Social work ideologies in the probation service: The case of civil work

Abstract

The civil work activities of the probation service have for many years suffered from a policy of benign neglect and have been overshadowed by both political and academic interest in its work with offenders. The way in which probation officers have applied their social work skills in practice in a range of areas has been carefully scrutinised, especially in relation to their work in preparing social inquiry reports. This article seeks to redress this balance, offering an account of some research into the work probation officers do for civil courts, and exploring the complex relationship between ideology and practice.