OASYS IMPLEMENTATION AND IT Probation

DEVELOPMENT
PURPOSE
Circular
This Circular provides an update on eOASys implementation and explains REFERENCE NO:
the preparations areas will need to make for area to area connectivity and for
14/2005
connectivity to the Prison Service.
ISSUE DATE:
ACTION
4 March 2005
Areas should complete and return the application form (Annex B) for
attendance at the eOASys briefings in April/May, and commence the
IMPLEMENTATION DATE:
preparations required to achieve sign-off prior to receiving the connectivity
release. Immediate

SUMMARY EXPIRY DATE:

This Circular announces plans for the delivery and implementation of the 31 December 2005
forthcoming releases of eOASys, and provides an update on briefing events
and the preparatory actions required by areas. Areas are already expecting TO:
a CJA release later this month which will ensure that eOASys is compatible Chairs of Probation Boards
with the new sentences in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. A further release Chief Officers of Probation
will follow in the summer providing full connectivity to the Prison Service. Secretaries of Probation Boards

RELEVANT PREVIOUS PROBATION CIRCULAR CC:

PC62/2003 Board Treasurers
Regional Managers
CONTACTS FOR ENQUIRIES
For general OASys enquiries: AUTHORISED BY:
Andrew.paternoster@homeoffice.gsi.gov .uk (telephone: 0207 217 0701) Laura Fairweather
For enquiries related to this PC:
Head of OASys
John.bourton@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk (telephone: 0780 809 9616)
Liz.holden@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk (telephone: 0790 990 2960
ATTACHED:
For enquiries related to the Regional briefing events:
Annex A – Data Cleansing
Pauline.hill2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk (telephone: 0790 990 2481)
For enquiries relating to eOASys data cleansing: Annex B – Regional Briefing
Proforma
Gillian.Hill@sungard.com (telephone: 0777 091 6626)
(before within PC Word file)

National Probation Directorate

Horseferry House, Dean Ryle Street, London, SW1P 2AW General Enquiries: 020 7217 0659 Fax: 020 7217 0660

Enforcement, rehabilitation and public protection

1. OASys Implementation
All but one probation area is using Release 2 of eOASys. The exception is Cheshire, which began a connectivity pilot with
the Prison Service in July 2004. The pilot connected Cheshire with public sector prisons, using Release 3 of eOASys, and
concluded successfully in December.
It had originally been intended that the next step would be for the other 41 areas to move from Release 2 to Release 3 in
a phased roll out. However slippage to ongoing Release 3 work plus the need to make changes to eOASys to support the
Criminal Justice Act meant roll out had to be postponed. Implementation of connectivity will not now commence until after
the CJA takes effect.
A beneficial consequence of the delay has been that it gave us time for a re-evaluation of our proposed approach to
achieving connectivity. An alternative option was identified which offers the prospect of an easier and less technically
challenging path to connectivity for NPS areas. The benefits to areas will include easier data migration, reduced shut-
down time and an overall significant reduction in the time required to implement the new Release.
When connectivity implementation is complete, every probation office in England and Wales will be able to exchange
OASys assessments with every other office and with all prison establishments.

2. OASys IT Release overview:

The CJA Release: eOASys Release 2.24
Briefings for areas were provided in February. Full deployment to the 41 areas that are currently using Release 2 is due
this month (March), with a target date of the 23rd. Cheshire will be receiving its own CJA Release in mid-March.
The CJA Release will include the facility for area to area (though not NPS to HMPS) connectivity, but this will not be
“switched on” until later.

The Connectivity Release: eOASys Release 4

Briefings are being held in the weeks commencing 11 April and 2 May for all areas. Connectivity rollout is planned to
commence around the beginning of June to ensure that areas have sufficient time following the briefings to make the
necessary preparations and achieve sign-off.
The first areas in the connectivity roll out will simply have the area to area connectivity in Release 2.24 switched on.
Then, we intend from late July, Release 4 will be deployed, enabling connectivity to HMPS as well. All areas should be
fully connected by early September 2005.

3. Area Preparations for Release 4 Implementation

Before receiving the Connectivity release each area will need to undertake a number of activities in preparation. These
activities include the following:
• Complete OASys Data cleansing
• Complete Health & Safety Audit
• Complete Staff training/briefing
• Develop Data Sharing Protocols
• Revise OASys operational procedures
• Develop local support and/or Helpdesk
When all of these activities have been achieved and signed off by the NPD OASys team the area will be scheduled to
receive the new Release.

Data Cleansing
Further details are provided at Annex A. The NPD IMTU will be producing agents to assist with the task of data cleansing.
Please contact Gillian Hill for further information. (See the front page of this Circular for her contact details).

PC14/2005 – OASys Implementation and IT Development 2

Health and Safety
Areas are advised to undertake a Health and Safety Audit if this has not already been completed. A general IT H&S
template was sent out by the NPD in March 2004. The needs of AT users are included in this process.

