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Bridgend Probation Service (Voluntary Sector)

I thank my hon. Friend for that clarification. Indeed, such clarification was my hon. Friend’s purpose in seeking the debate. At that meeting, it was said that the centre has no written policy safeguarding and protecting of vulnerable adults or children, and that young offenders and prisoners were placed at the centre as volunteers prior to their release without the knowledge of the local probation service. Bridgend county borough council made clear at the meeting, through its social services department, that it had offered to help Sandville review and revise its risk assessment and risk management procedures through an action plan. Given the probation service’s primary responsibility to protect the public, South Wales probation service suspended the use of Sandville as an unpaid work placement until appropriate risk management procedures were in place. The decision to suspend Sandville as a placement was made purely on the ground of the risk of harm and no other. It is regrettable that, after the multi-agency meeting on 11 November, South Wales probation service did not immediately contact community service volunteers, which has responsibility for arranging pre-release scheme placements for the prison service. I am informed that this lack of communication was due in part to CSV’s relationship being with the Prison Service rather than the probation service—a clear example of why prisons and probation need to be brought together under NOMS. On 18 August 2006, South Wales probation service issued a notice through the Home Office to all probation areas, advising them not to use Sandville as a placement for offenders supervised on licence. That followed an instance of another probation area informing South Wales probation service that an offender released on licence had moved into its area and was working at the Sandville self-help centre.