Jersey's Probation Service inspires other jurisdictions

Monday 27 August 2018

Finland is the latest in a series of jurisdictions to take a lesson from Jersey's service dedicated to supervising offenders in the community.

The latest recognition was down to the island's Probation and Aftercare Service's method of training up officers.

Known as the Jersey Supervision Skills Study, this programme of structured observation and supervision won a European Probation Award in 2017 for its contribution to understanding what makes individual social work supervision effective. Chief Probation Officer Brian Heath MBE (pictured) has been invited to give a presentation on the topic at the annual conference of Probation Officers in Finland this November.

But this is just one of many international recognitions the service has received its year.

Despite admitting being a "small" service, the team say it has been a very busy few months full of invites.

Pictured: The Probation and Aftercare Service is dedicated to managing and helping rehabilitate offenders in the community.

In April, Mr Heath acted as the external expert on the appointment board for the Irish Probation Service’s promotion competition for area managers.

In May, a team from JPACS delivered a one-day conference programme on the same subject to French Probation services in Rennes, with Professor Christopher Trotter of Monash University Melbourne.  The Jersey Checklist and Manual is available to all qualified French Probation staff to use.

In June, Ms Janette Urquhart, Probation Officer Senior Practitioner, was invited to London by the Public Policy Exchange to give a presentation on the implementation and results of the ADAPT domestic violence programme. Used by JPACS in conjunction with individual supervision, the programme has proved more efficient than similar programmes in England and Wales.

Pictured: Jersey's Probation Service is based at 1 Lempriere Street.

Next month, Assistant Chief Probation Officer Mike Cutland will be co-presenting at a Conference in Latvia, with Dr David Briggs, Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist. Organised by the Confederation of European Probation, the conference will focus on working with sex offenders in small communities. Mr Cutland is part of the CEP experts group on working with sex offenders.

Whilst in Latvia, Mr Cutland will also be presenting on Jersey’s experience of multi-agency public protection at a separate event to Latvian Probation colleagues. This follows on from a study visit by a senior Latvian colleague to Jersey earlier this year.

The service says there have also been a number of other invitations, which it has been unable to accept. JPACS has also hosted visits from European Probation colleagues.

Brian Heath MBE Chief Probation Officer commented: “JPACS is well-known internationally as an effective Probation Service delivering great results with very limited resources. Our direct accountability to the Judiciary, coupled with strong partnership working and our enabling service culture, attract regular positive comment from visitors from other services. In turn we learn from other jurisdictions’ experiences; everything we have introduced has been built on and adapted from practice elsewhere.”