ON THE RECORD: A Trainee Probation Officer
In their own words
"Before I became a TPO I had done all sorts
of jobs. I had completed a degree in psychology but not really used it. I had
worked in McDonalds, been a nanny and my last job was selling mobile phones
over the telephone. I am a people's person.
I heard about the Probation Service through
a career's advisor. I told the advisor that I wanted a job that would give me a
sense of purpose."
On selection
"The selection process was the hardest
thing I have ever done. The core tasks were the written exam, group
interaction, formal interview, and the presentation that involved explaining
the steps I would take to solve a certain problem.
"The exam was not so much about what you
know but how you analyse information. Each candidate is given fact sheets and
you have to read them and pick up the important points. The exam is looking at
how you select key facts to back up your points of view.
"The best advice I could offer any applicant
is to keep calm and be yourself. That's so important in the interview. The
group session is about making a contribution, and showing that you can listen
to the views of others - an important element in Probation work.
"I am in my second year and my week is
divided into two segments. Three days practice and the remaining two days is
designated for academic work.
"I
am about to start working with offenders with substance misuse. I think this
will be really interesting."
On
working with offenders
"Every person I work with has been
different. I had such high expectations of my first case, and now I know that
was wrong. I was ‘gutted' when things went wrong. What I have learnt is that
offenders have to take responsibility for their own actions. As Probation
Officers we can assist them and facilitate that change, but they have to want
to change in the first place.
"It's important to strike a balance in your
life or otherwise you cannot do your job properly. I have had a few sleepless
nights but, with experience, I have learnt to come home and concentrate on my
life. When I am at work I know I am working to the best of my ability."
ON THE RECORD: A Trainee Probation Officer
In their own words
"I heard about the work of the
Probation Service from my partner who is a Probation Officer. I had a vague
idea that I wanted to work with people and help them, and after finding out
more about the job I decided it was the sort of career for me.
"I was attracted to being a
Probation Officer because it seems a worthwhile job where I can make a real
difference in people's lives. "Before becoming a trainee Probation Officer, I worked in the private sector as a pub manager. My responsibilities centred on hitting sales and
profit targets. I had been running pubs for about nine years and was ready for
a change."
On training
"So far the training has been
pretty hard going for me. It's a bit of a roller coaster ride. Some days I feel
like I am getting it, but others I feel overwhelmed with theory, facts and
figures. There is a lot of theory to get your head around, but I feel we have
been well looked after by our Practice Development Assessor and there is a good
support network.
I love the opportunity to work
with my clients and now we are 'in practice' we are getting more opportunity to
get stuck in. Time management is quite challenging. Although we have limited
responsibilities, and workload, there is lots of university work to do. A three
year degree is basically squeezed into two years.
On Probation
"I sometimes find the Probation Service frustrating because
the way it does things can sometimes seem a little ad hoc. Lots of different
systems for things and lots of paperwork!"
ON THE RECORD: A Trainee Probation Officer
In their own words
"I saw an advert for Probation work in the
Asian newspaper, Eastern Eye, and it interested me. I vaguely knew that
Probation was connected to prisons and the Police.
"I had been previously running the family manufacturing
business for 20 years. It was a varied role, practical and very hands on.
"After we decided to close the company, I realised that it
was my opportunity to do work in a field that was of interest to me. I have always enjoyed working with people and
I felt that Probation could fulfil my requirements."
On training
"The deciding factor was that the training
was about going back into education while gaining practical working
experience. (Being paid for it was
important too!) It was also helpful that
no formal qualifications were required. Probation provided me with a great
opportunity. I had been in a secluded workplace for so long that I was not sure
if I could re-train.
"The downside for me has been sitting
around and feeling that I am not "working" even though I know that research,
and reflection are a major part of our work. I need to be able to enjoy
this.It is better now that we are in
practice, and do not feel that we are here, there and everywhere. I really enjoy the training when I am
learning new things - and when I can see the relevance of the training to the
work we are doing. The refresher sessions are useful as not everything is
grasped first time round.
On offenders
"I find the work challenging, interesting and I am
fascinated about how extensive Probation work really is. I do not think that our public image does it
justice.I enjoy meeting people from all
walks of life. The work with offenders
makes you realise that circumstances can play a big part in why someone offends.
I am trying to understand what causes re-offending, and being aware that your
contribution could make a difference to the community. At the same time I am very much aware that we cannot change the world overnight, but have the satisfaction of knowing that we
are trying.
"For me, personally, my development is a great achievement
and I am proud to represent my community. Issues of sensitivity have to be handled carefully. It is important that people are aware that you are a good practitioner who respects differences and
diversity."
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