People in the East of England are being urged to consider job opportunities that support the delivery of Community Payback, as the region looks to employ over 20 more people in supervisor roles.
Community Payback (CP), previously known as Community Service, is an alternative to a prison sentence for people who have committed a crime. The Ministry of Justice is looking for supervisors, who work hands-on to oversee Community Payback projects on the ground.
The recruitment drive in the East of England will support efforts to both reduce crime and improve community spaces across the region. With research showing that community interventions are more effective than short prison sentences, a role in Community Payback gives individuals the opportunity to directly impact their community.
For armchair criminal justice advocates, inspired by recent shows like The Outlaws, Jury Duty and Annika, it’s a chance to help offenders get their lives back on track
Community Payback supervisors lead small teams, helping to motivate them to complete projects that will impact the community – from restoring community facilities like sports halls and playgrounds to planting trees or graffiti removal. No formal qualifications are necessary, just a reasonable level of fitness and a valid driver’s licence for a manual vehicle.
One of the projects CP supervisors in the region have overseen include preparing footpaths, groundwork, clearing greenery and clearing sites at East Coast College Campus, Lound. Supervisors oversaw offenders giving back to the community, for the development of education.
The new Community Payback roles are open to a wide range of applicants and are ideal for those looking for a rewarding career where you can both motivate and inspire others to change for the better, and build better and safer places to live.
Dawn Parker, a Community Payback Supervisor from Lowestoft who works across Suffolk and Norfolk says: “I come from a nursing background and wanted to support people with their complex needs by getting the right agencies to work with them and to aid them in not re-offending. I love being outdoors and am a very practical person, which suits the role perfectly. I try to take people on face value rather than focusing on the offence they’ve committed. I work alongside offenders, which appears to break down barriers quickly, but still have a professional curiosity.”
Rachel Bunn, Assistant Principal at East Coast College Campus, Lound, Suffolk says: “It’s been wonderful to see the impact the Community Payback team has made to the campus. Working with the Probation Service, has helped us tremendously improve our training development: it not only offered us an industry standard project, but also shaped people’s career choices and revived targeted feedback.”
All new staff are given robust training to help them work effectively and safely with offenders, from learning about the principles of Community Payback to training on health and safety, risk awareness, and dealing with challenging behaviour. New staff will also have full training on any tools used and will work alongside and shadow an experienced colleague before taking responsibility for supervising a group on their own.
