Knowledge and the Probation Service: Raising Standards for Trainees, Assessors and Practitioners

Contents......Page 9
About the authors......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgements......Page 15
1 Training and knowledge in probation: A historical overview......Page 17
Introduction......Page 19
Emergence of probation......Page 21
Training in the early years......Page 22
The need for training gathers pace......Page 26
The first Home Office Training Scheme......Page 27
Casework in probation......Page 29
The 1940s and beyond......Page 31
The implications of empirical research......Page 33
Towards the present......Page 35
From generic to specialised training in the 1990s......Page 36
Conclusion......Page 38
Summary......Page 40
Further reading......Page 41
2 Knowledge in vocational education......Page 43
Towards an understanding of change......Page 45
Knowledge and competence......Page 47
The knowledge economy......Page 48
Theory and practice: Knowledge for work......Page 50
From codification to learning......Page 53
Feelings: Last but not least......Page 57
Summary......Page 59
Further reading......Page 60
3 The Diploma in Probation Studies......Page 61
Introduction......Page 63
Occupational Standards......Page 65
NVQs......Page 68
PDAs......Page 69
Assessment and knowledge......Page 70
Analysing the knowledge requirements......Page 72
Further reading......Page 76
4 Knowledge resources for trainees: Help with the NVQ......Page 77
Victims......Page 79
Explaining offending behaviour: The search for patterns......Page 82
The probation service and legislation 1861–2001......Page 85
Local area policies and guidelines......Page 93
Professional values......Page 94
Risk assessment......Page 96
Effective practice/methods of working......Page 98
Communication......Page 103
Enforcement and compliance......Page 105
Confidentiality......Page 114
Summary......Page 116
5 Knowledge resources for trainees: Writing quality Pre-Sentence Reports......Page 117
Introduction......Page 119
Defining quality......Page 120
Process......Page 121
Content of PSRs......Page 122
Key features in report writing......Page 125
Reports and race......Page 126
The sentencing framework......Page 127
Nil reports......Page 129
Summary of available sentences......Page 130
Additional requirements......Page 134
Strategy for learning how to write reports......Page 135
Further reading......Page 139
6 The Practice Development Assessor: Producing quality probation officers......Page 141
The role of the PDA......Page 143
NVQ Assessor......Page 145
Internal Verifier......Page 146
Three PDA models......Page 147
Reflections on the role......Page 149
Knowledge as a multifaceted concept......Page 151
Knowledge typology for probation practice......Page 152
Elements of a training strategy......Page 157
Conclusion: Further reflections on the NVQ......Page 158
Summary......Page 161
Further reading......Page 162
7 Being a probation officer......Page 163
Introduction......Page 165
Learning in practice......Page 166
Emotional development......Page 171
Personal values......Page 173
Probation values......Page 178
Being a probation officer......Page 182
Summary......Page 183
Further reading......Page 184
8 From competence to excellence: Going beyond the codification of knowledge......Page 185
Summary of Chapters 1–7......Page 187
Going beyond minimum knowledge requirements......Page 189
Threats to knowledge......Page 192
The PDA–TPO dynamic......Page 198
Suggestions for further improvements......Page 199
Final comments......Page 201
Summary......Page 202
Appendices......Page 205
1 Influences that have shaped five key phases of probation history......Page 207
2 Criminological perspectives: Help for practitioners......Page 211
3 Client or offender: The labelling perspective......Page 215
4 Joining loose wires to make connections: Developing practice awareness......Page 217
5 Methods of working with offenders......Page 219
6 Differentiating the 'what' from the 'how' of practice......Page 223
Glossary......Page 227
References......Page 229
C......Page 235
I......Page 236
P......Page 237
Y......Page 238