Probation teams get free training courses

Training provider Red Snapper Learning has released a 19-unit course so that officers can update their continuous professional development (CPD). With training budgets still under pressure across the Probation Service, keeping up with legislation changes and the latest developments in sentencing planning is challenging. The free online training course has… Probation officers are being offered free online training so they can keep up their career development....

Child arrests down again

The Howard League for Penal Reform has been running a large-scale programme designed to reduce the number of children arrested since 2010. There is a consensus amongst experts that involving children in the criminal justice system should be avoided whenever possible. On the whole, troubled young children need support rather… Work with Offenders profiles a successful campaign by the Howard League for Penal Reform and work with police forces on issues which arise out of children in residential care ...

How should we tackle violent crime?

A new report from the Innovation Unit says that violent crime in Greater Manchester could be tackled by a 10-point programme developed with young people, parents, teachers and community leaders who live and work in the areas of the city which are blighted by organised crime, serious violence and the… Work with Offenders covers a new report which says we should listen to the community to find solutions to the violence affecting young people...

Position of strength

Einstein’s definition of madness was doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result - and that idea is being used to tackle low self-esteem that drives some offending behaviour. A pioneering online portal is combining positive psychology and smart technology to connect with chaotic offenders to raise… Building on offenders’ strengths and using games consoles to do it, is turning lives around, according to a former probation officer....

Forecasting the weather for probation

Over the last decade or more, there has been increasing interest across the social justice field in getting feedback from service users about the quality of interventions they receive. In recent years, this has gone much further with the end users of services being actively involved in co-producing new forms… Work with Offenders examines a new tool to measure people’s experience of being on probation...

Criminal justice charities are subsidising government contracts

Clinks has published its seventh annual edition of its State of the Sector report, highlighting key trends for voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system. Clinks is the national infrastructure organisation for the Third Sector in the criminal justice field – what we used to call an umbrella… Work with Offenders explores the latest State of the Sector report from Clinks...

Ministry of Justice opens bids for £66m probation contract

Bidding has begun for a £66m contract to provide rehabilitation programmes to the National Probation Service. The Ministry of Justice has begun the tendering process to select providers that will help rebuild services to support people on probation in England and Wales. The five-year contract, worth £66m, will begin from… The Probation Service has invited bidders for five new offender management contracts as part of policy shake up ...

Tackling the links between social media and youth violence

Social media plays a very central role in the lives of young people in the UK today. While it creates opportunities, this brave new world brings with it some very serious safeguarding challenges for professionals working with young people. Two years ago, the charity Catch22 published a report which examined… Work with Offenders explores a new initiative recognising that limiting young people's use of social media will simply drive online activity underground ...

West Midlands officers celebrate ex- burglar’s success

The Police’s Offender Management Unit at Coventry has taken the unusual step of revealing how a burglar who began offending aged 11 has not only got a job but been promoted. The unit shared the success story to highlight its work in overseeing 600 people deemed to be a risk… Coventry officers have highlighted the offender management partnership working that led to the rehabilitation of a career criminal....

More than my past

We know that most people who get trapped in a life of crime eventually find a way out and turn their lives around. Similarly, we know that people with long-term dependencies on drugs and/or alcohol, can also turn the corner and rebuild their lives. However, for many people these journeys… Work with Offenders looks at a new campaign to help people turn their lives around...