Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PART OF THE COMMUNITY
THEY might not be exactly like Stephen Merchant’s comedy Outlaws, but Community Payback projects, an alternative to prison sentences, are very real, and offenders are clocking up a huge five million community hours every year across the country.
Ronnie Shaw knows all about it as supervisor for a project in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester. Ronnie, 53, is now urging others to step forward and take up 500 similar jobs.
What do you do?
I am supervisor at The Bread and Butter Thing in Trafford where we provide support, such as affordable groceries, for families on the verge of going into crisis.
I do everything from health and safety guidelines to making sure the work is done. It’s so much more, though. You have to be a positive role model for the people on probation you are supervising.
It’s important that they learn from community service so that they can improve their lives once they finish. This involves communicating clearly with them, as well as with people in the community, and forming relationships to ensure the project is completed effectively.
What do you love about it?
I love that I get to meet new people, whether it is someone who is on probation or from the community. The main joy comes from seeing the effect my work has on the people on probation and I can make someone’s life better.
I believe that establishing a good probation process can bring positive changes for society. But most people don’t really know what Community Payback is.
How did you get the job in the first place?
The first time I considered applying was when I was in a relationship with a person who already worked as a probation officer.
When I looked into it more, I realised that my experiences and skills fitted into the requirements they were looking for in a supervisor.
I was working as a taxi driver at the time, and that is all about how good your communication skills are, and whether you have empathy to establish a connection with your passengers.
At that time, I was 47 and getting on a bit, so I thought working for the Ministry of Justice would be a good career move as they offer a decent pension and holiday scheme.
I applied, and after going through the process, got the job.
Is there chance for career progression?
Yes. I’ve been here seven years and really seen my career develop. I’ve just been promoted again to being a placement coordinator.
Perhaps it’s more of a sidestep but it’s definitely career progression for me. The job requires setting up the sites, monitoring the risks, both for people on probation and the community, and checking on the health and safety conditions.
I also have to consider the skills of every person on probation and decide what kind of work will best suit them after they have gone through the general induction process.
I’m looking forward to being a bridge between supervisors, case managers and benefactors, and to create a better system for our collaboration. I believe it is very important to make it an enjoyable experience for people on probation too.
We have to show them their work has a lot of value to other people.
Overall, we want to make sure we are doing the best for everyone involved.
What jobs have you had in the past?
I started working for the National
Trust as a gardener when I was 16, then I made wrought iron furniture for a bit.
Finally, I decided to become a taxi driver around 20 years ago. And then I realised that my dog wasn’t being groomed to the standards I wanted, so I did that too and set up a side business.
As you can see, I tried a lot of things. It made me understand that if I put my mind to something – I can do it.
Honestly, I just love a challenge.
Why should others consider taking on this job?
Joining the service was a good move as it provides a career path and a pension
You get a lot out of the people at Community Payback if you are kind, engaging and treat them with respect.
It’s an ideal job if you like interacting and communicating, as you meet such a variety of people on this job.
For me, I struggled in school with dyslexia and left school with no qualifications and never had a career path.
It was through the training as a supervisor and the positive feedback from my manager that I was inspired to get my maths qualification at 48 and consider applying for a managerial position.