Volunteer Mentor and Veteran Peer Mentor

VOLUNTEERING FOR PROBATION

South Central Probation Service works with People on Probation (PoP) – men and women who have been placed by the Courts under our supervision, or those who have been released from prison on license – to manage risk to the public, and to enable them to make the right decisions in managing a life which is free from offending.

Working closely with our partners, the South-Central Probation Service has two major duties:

• the protection of the public from harm;
• the rehabilitation of PoP to encourage and support their desistance from crime.

We are accountable & collaborative:

We work with those who have been convicted of theft, fraud, burglary, driving offences, drug offences and offences of domestic and other violence; those who are assessed as low to medium risk to the community. We also manage the smaller group of offenders who commit the more serious offences and present a higher risk.

We are effective & fair:

Our work involves helping PoP to develop the skills and commitment to live a crime-free life. This may involve the completion of unpaid work, group work activities or programmes, and accessing help through referrals to services such as substance misuse, education, and employment agencies.

We are professional:

Volunteers undertake a variety of roles in different settings across the organisation, with the common goal of improving PoP engagement with their orders and licenses and helping them integrate into their communities.

Some of our volunteers work on a one-to-one basis with PoP; others work with groups of PoP. We have volunteers who work particularly with veterans and these volunteers have a Forces background themselves. This enables them to have a unique insight into the needs of veterans and a common understanding of their experiences.

Our volunteers will work closely with their Volunteer Peer Mentor Manager to ensure that they can successfully undertake their role.

A Volunteer/Mentor/Veteran Peer Mentor may be involved in:

• Supporting and encouraging PoP to keep to the terms of their order or licence.
• Supporting PoP to attend unpaid work projects and engage positively.
• Supporting PoP to complete application forms for housing and other agencies.
• Encouraging PoP to set their own realistic goals and work towards them.
• Encouraging self-help and the development of the PoP self-esteem.
• Supporting the PoP to positively fill their time.
• Helping PoP to access relevant local resources and services, which they may need.
• Assisting PoP to attend appointments.
• Helping PoP to improve their literacy skills.

We welcome anyone who is interested in volunteering with us, especially those that have had a forces background, lived experience of the prison or probation service, and those form ethnic backgrounds and LGBT. So please register your interest today.

Skills

Key Skills you will need:

• Passionate about helping others to make progress and reach their potential
• Good ability to communicate and engage in a respectful and non-judgmental way with a range of people
• Able to listen to others, demonstrate kindness and be empathic towards others
• Able to handle information sensitively and confidentially
• Able to work within the health and safety requirements of the role