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.
