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Neighbourhood warden

  • Hours

    35 per week

  • Starting salary

    £15,000 + per year



The work

Neighbourhood wardens aim to improve people’s quality of life by reducing fear of crime and tackling anti-social behaviour. They provide a uniformed presence in an area to make residents feel safer (they do not become involved in situations where physical force is required).

As a neighbourhood warden, your duties could vary according to where you work. Typical tasks include:

  • patrolling an area and encouraging positive community relations
  • responding to incidents of anti-social behaviour
  • reporting crime to the police
  • alerting the council and other relevant authorities about environmental problems
  • issuing fixed penalty notices for litter, graffiti and dog fouling
  • checking to make sure empty properties are safe and secure
  • supporting older and vulnerable people in the area
  • getting involved in community activities and working with young people
  • sharing information with other agencies including the police, community groups, tenants’ associations and schools.

In some regions you may also be known as a street warden, community warden or community safety warden.


Hours

You would typically work 35 hours a week, which would usually include evenings, weekends and public holidays. Part-time hours are often available.

You would spend most of your time outdoors. You may also attend local meetings and give talks in schools or community centres.


Income

Salaries for neighbourhood wardens can range from around £15,000 to £20,000 a year.

There may be extra payments for shift, weekend and bank holiday working.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.


Entry requirements

You may not need any qualifications to become a neighbourhood warden, although some employers prefer you to have five GCSEs or an NVQ Level 2 or equivalent.

You will need good reading and writing skills for keeping accurate records, and a driving licence would be useful (and is sometimes essential).

Employers will usually focus on your personal qualities and ‘people skills’, and it may be an advantage to have experience of working with the public. You will also need to show a clear understanding of the issues faced by the community you would be working with.


Training and development

You will have a period of induction training usually lasting around four weeks, followed by a probationary period working alongside experienced wardens.

During your training you may be encouraged to work towards NVQ Level 2 for Community Wardens, which may help you progress in your career.


Skills and knowledge

  • a sense of fairness and justice
  • the desire to improve the quality of life for people in your area
  • the ability to get on with people of all ages and backgrounds
  • an open-minded and non-judgemental attitude
  • good listening and communication skills
  • a reasonable level of physical fitness
  • tact and diplomacy
  • a confident and assertive manner
  • the ability to use your initiative but also work well in a team.

More information

LG Jobs (Opens new window)
www.lgcareers.com


Opportunities

You could find work with local authorities, housing associations, town centre management companies or community safety partnerships.

With experience, you could progress to a supervisory post such as assistant head warden and head warden.

Jobs may be advertised through the local and national press, Jobcentre Plus, Directgov (Jobseekers page), local authority jobs bulletins and on websites, such as LGJobs.


Related industry information

Industry summary

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

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.


Career paths


Further sources


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