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National Objectives for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System: Standards - Community Service
CHAPTER 11: MANAGEMENT
Integration with other Social Work Services
130.Community Service Schemes must be planned and organised as an integral part of local authority social work services in the criminal justice system. It is for local authorities to decide, with the agreement of SWSG, how this might best be achieved, but the arrangements they make must ensure that cost-efficient use of resources and avoid duplication of effort.
131.In reaching a view about how such integration is to be achieved, account will need to be taken of the activities appropriate to Community Service. These are as follows:
131.1Advice and consultation on pre-court assessment;
131.2Placement interviewing (including "matching" of offender to placement);
131.3Allocation to work placement;
131.4Placement search;
131.5Placement assessment;
131.6Placement maintenance/support/development;
131.7Liaison, consultation and public relations with courts and outside agencies;
131.8Liaison, advice and information on Community Service to management and other staff in the local authority social work department where the Community Service Scheme is located;
131.9Scheme management and administration
131.10Training;
131.11Technical supervision of work;
131.12.Supervision of the Order;
131.13Responding to the offender with personal difficulties.
NBIt is possible that problems may emerge during the course of a Community Service Order or Community Service requirement in a Probation Order which will interfere with the successful completion of work and that offenders may request assistance with these and other problems. Schemes should therefore have the capacity to make an initial assessment of the offender's difficulties, make an appropriate early referral, and provide interim support. When a "Section7" Order is in place this should present no difficulty. In the case of "Section1" (normal) Orders, social work department managers require to consider how such requests will be dealt with taking account of the activities appropriate to Community Service Schemes outlined in this paragraph.
(The above activities do not include pre-court assessment or the probation supervision element in "Section 7" Orders.)
132.The arrangements must also be capable of ensuring that where necessary, an offender may be referred to other social work resources for support or assistance in respect of problems which may arise in the course of the Community Service Order and appear to be interfering with successful completion of that order. In addition, offenders subject to Community Service must have the same opportunities to access assistance as other members of the community. Research evidence suggests that the provision of appropriate support and assistance in such cases can increase the likelihood of successful completion of a Community Service Order.
Staffing
133.Every scheme requires a staff team with a mix of skills, including a core of personnel with a social work or related qualification to ensure that the full range of Community Service tasks is effectively fulfilled. Non-qualified staff should have access to professional knowledge, expertise and values, in the performance of their tasks.
134.The following factors should be considered when assessing staffing requirements in relation to individual schemes:
134.1actual and estimated demand for Community Service Orders, and average number of hour
134.2the requirement to meet National Standards;
134.3the characteristics of the areas (geography, demography, implications for service delivery including delivery time, type of work, availability of placements etc.);
134.4the nature of the scheme;
134.5the number and range of available work settings and types of work.
Liaison
135.Local authority managers must ensure that there is an appropriate emphasis on Community Service in the course of regular liaison with the judiciary. In addition, courts should also be provided with basic information about the operation of each local Community Service Scheme, should be offered regular update on development, and should be given regular feedback on the outcome of disposals.
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