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National Objectives for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System: Standards - Community Service
CHAPTER 12: TRAINING
136.A wide variety of skills are required to ensure that Community Service is delivered effectively. These range from a professional social work input to a number of technical skills needed to ensure quality work party placements. The different structures of schemes will dictate how training should be targeted, but it is essential that sufficient specialist training is consistently available to all staff involved in schemes to ensure that the highest standards are maintained
137.To achieve the objectives of ensuring quality training, each Scheme should undertake a regular training needs analysis in relation to Community Service. Distinctive staff groups with specific and differing training needs, are employed in Community Service Schemes. For this reason the training strategy for Community Service should form a separate, but integral, part of a training strategy developed for all Criminal Justice services and should be reviewed annually. Staff at all levels in Community Service Schemes should contribute to the planning of a training strategy,.
138.The costs of these training programmes will be regarded as approved Community Service expenditure for the purposes of Central Government funding, and should be included in annual budget estimates.
139.Particular attention should be paid to providing adequate induction and in-service training for task supervisors and their training needs should be considered separately from those of professional social work staff. Local arrangements must be set in place to ensure that task supervisors are advised immediately of changes to Health and Safety regulations. Local training in relation to such changes must be delivered as necessary. Induction and in-service training for this group should take into account the fact that people employed with a variety of technical skills may need to adjust to the role of working with offenders and to understand the context in which services are provided.
140.Local training strategies should take into account up to date research in Community Service and available knowledge about effective practice and quality services. The Scottish Office will ensure dissemination of relevant research and other information.
141.Training strategies should include:
141.1induction programmes for all staff covering the philosophy of Community Service and its place in the Criminal Justice system, National Standards, quality service and assessment. Additional components in relation to Health and Safety, and an introduction to issues of offending behaviour should be included for supervisory staff and staff involved in placement finding.
141.2Training for all staff in anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities as these affect Community Service.
141.3Ongoing Health and Safety training for task supervisors and other staff as relevant.
141.4Training in general and financial management as required.
141.5Training for both professional social work staff and administration staff regarding data collection.
141.6Ongoing technical training and refresher courses for task supervisors as required
142.Training opportunities which may lead to relevant vocational qualifications (SVQs) for non social worker staff should also be made available.
143Criminal Justice services should provide training opportunities for those on qualifying training courses and on in-service training programmes of related disciplines. Arrangements should be made to ensure that practice placements are available in specialist Community Service settings or that aspects of the Community Service task are built into generic placements as required.
144.All groups of staff specialising in Community Service may wish to keep in touch with developing their knowledge and skills in the broader field of criminal justice and social welfare, thus enhancing their career prospects. Such aspirations should be encouraged through relevant training opportunities. A proportion of these training costs is recovered by the local authority within the agreed overhead element of Community Service Schemes.
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