Training
The training needed for Release 4 is not as great as for the previous major releases of eOASys. However, the training will
assume that staff have a general competence in basic IT skills. A local audit of the IT skills of staff is recommended to be
undertaken and the necessary training put in place if this has not been previously addressed. The lessons learned with
Cheshire, the pilot Area, have been of considerable help and the assistance of the Chief Officer and his team is much
appreciated
Cheshire staff produced a training pack in conjunction with NPD OASys staff which was used with success on the pilot.
This is currently being revised to take account of Release 4 functionality and will be made available to areas, together
with other key documentation, at the area briefings. It is anticipated that some areas will wish to adapt the pack to meet
the particular needs of their staff.
Cheshire found that ‘face to face’ contact with staff was essential and chose to deliver a two hour briefing event to teams.
This means that it will probably not be sufficient to rely on issuing a briefing document to staff. Briefing events also
provide a useful opportunity for refresher training.

4. NPD Regional Briefings for Areas

The OASys Team plan to brief key staff from areas no less than two months prior to the scheduled migration date for
Release 4. The briefing will include:
• Details of the connectivity release
• Introduction to the training pack including the key concepts of connectivity:
- Ownership
- Readership
- National Offender register
• significant changes to processes and procedures
• transitional arrangements during the implementation phase
• Additional functionality, including:
- PSR template
- Risk Matrix 2000
- SARA

The briefings will provide an opportunity for representatives from areas to:
• Consider the implications of the release strategy for their Area
• Engage in a dialogue with NPD OASys staff on relevant implementation issues
• Commence preliminary action planning for implementation in their Area.
Areas can have up to five places, and the following might be suitable to attend: ACO OASys Leads, OASys
Implementation Manager, Training Manager, Information Systems manager, IT Managers, eOASys Helpdesk staff,
OASys & eOASys trainers, OASys “champions”.

PC14/2005 – OASys Implementation and IT Development 3

Details of the briefings are as follows:

Date Location Hotel

Mon 11 April York Moat House
Tue 12 April Manchester Palace
Thur 5 May Bristol Jurys
Fri 6 May London Victoria Plaza

All briefings commence at 10am and end at 4pm.

ACTION – Areas should complete the proforma at Annex B and email it to the address on the form by Thursday
24th March. Allocation of places will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

PC14/2005 – OASys Implementation and IT Development 4

ANNEX A

eOASys Data Cleansing

The following information was originally issued to areas in April 2004. In order to ensure that all data is suitable for
migration, Release 2 must be fully ‘bedded in’ in an area and being completed appropriately and consistently. The need
to commence data cleansing at the earliest opportunity should not be under-estimated. Data cleansing should be
completed six weeks prior to the rollout date to allow for data migration testing. The quality of data in OASys prior to
migration to Release 4 must be consistently high. In particular:

• Duplicate cases – need to be removed

• Incomplete assessments – ensure that PSR assessor and case manager details are correct
• Incomplete assessments – need to be locked
• Supervising Officer – ensure that the current supervising officer is updated, as otherwise the ‘To Do’ lists
will be shown against the original assessor
• Concurrent orders – need to be managed in OASys as one order, with one sentence plan. Terminations
Reviews only required on completion of all orders
• Signatures and countersignatures – assessments need to be appropriately signed and countersigned. In
Release 4 an assessment is not considered complete until it is fully countersigned where applicable
• Terminations, Reviews and Transfers – these need to be completed
• REM data – Recent monitoring of Race and Ethnic Monitoring (REM) codes within OASys by ODEAT shows
some areas with high percentages of missing data. Areas are advised to audit and complete as necessary
any missing REM codes
• Missing PNC numbers
The PNC number is the single most important identifying data for an offender. Probation Circular 62/03
advised areas of the need to obtain PNC numbers for as many offenders as possible, both current and
historic. It will be mandatory to complete the PNC field in Release 4.
A ‘dummy PNC number’ can be used to assist areas where it is impossible to obtain a PNC number and/or
where one would not be available due to the nature of the offence(s)
The dummy PNC number is: 33/993399H
N.B. Areas are advised to use the ‘dummy’ PNC with caution.
Cheshire found very few cases where the PNC number was genuinely missing. The police and defence
solicitors proved helpful in trying to obtain the missing PNC numbers.

PC14/2005 – OASys Implementation and IT Development 5

ANNEX B

Briefings to Probation Areas – e-OASys Release 4

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM, NO LATER THAN 4p.m. Thursday 24 MARCH 2005 VIA EMAIL TO: Pauline
Hill, OASys Team, NPD, Horseferry House, Dean Ryle Street, London
Email address: pauline.hill2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Please copy the form to Marjorie.Baker@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Thank You

AREA:……………………………….

Please list York MANCHESTER BRISTOL LONDON

names of staff
11 April 05** 12 APRIL 05** 5 May 05 ** 6 MAY 05 **
attending
10am – 4pm 10am – 4pm 10am – 4pm 10am – 4pm
Below:

** PLEASE INDICATE PREFERRED EVENT IN ORDER OF CHOICE (1st, 2nd etc.)

Lunch is included. Accommodation is NOT included. Please make your own arrangements if required.

Please indicate number of lunches required……………………………………

Any special dietary requirements
(include name)?………………………………………………………………………….

AREA CONTACT NAME and ADDRESS (for all correspondence)

………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Equal Opportunities
If any participant anticipates that they may experience any difficulty, for example in entering the building, hearing
or seeing the presentation, please contact Pauline Hill (020 7217 0696) or Marjorie Baker (020 7217 0700)

PC14/2005 – OASys Implementation and IT Development 6