Not all Probation Areas in the National Probation Service operate a set establishment against which vacant posts can be measured. As a more representative alternative, Probation Areas are required to report regularly on the number of active vacancies they have. An active vacancy is one which a Probation Area is actively trying to fill through a recruitment process.
Figures for 31 December 2006 show that there were a total of 8343.64 full-time equivalent Probation Officers in post in England and Wales. On the same date there were 70.27 full-time equivalent vacancies that were actively being recruited to. Therefore active vacancies accounted for 0.84 per cent. of the total posts available at that time.
Additionally, the National Probation Service employs 6,502.74 full-time equivalent probation service officers, who also deliver front-line services to offenders. At this time, there were 203.00 full-time equivalent vacancies, equating to 3.03 per cent. of the total posts available.
The figures presented in the following table show active vacancies for each Area, in terms of full-time equivalent value, for the Probation Officer and Probation Service Officer grades at the close of Quarter 3 06/07 (1 October to 31 December 2006).
All vacancies Probation officer vacancies Probation services officer vacancies Area Total Total vacancies Vacancies (as a percentage of total vacancies) Vacancies (as a percentage of total posts1) Total vacancies Vacancies (as a percentage of total vacancies) Vacancies (as a percentage of total posts1) Avon and Somerset 7.90 3.00 37.97 1.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 Bedfordshire 1.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Cambridgeshire 4.00 1.00 25.00 0.99 0.00 0.00 0.00 Cheshire 15.74 3.00 19.06 2.08 9.44 59.97 7.24 Cumbria 5.96 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Derbyshire 4.60 0.60 13.04 0.45 2.00 43.48 187 Devon and Cornwall 15.68 3.60 22.96 1.71 3.41 21.75 2.26 Dorset 8.40 1.30 15.48 1.53 4.80 57. 14 6.25 Durham 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Dyfed Powys 4.39 1.70 38.72 2.52 0.69 15. 72 1.31 Essex 5.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.10 41.18 1.20 Gloucestershire 6.00 2.00 33.33 2.91 3.00 50.00 5.76 Greater Manchester2 — n/a — — n/a — — Gwent 2.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 47.62 1.01 Hampshire2 — n/a — — n/a — — Hertfordshire 3.50 3.00 85.71 3.34 0.50 14.29 0.59 Humberside 28.10 5.60 19.93 2.84 12.10 43.06 7.45 Kent 12.72 4.00 31.45 1.99 3.00 23.58 1.78 Lancashire 1.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Leicestershire 13.00 1.10 8.46 0.66 11,40 87.69 5.60 Lincolnshire 4.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.50 77.78 4.75 London 104.00 13.00 12.50 1.18 84.00 80.77 7.87 Merseyside 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0,00 0.00 0.00 Norfolk 6.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 50.00 2.08 North Wales 3.00 0,00 0.00 0.00 3.00 100.00 3.65 North Yorkshire 4.10 0,00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Northamptonshire 16.85 8.00 47.48 7.01 2.00 11.87 2.69 Northumbria 11.21 2.00 17.84 0.70 3.00 26.76 1.60 Nottinghamshire 8.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.00 70.59 2.93 South Wales 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 South Yorkshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Staffordshire 2.50 2.50 100.00 1.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 Suffolk 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Surrey 18.87 3.27 1733 3.87 9.00 47.69 8.00 Sussex 4.00 2.00 50.00 1.07 1.00 25.00 0.76 Teesside 11.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.00 90.91 9.31 Thames Valley 23.50 4.00 17.02 1.68 13.50 57.45 5.34 Warwickshire 11.16 1.00 8.96 1.59 5.66 50. 72 11.26 West Mercia 8.76 1.00 11.42 0.63 3.00 34.25 265 West Midlands2 — n/a — — n/a — — West Yorkshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Wiltshire 10.70 3.60 33.64 4.55 2.90 27. 10 5.48 NPS 389.74 70.27 18.03 0.84 203.00 52.09 3.03 1 Total PO and PSO posts are ‘staff in post’ plus the number of active vacancies. 2 Hampshire, Greater Manchester and West Midlands Probation Areas are unable to provide data on active vacancies.