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45 How. J. Crim. Just. 1 (2006)

handle is hein.journals/hjcj45 and id is 1 raw text is: The Howard Journal Vol 45 No 1. February 2006 ISSN 0265-5527, pp. 1-13 Some Personal Reflections on Probation Training JAMES TREADWELL Lecturer in Criminal justice, University of Central England, Birmingham Abstract: This research draws upon the author's personal experiences and the comments of his former colleagues on their perception of undertaking the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS) in the Midlands Region. This relatively recently established qualification, undertaken in order to be eligible to work as a probation officer in England and Wales, has created substantial discourse due to its break with social work traditions. This research was undertaken over a two-year period and intends to provide 'consumer' comment on the training and examines the perceptions of trainee probation officers (TPOs) on the suitability of these training arrangements. The author argues that whilst the intention of the programme was not to create an unquestioning 'enforcement' driven mentality, a number of trainees adopted just that. The article suggests that this is due to the tension created by a perceived disparity between the needs of the organisation and the demands of the university amongst the trainee group. This is reinforced by the imbalance in delivery, between the vocational and academic components. The author's view is that the current arrangements are too vocational in practice, and this is likely to continue, given the move towards delivery of the academic component through 'distance learning'. It argues that the future pre-qualifying arrangements need to retain a belief in the value of academia and be delivered (at least in part) outside the employment setting. This study was primarily undertaken as part of the research requirement on the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS), but is used here to express a personal concern with the direction that training has taken. I was employed in the fourth cohort intake of trainee probation officers (TPOs) in the West Midlands area during September 2001. Prior to this, I had completed both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of Central England, and following my qualification as a probation officer, returned to that institution as a lecturer in criminal justice. Having participated in the Diploma programme, and having conducted research into the perceptions and 'culture' of my TPO cohort, I felt that I occupied a strong position from which to offer some personal reflections on my experiences. When I became a trainee probation officer I was given access to the service as an employee and granted the opportunity to conduct this research. This account is the product of what initially began as a participant observation study of my colleagues (see Spradley 1980). The study also draws heavily upon comments that they have made whilst undertaking the 1 0 2006 The Author journal compilation 0 2006 The Howard League Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ UK

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