Social Work Intervention in Community Service

Gill McIvor, Research Fellow, Social Work Research Centre, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA. Summary The recently introduced National Standards for Community Serviceschemes in Scotland recognize that certain offenders on CommunityService may experience personal difficulties that interferewith their ability to comply with the order of the court andrecommend that where necessary advice and help should be providedto assist completion. A study of twelve Scottish Community Serviceschemes revealed that in spite of their often being acceptedfor Community Service because of the absence of obvious instabilityin their lives, many offenders encountered personal difficultieswhile completing their orders and those who did had a higherincidence of absence from placement. The relatively few instancesof intervention by Community Service staff that were found weremainly of a practical nature. Two schemes were, however, identifiedas offering a more intensive social work service which may haveenabled certain offenders who would not otherwise have doneso to complete their Community Service Orders. The practicalimplications of increased intervention by Community Servicestaff are discussed as is the possibility that such an approachmight enable schemes to deal successfully with a higher proportionof offenders who would otherwise have received a custodial sentence.