David Nadin - Second year Trainee Probation Officer
Lifting my head from the grindstone for long enough to take stock, I realise just how much I have accomplished in the past year. I have completed nine 2000-word essays, bashing them out at a rate of about one every five or six weeks. I have written three progress reports, where I have attempted to reflect on my work experiences and consider how I can improve my practice. After six months in the job, I put together a Foundation Practice Portfolio: a thumping great folder that contained evidence to show that I had been working with offenders and probably had been doing something right!
Recently I have completed two Level-4 NVQ units. These demonstrate a high level of competency in practical aspects of the job. One followed my successful delivery of a 22-session cognitive behavioural group programme to offenders. The second tested my skills in coping with aggression and violence: happily, this was based largely on simulated exercises and theory!
On essay writing
This mix of academic study with the development of practice skills is at the heart of the traineeship. The distance learning I undertake for the BA in Criminal Justice Studies provides theory and ideas to apply on the job. Colleagues, though busy, are friendly and keen to share experience. Crucially, I have an assigned Practice Development Assessor - an experienced officer who is manager, mentor, confidante and friend.
In the next year I have to produce three more 2000-word essays, two 4000-word essays, a presentation, a work-based project, three more progress reports, and 10 NVQ units. Which begs the question 'is there time for offenders?' Well yes - there has to be. My caseload is currently expanding beyond the seven I supervised during my first year. One quickly realises that, for many, change away from offending (desistence in the jargon) is a slow and punctuated process.
