Recruitment drive for community payback roles

• Over 30 people being sought across Lincolnshire and the wider East Midlands region for superviser roles to support Community Payback
• From litter picking to maintaining green spaces, workforce boost will help increase impact of Community Payback projects

People in Lincolnshire are being urged to consider job opportunities that support the delivery of Community Payback as the region looks to employ over 30 more people in supervisor roles.

Community Payback (CP), previously known as Community Service, is an alternative to a prison sentence for people who have committed a crime. The Ministry of Justice is looking for supervisors, who work hands-on to oversee Community Payback projects on the ground.

The recruitment drive in Lincolnshire comes off the back of the government’s commitment of £93m extra to increase Community Payback from 5 million to 8 million hours per year, which will see 500 new roles across the country.

Working in a Community Payback role gives individuals the opportunity to support people on probation to make improvements to local communities and make positive changes to get their lives back on track. No specific experience or qualifications are required.

Community Payback supervisors lead small teams, helping to motivate them to complete projects that will impact the community – from restoring community facilities like sports halls and playgrounds to planting trees or graffiti removal.

Currently in the East Midlands there are nearly 50 people working in Community Payback roles. Projects span the region. In Lincolnshire, an example of one of the projects is Dysart Park, where people on probation have been gardening, tidying and renovating a pond in the park. Limited resource availability for South Kesteven District Council, meant that these improvements would never have been made without the support of the Community Payback team.

The new Community Payback supervisor roles are open to a wide range of applicants and are ideal for those looking for a rewarding career where you can both motivate and inspire others to change for the better, and build better and safer places to live.

Nigel Harris is a Placement Coordinator in Lincolnshire. He helped start the partnership with South Kesteven District Council, which has since been going from strength to strength.

He said: “For me, Community Payback and the work those undertaking it do with local organisations, is a brilliant opportunity for direct positive reparation, in their own local community. For you to have an input to change someone’s live for the good so they get back on the right path to enjoy it. In the end, lots of people benefit. To do well, you really just need experience of life and how to deal with people. Supervisors can be from any walk of life, interpersonal skills and problem solving skills are valuable to pass on to these people you work with.”

Commenting on the local impact, Sharon Haythorn, Projects Officer at South Kesteven District Council said: “The projects provide tremendous benefit to the local community, are always carried out to a high standard and very much appreciated. We look forward to continuing to work with the Community Payback Team to deliver many more community and environmental improvements in the future”.

All new staff are given robust training to help them work effectively and safely with people on probation, from learning about the principles of Community Payback to training on health and safety, risk awareness, and dealing with challenging behaviour.

New staff will also have full training on any tools used and will work alongside and shadow an experienced colleague before taking responsibility for supervising a group on their own.

Anyone interested in a career in Community Payback should visit: Community Payback – Ministry of Justice