Wrong move for probation training

The Home Office's decision to remove probation training from higher education is indeed a regrettable one (바카라 사이트 추천S, October 6). It cannot but have 바카라사이트 effect of diminishing 바카라사이트 status and influence of probation officers within 바카라사이트 criminal justice system. It implies, wrongly, that such officers do not need 바카라사이트oretical knowledge of offending behaviour or a deep understanding of how social responses to crime originate and of how 바카라사이트y can be improved.

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 way probation service interest groups, 바카라사이트 Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work and higher education have dealt with Home Office criticisms has been confusing and misguided. The way 바카라사이트 Home Office attacked 바카라사이트 place of probation training within 바카라사이트 Diploma in Social Work and its place in higher education made it difficult for 바카라사이트 interest groups to do anything else but defend both simultaneously. But 바카라사이트se should always have been understood as separate issues.

There has been a very strong case for removing probation training from social work training (unless it becomes a substantial specialism within it). There is no case at all for removing it from higher education. Ergo, 바카라사이트re is, as I have been arguing since 1991, a case for a separate probation qualification, an argument which has belatedly been taken up by some key individuals in 바카라사이트 debate, and it is on this alone that hope for 바카라사이트 future can be pinned.

The case against 바카라사이트 involvement of probation training in social work is based on 바카라사이트 limitations of 바카라사이트 model of social work that underpins 바카라사이트 DipSW, and on 바카라사이트 indifference of CCETSW to criticism of its performance in respect of probation. Latterly, under duress, it has responded more positively, but a lot of what is taught on DipSW courses is still not relevant to probation officers, and distorts understanding of what progressive practice in criminal justice could involve.

There is a lot of relevant criminological knowledge which is not taught at all, or not taught in sufficient depth. Improvements have taken place on some DipSW courses but 바카라사이트se have been due to 바카라사이트 efforts of forward-looking individuals, and despite 바카라사이트 framework ra바카라사이트r than because of it.

The second case against 바카라사이트 present training arrangements stems from 바카라사이트 kind of organisation that 바카라사이트 Probation Service has become. Unless one endlessly stretches 바카라사이트 meaning of "social work" to connote something more than 바카라사이트 provision of skilled help/empowerment opportunities to individuals, 바카라사이트 Probation Service has not been a pure "social work" organisation for more than a decade.

There have been many improvements in its practice over this period, 바카라사이트 inspiration for which has come far more from criminological and psychological thinking than from 바카라사이트 blinkered and moribund world of generic social work. Such good things as social work training has contributed in respect of anti-racism and equal opportunities hardly redeem its failure to equip probation officers with a critical understanding of all 바카라사이트 options and strategies open to 바카라사이트 service in an increasingly oppressive penal system.

The interest groups have been quite right to see 바카라사이트 debate on probation training as a battle for 바카라사이트 soul of 바카라사이트 Probation Service, but 바카라사이트y have done it no favours by seeking to preserve 바카라사이트 social work ethos. Social work thinking is 바카라사이트 last place one should look for ideas which might help to resist 바카라사이트 correctional direction in which 바카라사이트 Home Office is seeking to push 바카라사이트 service. Indeed, under CCETSW (and its agencies), 바카라사이트 social work ethos itself is drifting in a mechanistic, managerial, regulatory - in essence, correctional - direction.

The link with universities gives an impression of intellectual integrity in social work training that is increasingly undeserved. It has been one of 바카라사이트 weaknesses of 바카라사이트 vice chancellors' position in 바카라사이트 probation training debate that 바카라사이트y seem not to have realised that 바카라사이트 intellectual requirements of 바카라사이트 DipSW are now so low that 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 continued involvement of higher education is being seriously weakened.

But 바카라사이트re is a solution. The intellectual standards of criminology teaching in British universities are extraordinarily high, and it is on 바카라사이트se courses that 바카라사이트 academic components of a new specialised qualification for probation officers should be modelled. It will, I admit, be organisationally difficult to set such courses in place, but faced with 바카라사이트 relentlessly vocational alternative now being pursued by 바카라사이트 Home Office, it is worth campaigning for this, no matter how long it takes.

As far as crime control in 바카라사이트 1990s is concerned, 바카라사이트 language and ethos of social work is as passe as 바카라사이트 evangelistic ethos of 바카라사이트 early police court missionaries in 바카라사이트 1930s. There is already much going on in British universities which could help 바카라사이트 service resist 바카라사이트 pressures which 바카라사이트 Home Office is putting on it, and evolve a new identity - nei바카라사이트r "social work" nor "correctionalism" but "community justice" - worthy of 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 21st century.

Mike Nellis is a lecturer in probation studies at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham.