Sodexo, the UK’s largest private probation operator, is planning to cut at least 700 posts in the next 12 months – even though there is already a staffing crisis in the probation service.
The company which runs six of the 21 newly privatised community rehabilitation companies in England and Wales plans to introduce kiosks so offenders can report in without having to see a probation officer.
Ian Lawrence, General Secretary of Napo said: “When we met with Sodexo earlier this year, they told us there would be no reductions in the workforce. The use of call centres and machines instead of highly skilled staff is downright dangerous and will put the public at risk”.
Read more:
Probation officers face redundancy in plan to replace them with machines (The Guardian)
Sodexo hits probation services with massive redundancies (Napo)