PPO’s fatal incidents investigations team wins at 2016 Civil Service Awards

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s fatal incidents investigations team won the first ever Customer Service Award at last night’s Civil Service Awards 2016. The Awards are a highly respected and prestigious cross-government programme to recognise and celebrate the wealth of inspirational individuals and innovative projects within the civil service.

Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Civil Service Awards 2016
Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen CBE and his investigators accept the Customer Service Award

The fatal incidents investigations team undertakes independent investigations of deaths in custody. When the current Ombudsman took office in 2011, only 14% of investigation reports were delivered on time. In 2015-16, despite a 58% increase in the number of investigations and a decrease in resources, 100% were delivered on time. To achieve this transformational performance the FII team underwent radical changes in its structure and processes and undertook a comprehensive review of how it allocated and managed its caseload, focusing on performance and customer outcomes. The sheer commitment of both management and staff made the changes work.

Mr Newcomen said:

“This is a hugely deserved award for a committed and talented group of staff. The statistics speak for themselves and the change has been transformational. Sadly, this excellent work comes against a background of ever increasing numbers of deaths in custody, but with quicker and higher quality investigations we are helping bereaved families understand what happened to their loved ones, we are contributing to speeding up the inquest system and we are identifying timely lessons that can make prisons and other places of custody safer. This is important, difficult work, done well”