ABPO

ABPO (formerly the Association of Black Probation Officers) do not currently have a website and the following information has been provided by them:

ABPO is a national, professional Black staff association within the National Probation Service.  It was established in 1982 and currently have some 300 members nationally, representing all grades and disciplines within the National Probation Service.  ABPO's primary role as a national staff association is to provide support for their members in relation to recruitment, development and retention.  Their evolution, during the last twenty years or more, has also meant that they have played a significant role in the legislative, policy and practice development in relation to BME staff and service users alike.  It is their continued working brief to enhance and develop the services that they provide to their members and improve the services received by Black offenders and families in their charge.  It is widely recognised that as a BME staff association they have a significant role in the Home Secretary's targets to reduce re-offending and the impact of crime in BME communities.

ABPO's knowledge and the National Probation Directorate's commitment to developing diverse strategies in relation to the development of its Black staff place the National Probation Service/National Offender Management Service as a beacon of best practice within the public sector.

For more information about ABPO and how to join, please contact Susan Roye, ABPO National Co-ordinator, on 020 7740 8537.