Justice Social Work: national practice standards and outcomes

3. Outcomes

These practice standards therefore provide a framework to achieve the key outcomes of:

• Reduction of reoffending
• Community Safety and Public Protection
• Social inclusion to promote desistance from offending

Outcome: Reduction of reoffending

Context: JSW services use their contact with people to implement strategies to help to reduce their likelihood of future offending behaviour. Experience and research has generated a body of evidence on how services can reduce the risks of re-offending through consistent, skilful and high quality practices and through partnership work with both statutory and voluntary sector partners.

Social Work Practice: These practice standards set out expectations for the assessment of risk and needs associated with offending. They highlight the need for motivation and engagement in processes of behavioural change. They also identify the impact of evidence-based practice including trauma informed and responsive approaches.

Outcome: Community Safety and Public Protection

Context: The JSW role is to effectively engage with people within the justice system to help them to address issues associated with their offending whilst also ensuring any restrictions and requirements necessary for ensuring the safety of others are enforced.

A focus on the harm caused to victims, families, the wider community and sometimes to the person themselves balanced with a focus on supervision and monitoring of behaviours enables appropriate action to mitigate any perceived risks to be taken.

Social Work Practice: These practice standards set out expectations for the assessment and management of risk, for applying restrictions where necessary and for the appropriate use of authority when people do not comply with the requirements of their supervision.

Outcome: Social inclusion to promote desistance from offending

Context: Many people involved in the justice system reach a point where they are motivated to move away from past behaviours and overcome the obstacles preventing them from desisting from crime and seeking support to improve their social circumstances. Identification of readiness to change and to sustain behavioural change therefore forms a basis for intervention.

Social Work Practice: These practice standards set out ways in which people can be supported to find opportunities to recognise their strengths and the contribution they can make within their local communities. For example, through becoming engaged in pro-social activities, gaining qualifications, finding employment, obtaining stable accommodation, or sustaining positive relationships.

In order to maintain confidence in the use of community supervision and the use of custody only for those cannot be safely managed in the community, it is crucial that JSW can demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions in contributing to community safety.

Understanding the impact of trauma and the need for services to develop a trauma informed responsive approaches is therefore vital to reaching positive outcomes for people. This practice considers the impact of trauma exposure on an individual’s biological, psychological and social development. The National Trauma Transformation Programme Roadmap has been designed to help services and organisations identify and reflect on progress, strengths and opportunities for embedding a trauma-informed and responsive approach across policy and practice.

By taking a reflective and self-evaluative approach to their work, JSW services can highlight the positive impact of their interventions on both the person and the wider community in reducing likelihood of reoffending which, in turn, increases confidence in the use of community sentences and post release supervision more broadly.