Since 2016, HMI Probation has had an Advisory Group in place to provide advice direct to the Chief Inspector on matters relating to inspection, and probation and youth justice practice. In June 2020 we changed the configuration of our Advisory Group creating two distinct groups from the previous one. Our Advisory Groups now focus on each of the following:

• Oversight and Scrutiny Advisory Group: to comment on how we operate as an arms-length scrutiny organisation including how we configure and apply our standards framework and what we might learn from other scrutiny bodies
• Probation and Youth Justice Expert Advisory Group: to comment on current and developing issues in probation practice that we should reflect in our core inspection programme or could be the focus of our thematic and research programmes or effective practice guides.

This allows us to have a clear delineation between how and what we deliver. Here are Terms of Reference for the Oversight and Scrutiny Advisory Group (PDF, 162 kB) and the Probation and Youth Justice Expert Advisory Group (PDF, 163 kB).

Each group meets twice a year meaning that we an Advisory Group meets every quarter.