2018 – a year of change and challenge for the Parole Board

2018 has not been an easy year for the Parole Board, where we’ve been subject to unprecedented scrutiny and some criticism. It is a testament to the dedication and fortitude of our staff and members that the performance of the Parole Board remains as strong as it does.

Given that the Board make thousands of difficult decisions each year, about people who have committed some of the most serious offences, it is inevitable that our decisions will be criticised and right that they are scrutinised. Most people who experience our work directly know that our decisions are made very carefully and with great thoroughness, ensuring both fairness to the prisoner and the protection of the public.

Decision summaries

Our ability to produce summaries now puts us in a much better position to explain why we make our decisions. This process is working extremely well with well over 600 summaries now issued to victims.

New year, new opportunities

As this year draws to an end, we are well placed to meet the new challenges that will arise in 2019, and we are entering it in a good position and with the confidence of our key partners. This confidence has recently been illustrated by the Parole Board being awarded additional funding this financial year to allow us to continue to schedule hearings at a rate that ensures continued throughput of cases.

In the new year we should receive the outcome of the review of our Rules, including the new review mechanism. From our discussions with the Ministry of Justice we are optimistic that the new framework will give us a strong platform on which to make further improvements.

Work with us – member recruitment 2019

In recent weeks I have spent some time preparing the ground for our next recruitment campaign which we intend to launch early in 2019. Detailed information to assist people who might be interested has now been added to our website.

The Parole Board are asked to make thousands of difficult decisions each year – Parole Board members tell me that the work is very rewarding. They make a difference to people’s lives.

Commitment to improving diversity

As I have commented previously, we are really keen to ensure we have greater success in attracting people from minority backgrounds. Nearly a quarter of those in prison are from a BAME background and it is important that the people making decisions about the liberty of those serving sentences better reflect the diverse communities they serve. This targeted drive is not a one off, it will be running through a series of campaigns over the next two years and will then be embedded into every campaign.

I have been speaking to a range of people who might be able to help us draw attention to our campaign and identify suitable candidates. You do not need to be a lawyer or a CJS professional to join the Parole Board – our primary focus is on recruiting people who can help us make rigorous, evidence-based decisions, which are both fair to the prisoner and ensure the protection of the public. Training and mentoring is provided after appointment.

Get in touch

If you are interested in helping us, or you know of people who might be interested, it would be helpful if you could let us know: workwithus@paroleboard.gov.uk

Finally, I would like to commend all Parole Board staff and members, and indeed the many other hard-working and dedicated professionals who have worked with us to undertake our core function of protecting the public in the face of these challenges.

Martin

Martin Jones, CEO, talks about the challenges the Parole Board has faced and the changes made in 2018, as well as the recruitment campaign for new members opening in 2019

Talented youngsters interested in cyber security will be given the opportunity to shine.

A new UK Cyber Security Council will help develop a skilled workforce for the future and give talented youngsters a clear career pathway in cyber security, Digital Minister Margot James announced today.

The move is part of an Initial Cyber Security Skills Strategy which sets out an ambitious approach to develop the right cyber security capability in the UK now and for the future.

Up to £2.5 million of National Cyber Security Programme investment is being made available to design and deliver the new independent UK Council. Through the government’s modern Industrial Strategy it will ensure that the UK’s expanding sector is equipped with the expertise needed in the digital age.

The strategy sets out clear objectives to build the UK’s cyber security capability including:

• Appointing independent Ambassadors to help promote the attractiveness and viability of a career in cyber security to a broader and more diverse range of individuals;
• Launching the refreshed CyberFirst brand in 2019 which will bring greater coherence to the government’s offering on cyber security skills; and
• A commitment to continue investing in cyber security capability across all age groups to develop the next crop of cyber security professionals.

Minister for Digital Margot James said:

Making sure we have a skilled cyber security workforce now and for the future is not only central to our national security but is also fundamental to the UK becoming the world’s best digital economy. This strategy alongside the creation of an independent UK Cyber Security Council will be the next step in equipping our growing and vibrant cyber security sector with the expertise it needs for years to come.

