Transparency data

Accredited programme commencements ad hoc, 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2025

Updated 24 October 2025

Applies to England and Wales

1. Details

For community orders or licences following release from custody which were successfully completed between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2025, a total of 42,483 accredited programmes were imposed on these orders / licences.

Of the 42,483 accredited programmes imposed on these orders / licences, 25,417 accredited programmes commenced.

A total of 17,066 accredited programmes on these orders / licences did not commence.

These data provide an update to the previous accredited programme commencements ad hoc, 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2024, to include cases up to 31 March 2025.

2. Background

Accredited programmes are offending behaviour interventions which aim to change the thinking, attitudes and behaviours which can lead to reoffending.

They encourage pro-social attitudes and goals for the future and are designed to help people develop new skills to stop their offending.

3. Caveats

Order / licence termination dates have been used in these data to identify cases to include for the period.  Where an order / licence termination date is between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2025 and the termination reason is within the definition of cases in scope, the case is included.

A programme has been considered “commenced” where a commencement date has been added in National Delius (nDelius), the probation case management system showing the programme was expected to start. However, these data do not consider whether the programme did start or not. If there is no commencement data entered, the case is reported as “not commenced”.

Due to recording processes, there are some accredited programmes included in these data which have been recorded as completed but do not have a commencement date.  These cases are reported as “not commenced”.

The accredited programme sentences and starts ad hoc published on 22 July 2025, considered an accredited programme to have commenced at the point where the individual attended the first programme session, and this could be evidenced on nDelius. Where no evidence existed in the data of the person attending the programme, even where a commencement date was present, the person was considered to have not started the programme in July’s publication. As a result, data in July’s accredited programme sentences and starts ad hoc are different to data in this accredited programme commencements ad hoc.

Prior to the unification of the Probation Service in June 2021, accredited programmes in the community were managed by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). Each CRC had independent data recording practices. Due to this, data recorded prior to June 2021 are inconsistent across probation regions.

4. Definitions

4.1 Cases in scope

Cases are considered in scope where an order / licence termination date is between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2025 and one of the following termination reasons is recorded:

• auto terminated
• completed - early good progress
• completed - sentence / post sentence supervision (PSS) expiry reached
• expired (breach listed)
• order expired - extension refused

4.2 Cases out of scope

Cases are considered out of scope where one of the following termination reasons is recorded:

• consecutive / concurrent custody imposed
• conviction quashed by Post Office (Horizon Systems) Offences Act 2024
• duplicate person record
• no licence to supervise
• not supervised
• on appeal
• person died
• person deported
• person transferred to a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales
• revoked order / licence
• suspended sentence activated

5. Data sources and quality

Data are drawn from administrative IT systems, namely nDelius. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the information collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system due to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures shown have been checked as far as practical.

6. Contact

Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office:
Tel: 0300 790 0711

Enquiries about these data should be directed to:

E Stradling
HMPPS Performance Unit
Analysis Directorate
Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Email: crosscuttingperformanceenquiries@justice.gov.uk