Becoming a Community Payback supervisor changed my life

Those 17 years haven’t come without their challenges. Fundamentally, we work with offenders – people that have committed crimes and have a public order to see through. It’s safe to say not everyone wants to be there. But it’s our responsibility to ensure offenders complete their unpaid work hours, so that projects provide as much value as possible to the community.

For some, showing up, working hard, and being held accountable for something week-on-week is a real challenge. But hard work can be rewarding. It builds resilience and helps give offenders goals and objectives to work towards – something they can be proud of. They leave with a different outlook – with new skills, confidence, and a better chance of getting their lives back on track.

As part of your training, in addition to learning all about health and safety and first aid, you learn how to deal with challenging behaviour, risk awareness skills, and pro-social modelling (how to be a role model so you can motivate and bring out the best in people). Every day you’re putting those skills into practice in the hope of helping someone onto a more positive path.

I remember working with an offender a while back who had 300 hours on their order. I spent a lot of time with them over the course of several months, and during that time, we spoke about my experiences in the army.

It turns out that this particular offender had always had an interest in the army and said that, once they completed their time on Community Payback, they wanted to apply like I did. After completing their order, I told them how to enlist and they went on their way.

Six months later, I was out and about and was approached by someone that I didn’t recognise. They were clean cut and in really good shape. It wasn’t until they started thanking me for what I’d done for them that I realised it was the same person I had directed to that army recruitment centre six months back. They had just finished basic training and wanted to see me again in person.

I’m not afraid to admit that I welled up when they shook my hand. These are the moments that make my job so special and over 17 years I’m proud to say that this is just one example of many.

Each project we work on is unique. I manage Community Payback teams to help improve community spaces that might otherwise have been forgotten. One day we might be gardening in a local park or allotment, then next we might be clearing and cleaning spaces in our community, helping build a high street that people are proud of and locals want to spend time in.

We also work closely with charities that might be short-staffed or in need of support. For example, at one project I run in Peterborough, we work very closely with wildlife charity, the Arc. Offenders will build bird boxes, hedgehog homes and benches; all vital jobs that help alleviate some of the more general work pressures on the charity.

I really believe in the work we do on Community Payback, and I’m just as passionate about my job now as I was when I started 17 years ago.

Maybe, like me, you want to find a job that gives you the chance to really give back to your community and maybe, like me, you’ll find that in the probation service.

Mick Howes is a Community Payback supervisor working in Peterborough. Community Payback is just one of many roles available in the varied and rewarding probation service. To find out more about the probation service and explore Community Payback roles in your local area, visit their website.

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