Working With Offenders
Durham & Northumbria Community Punishment Pathfinder
Durham & Northumbria are piloting a scheme for skills training and accreditation and the use of Pro Social Modelling.
The pilot started in April 2000 and covers one division in Durham Area and the whole of Northumbria Area. The target intake sample of 200 cases was achieved by June 2001 with orders to be completed by November 2001. In Durham the project is managed by the Area’s Community Punishment SPO, while in Northumbria the project is managed by the SPO of the Area’s Juvos Unit, a Skills Centre covering all ETE work. This unit has been given “Centre Approval” from EdExcel to deliver a range of qualifications and awards to staff and offenders. A number of Community Punishment supervisors have been trained as City & Guilds D21 assessors but this is not a requirement for supervising project placements provided internal verification is carried by a supervisor who does have this qualification.
Skills training and accreditation is targeted at those cases with employment related needs identified in an initial assessment undertaken at the start of all CP orders, and only those cases are included in the project sample. The sample is restricted to orders of 90 hours or more to ensure sufficient time to complete the training portfolio. Training is offered in six general Key Skill areas including problem solving, working with others and information technology, all of which are designed to be relevant in an employment context. The project is not using agency placements because these are unable to guarantee supervision by staff with training in Pro Social Modelling and the overall operation of the scheme. The portfolio is internally verified by a Skills Trainer at the Juvos Unit before forwarding to EdExcel, the national awarding body.
Training takes the form of guided learning while performing Community Punishment work and does not form part of the 10% allowance within an order for non work activity. However the 10% allowance is used to undertake an ETE guidance interview. Since there is a significant correlation between unemployment and offending, it is hoped that by improving an offenders employability the project will increases the likelihood of them obtaining stable employment and thereby reduce the likelihood of further offending.
Pro Social Modelling is based on the work of Trotter in Australia which suggested that the supervisory relationship could be used as an opportunity for staff to model and reinforce desired pro social attitudes and behaviours in offenders. The intention is that this will lead to an increase in compliance and a reduction in future offending. It involves areas of practice such as challenging antisocial attitudes and behaviours, ensuring a transparent fairness in the allocation of work and application of rules, explaining both the task in hand and any decisions taken during the work, having a positive attitude to the purpose and work of CP, and respectful attitude to the offenders. Northumbria are piloting the use of audio recording to monitor the application of PSM.
An interim report on the initial findings of the projects has now been published. Copies of the Executive Summary are available from the NPD e-mail address below. A full evaluation report will be published in March 2002 to report on the findings of all the Community Punishment Pathfinder Projects; with a reconviction analysis following in 2003. Given its initial success the Area will continue to operate Community Punishment on the project model until it is incorporated into a new national framework for CP in the future.
Further information
David McNally Senior Probation Officer Northumbria |
0191 290 0555 |
Neil Thomas Senior Probation Officer Durham |
0191 386 1265 |
Steve Woodgate, Pathfinder Development Manager, National Probation Directorate |
020 7217 0684 |
Last update: 15/09/03