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Finding out about community justice

Community justice is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: police and law enforcement; prosecution service; courts and tribunals; forensic science; custodial care; plus fire and rescue services. The sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. Its purpose is to reduce crime and re-offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.

The community justice sector can be divided into the following five main areas of activity or career pathways:

  • Working with offending behaviour – agencies that work with offending behaviour to protect the public, operate and enforce court orders and prison licences and rehabilitate offenders to lead law abiding and constructive lives.
  • Working with victims, survivors and witnesses – mainly third sector organisations that provide support to the victims, survivors and witnesses of crime in general (such as Victim Support), as well as organisations that specialise in a particular area of crime, such as domestic violence or rape (for example Rape Crisis UK).
  • Community safety – individuals and organisations that aim to reduce offending behaviour and the harms experienced by individuals and communities because of crime and disorder. They also seek to improve people’s quality of life through efforts to change the wider physical and social environment. To achieve this, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CRDPs) have been established in England, and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been established in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  • Substance misuse – community-based substance misuse organisations (whether statutory or third sector) work to improve availability, capability and effectiveness of advice, support and treatment for drug misuse. Drug action teams (DATs) (150 in England) and Substance Misuse Action Teams (SMATs) (22 in Wales) are responsible for ensuring that the national drugs strategy is delivered at a local level.
    • Youth justice – work with young people at risk to help them progress towards employment, further training or education opportunities. In England and Wales, the Youth Justice system comprises Youth Offending Teams (YOTs).

Key facts:

  • There are 73,000 people working in community justice, of which:
    • 33,025 work with offending behaviour
    • 11,500 work with victims, survivors and witnesses
    • an estimated 3,350 work in community safety
    • approximately 5,000 work in substance misuse organisations
    • 10,000 staff (and as many volunteers) work in youth justice (figure for England and Wales only)
  • 70% of the workforce is employed in the public sector.
  • High numbers of volunteers are required to work with victims, survivors and witnesses, and with the Youth Offending Teams.
  • Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.

Jobs in the industry range from:

  • Working with Offending Behaviour – Probation Services Officer, Trainee Probation Officer, Probation Officer, Supervisor, Psychologist, Senior Practitioner, Treatment Manager, Operational Support Staff, Project Workers
  • Working with Victims, Survivors and Witnesses – Managers, Victim Care Officers, Independent Domestic Violence Advocate, Senior practitioners, Counsellor/Therapist, Helpline workers, Volunteers
  • Community Safety – Community Safety Managers, Community Safety Officers, Neighbourhood Wardens/Community Wardens, Community Safety Team Leader
  • Substance Misuse – DAT/SMAT Co-ordinator, Project worker, Substance Misuse Worker, Practice nurse, Administrative worker
  • Youth Justice – Youth Workers, YOT Manager, Senior Practitioner, Practitioner, Administrative Assistants, Volunteers

Entry and progression

To qualify as a probation officer in England or Wales, entrants have to join a probation service as a trainee probation officer (this process is currently under review). Around half of successful applicants to trainee positions have a background in probation-related work, in jobs such as Probation Service Officer (PSO), community supervisor or hostel worker. Qualified probation officers are encouraged to continue their professional and personal development. With experience, some specialise in areas, such as hostel or prison work, or progress in to management.

Probation Service Officer jobs require some relevant work experience and at least five GCSEs (A*-C) or equivalent, including English and Mathematics. Many applicants have A Levels, and some have a degree. The Advanced Apprenticeship in Community Justice or Youth Justice is an alternative entry route. Adult entry is common.

Whilst there are no qualifications required for entry to Victim Care Officer roles, experience is needed in delivering a service in statutory, voluntary, community or private sector settings and working with a range of people. Similarly, Independent Domestic Violence Advocate require experience of work in providing advocacy, advice and support and have extensive experience of planning and delivering caseloads, with strong crisis management skills.

Community safety officers and managers have varied backgrounds with no upper age limit for entry to this work. Entry requirements vary, but some employers ask for a degree and experience in a project management role. Degree subjects such as community studies, community justice, criminology and sociology may be helpful.

Some job roles in Drug and Alcohol/Substance Misuse may require applicants to have a relevant professional qualification from a health, social care or criminal justice setting. There is a preference for applicants to be over 21 years.

To become a professional youth worker, applicants need to gain a youth and community work qualification that is recognised by the National Youth Agency (NYA). From September 2010, all new professional qualifications in youth work will be at Honours degree level or higher.

There are a range of industry endorsed courses (such as the Apprenticeship in Community Justice), undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, vocational qualifications and training schemes.

For many roles in community justice work, applicants will be subject to a CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau).

For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.