The main objectives within the strategy are:

• To ensure that there is a clear pathway for those who want to have a successful career in cyber security that can be navigated easily.
• To ensure that the right education and training is in place so we can identify, train and place new untapped cyber security talent.
• To ensure the UK’s workforce across all sectors have the skills they need to make informed decisions about cyber security risks and support a secure UK digital economy.
• To ensure the UK remains a global leader in cyber security with access to the best talent, with a public sector that leads by example in developing cyber security capability.

NCSC CEO Ciaran Martin said:

With this strategy the Government demonstrates its ongoing commitment to creating a culture where cyber security can thrive. We look forward to supporting DCMS as they seek to improve the skills of existing workers and inspire the cyber defenders of the future.

Talal Rajab, Head of Cyber and National Security at techUK said:

techUK welcomes this strategy as an important step towards bridging the cyber security skills gap in the UK. Skills are vital to the development of the UK cyber security sector and attracting skilled talent is a constant challenge for industry, making this wide-ranging strategy most useful as a starting point for renewed efforts from both Government and industry.

As part of the strategy will be a ‘Call for Views’, techUK will be taking input from members. Only through collaboration between Government, industry and academia will the cyber skills gap be bridged and initiatives like CyberFirst and the work around developing a Cyber Council are significant workstreams which techUK and industry will continue to support.

Since the publication of the National Cyber Security Strategy in 2016, government has introduced a range of measures to boost the number and diversity of cyber security professionals in the UK.

Long term initiatives include Cyber Discovery, a £20 million programme which aims to inspire young people to consider a career in cyber security, while identifying and nurturing promising talent.

The CyberFirst initiatives are also continuing to be developed and we have launched the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund (CSIIF) to increase training in the UK and run the Cyber Security Postgraduate Bursaries Scheme to help boost numbers and diversity.

Those with an interest in shaping the final strategy can now take part in a ten week call for views. The aim is to set out a long term vision and programme of work that is sustainable beyond 2021.

Further Information:

1. Anyone wishing to express their views on the strategy can do so here. The closing date for responses is midday on 1 March 2019.
2. We will also be holding a number of engagement events in early 2019 – you can register your interest here.
3. The government has also published its response to the consultation held in summer 2018 on developing the cyber security profession in the UK. This includes launching a competition to offer up to £2.5 million funding from the National Cyber Security Programme to design and deliver a new, independent UK Cyber Security Council.
4. Two pieces of research have also been published- ‘Understanding the UK Cyber Security Skills Labour Market’ by Ipsos MORI, and ‘Identifying the Role of Further and Higher Education in Cyber Security Skills Development’ by the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services.

Industry expert Andrew Mackintosh will lead a project looking at how the public sector’s strong record of developing valuable technology can benefit as many people as possible. With such ‘knowledge assets’ and intellectual property being ever more important in the modern economy, the government is taking steps to capitalise on these assets.

Understanding the full value of knowledge assets held by the government and how to maximise them could help to pay for public services in the future, by ensuring that the government receives a financial reward for its innovation and taxpayers are getting value for money. Better harnessing the potential of new innovations could also boost the wider economy.

A report published at Budget 2018 estimated the value of public sector knowledge assets at more than £150 billion and outlined how the government could do more to maximise their benefits. Now the next step is being taken, with an implementation study led by industry expert Dr Andrew Mackintosh. This will bring together private and public-sector expertise and report in summer 2019.

Chief Secretary Liz Truss said:

Realising the full potential of intellectual property and know-how in the public sector could boost productivity and will benefit the public finances.

This study marks a great step forward for government, in maximising the social, economic and financial benefits of its intellectual property, data and other assets.

Dr Andrew Mackintosh, who will lead the study, said:

I am very excited to be leading this implementation project… This is a strategically important area that many organisations are grappling with across the private and public sectors. I see huge opportunity for the UK public sector to develop new and creative approaches to increase the benefits that its knowledge assets deliver.

The Budget 2018 report recommendations included: providing expertise and guidance within government to support public sector innovation; improving the way we record and measure the value of knowledge assets; and providing the right incentives and financial support to realise their potential. The study will be focused on implementing these recommendations.

The terms of reference for this study have today been published and can be found here.

Further Information:

Dr Andrew Mackintosh has over 30 years of commercial and general management experience in publicly and privately owned high-technology businesses, including as CEO of Oxford Instruments PLC.