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National Objectives for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System: Standards - Probation
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.National standards for probation supervision translate the objectives and priorities which are set out in this section into effective management and practise.
2.National standards are necessary to ensure that:
2.1every court has a clear understanding at the point of sentence of what probation will entail for the offender and what the supervisor is committed to do when an order is made;
2.2offenders consenting to be placed on probation understand their obligations, know what they need to do to complete the order satisfactorily, and know what will happen if they do not comply with the requirements of the order;
2.3there is consistency and fairness in the setting of expectations and the use of sanctions locally and nationally;
2.4social workers and their managers have a clear appreciation of their duties and responsibilities to the court and the offender and are also clear about what they and the offender are committed to do when an order is made;
2.5the management and practice of probation commands the respect of the courts, the public and the offender;
2.6the court may use probation with confidence where is considers custody is warranted;
2.7effective national and local planning, with particular reference to resource planning, is facilitated;
2.8the quality of probation management and practice can be properly monitored and evaluated.
3.The term standard is used to establish benchmarks against which the service provided can be tested and performance assessed and to indicate the importance which is attached to attaining these benchmarks. Standards should promote and encourage the development and application of professional skills in management and practice and, except in particular instances which are clearly identified, the term does not imply the rigid application of rules and procedures.
4.The supervision of offenders placed on probation requires a wide range of professional knowledge and skill. The responsibility for supervising probation orders will be held by a professionally qualified social worker. Other staff within the department and in other agencies may however contribute to the range of work undertaken with the offender during the course of the order and the overarching responsibility of local authority professional staff to supervise should not stand in the way of inter-agency and inter-disciplinary work.
5.The standards are divided into the following sub-sections dealing with:
5.1purposes, objectives and priorities for probation orders
5.2effective probation practice;
5.3types of probation order;
5.4the initial phase of supervision;
5.5the middle phase of supervision;
5.6the final phase of supervision;
5.7enforcement in the event of non-compliance;
5.8the transfer of probation orders.
Each sub-section sets out the standards to be met and, where appropriate, highlights relevant professional and management issues.
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