Workforce statistics

Number of UK employees: 73,000
Number of UK employers: 2,667 (Skills for Justice estimate based on incomplete dataset, 2007-2008)
Gender: 34% male 66% female
Ethnicity: 85% of the workforce is white
Age profile of the Justice sector as a whole: 8% of people are aged 16-24 years
25% are aged 25-34 years
30% are aged 35-44 years
25% are aged 45-54 years
11% are aged 55-64 years
1% are 65 years plus
Certain roles in the justice sector, such as police and prison officers, have a minimum age requirement of 18 years and 30 year retirement schemes.
87% of the justice sector workforce is employed full-time.

[N.B. Data for Justice sector does not include fire service activities. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2007-2008.]

Employment trends and future prospects

Across the justice sector as a whole, there is a forecasted need for 136,000 people between 2007-2017. In the longer term, government spending on Public Administration and Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the economy as a whole. Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and efficiency will be essential for the sector. A key element of the government’s strategy to increase efficiency and to direct more staff to front-line delivery of services is the efficient and effective use of technology.

Initiatives under the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) support offenders, in prisons and supervised in the community, to gain the skills and qualifications. For those in community justice, there will be a need to signpost and assist offenders with this.

Skill requirements and shortages

The following skill requirements are needed:

  • multi-agency working
  • information sharing
  • ICT skills
  • leadership and management skills, due to the emphasis on commissioning services, procurement, contracting and tendering

Occupational trends

Due to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire services) is likely to be around 1% per year to 2017. Declines are expected to be in administrative, clerical and secretarial roles, but increases in management and professional roles.

Justice sector occupational distribution

Managers and Senior Officials 9%
Professional Occupations 8%
Associate Professional and Technical 54%
Administrative and Secretarial 18%
Skilled Trades Occupations 1%
Personal Service Occupations 1%
Sales and Customer Service Occupations *
Process, Plant and Machine Operatives *
Elementary Occupations 7%

[N.B. Data does not include fire service activities. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2007-2008.]

National and regional data

In the East Midlands, there are 9 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 8 Youth Offending Teams.

In the East of England, there are 10 Drug Actions Teams, 6 Probation establishments and 10 Youth Offending Teams.

In London, there are 33 Drug Actions Teams, 1 Probation establishment and 32 Youth Offending Teams.

In the North East, there are 12 Drug Actions Teams, 4 Probation establishments and 11 Youth Offending Teams.

In the North West, there are 22 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.

In the South East, there are 19 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.

In the South West, there are 15 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 14 Youth Offending Teams.

In the West Midlands, there are 14 Drug Actions Teams, 4 Probation establishments and 12 Youth Offending Teams.

In Yorkshire and Humberside, there are 15 Drug Actions Teams, 3 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.

In Northern Ireland, the community justice workforce comprises:

  • 1,019 people working in offending behaviour
  • approximately 80 people working in community safety
  • 423 people delivering youth justice services
  • an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, and in substance misuse

Some key skill shortages in the Northern Ireland workforce include: risk assessment and management; challenges of working in partnership and in competition; working with high risk offenders; team leading in youth justice; multi-agency working with reference to young people; and competitive bidding.

In Scotland, the community justice workforce comprises:

  • 2,677 people working in offending behaviour
  • approximately 78 people working in community safety
  • 822 people delivering youth justice services
  • an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, and in substance misuse

Some key skill shortages in the Scottish workforce include: keeping up with policy and legislative change; partnership working skills; financial management, such as securing funding; and ICT skills.

In Wales, the community justice workforce comprises:

  • 1,450 people working in offending behaviour
  • approximately 66 people working in community safety
  • 423 people
  • an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, in substance misuse and delivering youth justice services

Some key skill shortages in the Northern Ireland workforce include: risk assessment and management; challenges of working in partnership and in competition; working with high risk offenders; team leading in youth justice; multi-agency working with reference to young people; and competitive bidding.

Salary levels

Salary ranges:

  • Probation Service Officers – between £19,076 and £25,375
  • Trainee Probation Officers – between £17,191 and £18,406
  • Probation Officers – between £26,229 and £34,239
  • Victim Care Officers – between £14,000 and £17,000
  • Independent Domestic/Sexual Violence Advocate – between £19,000 and £25,000
    • Community Safety Officer – between £23,000 and £27,000
  • Community Safety Manager – between £35,000 and £40,000
  • Substance Misuse Worker – starting between £15,000 and £20,000, rising to between £21,000 and £28,000 with experience, team leaders and service managers can earn between £24,000 and £35,000
  • Youth Worker – starts at around £19,000 for qualified staff, rising to £35,000 for senior staff

Career paths

Further sources

Produced Sept 2010, using Skills for Justice AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)

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