Probation Training: Evidence from Newly Qualified Officers

Abstract

The Diploma in Probation Studies replaced the Diploma in Social Work as the qualification for probation officers in England and Wales in 1997. It had a controversial beginning, coming as it did after a lengthy struggle involving practitioners, employers and academics, who united in their opposition to the removal of probation from social work training. The fear was that the proposed new training would be too rigid, too functionalist, and too narrow in its focus to produce critical thinkers who would engage in thoughtful and anti‐oppressive probation practice. This paper reports a small qualitative study into the views of a group of 15 newly qualified probation officers from the first three cohorts to qualify about their experiences of this form of training. It finds that they felt they had a very heavy workload, with pressure points at certain times, and would have welcomed the work being more evenly spread. Some respondents struggled with what they saw as the very different requirements of academic work and the NVQ, but most felt that on this programme the NVQ had helped them to become reflective about their practice. They are positive about being well equipped for their jobs in today's probation service, but would welcome more support in their first period of practice after qualifying, to facilitate the continued development of their learning.

Keywords:

• Probation
• Social Work
• Training
• Workload
• Learning
• Development

Notes

1. The Practice Development Assessor (PDA) has a similar role to that of practice teacher in the former DipSW programme, but is also the NVQ assessor. In this programme, PDAs were not encouraged to deliver practice‐based teaching sessions, such as methods of intervention, although some did so, as indicated. Occasionally, PDAs were involved in delivering formal university teaching sessions, and were then acting in the role of lecturer. Trainees also have a tutor who provides academic and pastoral support from the university.

2. I am indebted to my colleague Peter Marsh for his help and guidance in the development of this article.

3. This aspect of the interviews will be reported upon in more detail in a subsequent article, dealing with the fourth emergent theme, ‘Experience of Work in the National Probation Service’.