Service User Involvement with Offenders in the Community
This toolkit is for managers and staff of any probation service provider wanting to involve service users in the management, design and delivery of services. It provides practical guidance and tools, including a range of methods for involving service users in all aspects of this work.Service user involvement is an essential part of an effective probation service. Giving service users the opportunity to give their views and contribute to areas such as service design and monitoring brings many benefits.These include ensuring the service is responsive to service users’ needs, giving service users a voice and developing their skills. Playing an active role in their community and taking on responsibility can assist in the journey away from crime.
Based on learning from a number of pilots, the toolkit contains five sections:
- An introduction to service user involvement, its benefits, as well as possible barriers and how to overcome them
- A three-step process to developing effective service user involvement in your probation service
- Guidance on a range of consultation methods suitable for use on both a one-off and ongoing basis
- Easy-to-use checklists, templates and good practice to support service user involvement
- Sources of further information and support.
