Integrated Offender Management Process Evaluation

The IOM refresh strategy was published in 2020 following findings that IOM had ‘lost its way’., with wide variations in the nature and quality of practice across the country. This was seen to be influenced by there being no centralised national leadership of IOM or clear governance structures. This evaluation, based on interviews with senior and local managers, frontline police and probation staff, found general agreement that the refresh had been needed and that it had provided new governance structures that were seen as clear, working well, and having fostered the multi-agency approach central to IOM. It had stimulated a renewed focus on IOM, which had led to it being better embedded at the local level. And the creation of three distinct cohorts – ‘fixed, flex and free’ - had generally met pratcitioners' wishes for a balance between firm central practice guidance cohort and sufficient flexibility to focus on local priorities. Participants were generally confident that IOM would and should continue, but highlighted that sustainability is dependent on several factors including sufficient funding, resourcing, and buy-in from agencies and services.