information on the revisions policy and disclosure relevant to HMPPS staffing data as well as a definition of terms used is also included.

• A set of tables for the year as well as over time.

Accredited Official Statistics

The statistics in this bulletin are classified as accredited official statistics. Accredited official statistics refer to official statistics that have been independently reviewed by The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) to ensure they comply with the standards trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Accredited official statistics are referred to as ‘National Statistics’ in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. The term ‘Accredited Official Statistics’ to describe national statistics was introduced by OSR in September 2023, following a review of the National Statistics designation.

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: 020 3334 3536

Email: [email protected]

Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to:

Rob Hartley

Workforce Statistics & Analysis

Ministry of Justice

10 South Colonnade

London

E14 4PH

Email: [email protected]

Next update: 27 November 2025

URL: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

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Produced by the Ministry of Justice

Alternative formats are available on request from [email protected]

1. In this report, Probation Service staff are reported according to grade and therefore vary slightly from the total number of staff in the Probation Service. This is due to the small number of Probation Service staff in non-Probation Service grades. ↩

2. Details of appeals are not included in the analysis so several the penalties may have been overturned on appeal. ↩