Policy background Community Sentences Unpaid Work consultation duty
Currently probation officials have no formal requirement to consult local stakeholders on the design or delivery of Unpaid Work carried out by offenders as part of a community sentence. Section 155 creates a new statutory duty requiring probation officials to consult key local and regional stakeholders on the design and delivery of Unpaid Work.
	The Scottish Government introduced a similar provision into section 227ZL of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, requiring local authorities to consult prescribed persons in the community about the type of Unpaid Work that should be carried out by offenders.
	The creation of a similar duty in England and Wales will improve links between probation officials and their communities. It is hoped that this will ensure strong community participation in Unpaid Work both from key agencies and members of the public. Improving the quality of placements by better understanding community needs, has an important role to play in the rehabilitative process and will support offenders to make more effective reparation to local communities for the damage caused by crime.