CPS Response to Criminal Justice Joint Inspection (CJJI) - Efficiency spotlight report: The impact of recruitment and retention on the criminal justice system, 15 February 2024
His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), His Majesty’s Inspectorates of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), and His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Prisons in England and Wales (HMIP) have today issued a report following their joint inspection of recruitment and retention within the criminal justice system.
We welcome the findings and accept the issues and areas of focus raised. This will help the CPS to enhance its recruitment and retention strategies and will be given thorough consideration.
Issues to address
The report identified two areas of focus for all agencies. The CPS provides its responses below and will continue to work with CJS partners to drive improvements.
1. All agencies should invest more in understanding why staff leave. The reasons will be different and varied across different roles and locations within each agency as well as across the CJS. Agencies should use this information to inform future changes to improve recruitment and retention and ensure that the right support and incentives are in place to retain staff.
CPS Response: Work had already begun on this area prior to the inspection, and we are pleased to confirm that our updated employee leaver questionnaire is in place with a new process on exit interviews to follow shortly as part of our new, dedicated retention strategy.
2. All agencies should regularly review caseloads, capacity, capability, and productivity. This will help to ensure there is adequate supervision and support for staff across the CJS.
CPS Response: The CPS has mechanisms in place to review and move our available resource across the service based on caseload and other pressures. However, there are always ways that we can continue to improve. We are pleased that one of these mechanisms, the introduction of the Central Prosecutor Team is identified as an area of innovation.