Service Care Solutions - National Probation Contract
Contractor Frequently Asked Questions for existing SCS contractors
Contract go-live: 2 November 2026 Coverage: All Probation regions across England and Wales
Announcement
Service Care Solutions (SCS) is delighted to have been awarded the national agency Probation contract.
This award will see SCS appointed as the national Managed Service Provider (MSP) for Operational Contingent Labour, overseeing the delivery of frontline Probation staff and providing a single, trusted route for hiring managers, agency workers and supply partners.
This represents an exciting new chapter for SCS and our relationship with the Probation Service. We are committed to making the transition as straightforward as possible for contractors, and to providing clear communication and support throughout the mobilisation process.
This FAQ has been created to answer the questions we expect you may have about the new contract, the transition to SCS, and what happens next.
FAQ's
SCS has been awarded the national agency contract for temporary operational Probation workers.
The contract covers Probation’s frontline staffing requirements across all regions of England and Wales, and is due to commence on 2 November 2026.
The Probation Service has appointed SCS as its national agency staffing partner for agency frontline staff.
This is an exciting opportunity for SCS to build on its existing experience within Probation and Criminal Justice, and to develop a long-term partnership with the Probation Service.
The new contract is scheduled to go live on Monday, 2 November 2026.
The contract is intended to establish a long-term partnership between SCS and the Probation Service.
Yes. SCS will support temporary staffing requirements across all Probation regions in England and Wales, including:
● London
● South Central
● Kent, Surrey & Sussex
● South West
● East of England
● West Midlands
● East Midlands
● Greater Manchester
● Yorkshire & the Humber
● North East
● North West
● Wales
Hopefully, not too much!
Your contract, compliance and role within Probation will be unaffected by the change.
As part of the new contract, SCS is moving to a new timesheet portal called Bridge. More details on this will be released in the coming weeks; none of this will affect your pay.
We will communicate any changes that affect you directly.
Yes. This change in the contract won't have any impact on your current assignment.
No. Pay rates will stay the same and will be unaffected by the contract change
No. Your working hours will stay the same and will be unaffected by the contract change.
No. If you are already in placement for SCS, all your compliance has already been completed
No additional vetting checks are not required as part of the new contract.
Existing vetting, security clearance and system access arrangements will be reviewed as normal. SCS will communicate directly with you if any additional checks are required.
Your Next Steps
If you are an existing SCS contractor:
Continue working as normal unless your SCS consultant tells you otherwise. We will contact you directly with any information relevant to your assignment.
If you are transferring from Red Snapper:
Please look out for communications from SCS. Our team will contact you with information about the transition, registration, compliance and the steps you need to take before go-live.
We're here to support you
We understand that any change can raise questions. Our priority is to make the transition as straightforward as possible and to ensure that contractors have the information and support they need throughout the process.
SCS is proud to be supporting the Probation Service and looks forward to building a long-standing partnership that makes a positive difference to Probation professionals and the communities they serve.
