Offenders on the east coast are helping to make a difference to a local charity, under the supervision of the North Yorkshire Probation Service.
Dalewood House, a registered charity in Whitby, is a day centre for 35 adults with learning disabilities. Service users at the centre are supported to undertake a range of activities, including crafting garden furniture and the growing of garden produce. The probation service’s Community Payback team plays an essential part in this work by supporting service-users, as well as undertaking more physical work such as garden maintenance that would otherwise not get done.
Many of the offenders on site work hard to dismantle donated wood pallets, which involves de-nailing and chopping the pallets into kindling. This work is physically demanding and is completed at a rate and pace that would not be possible by the service-users themselves.
The recycled wood is not just turned into firewood. With maximum input from the service-users, the centre is able to build beautiful handcrafted garden furniture and quality garden planters. These are sold to help maintain the upkeep of the centre.
The work develops many skills for the offenders such as horticultural and problem solving skills. In addition, offenders also have the opportunity to work towards gaining an Open College Network qualification (module one) in Health and Safety via York College, which equips them with skills for life.
Mike Tennant, Day Centre Officer for seventeen years says: “Paul and his team are invaluable – we couldn’t do what we do without their support. The work is physically demanding, that’s productive, with a clear output.”
Lesley Dixon, who has worked at Dalewood House for 28 years, the latter eight as manager, adds: “This project provides a unique opportunity for offenders to meet and work along side people who have to overcome tremendous problems in their everyday lives.”
Christopher (25), is an offender from Scarborough. He was ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work by the courts. He has just sixty hours left to serve and has completed most of his hours at Dalewood. He says: “This is my favourite project. I find it rewarding as I feel like I am giving something back”. Sam (24), an offender from Whitby adds, “I’m glad I’m here - it’s nice to give something back, which is helping to give other people a better life.” Sam has been ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work by the courts. He has seventy hours left to serve and completes his unpaid work at Dalewood on his day off from work.
The Community Payback team visits Dalewood House at least once a week – but more often twice. The offenders are always under the supervision of Paul Pratt, Community Payback Supervisor, who has built up a exceptional relationship, built on trust, with the staff and importantly the service-users themselves.
Paul, who has worked for the probation service for over sixteen years says: “The staff are wonderful and the service-users make us feel so welcome. I have never had an offender come here to do community payback and them not see the value of the work that we do. Everyone who comes loves it. Unique relationship are built here - we feel part of a wider family and that includes the offenders.”
The Community Payback team first visited Dalewood House four years ago. The team were initially invited to tidy, maintain and preserve the gardens but have been there ever since. To this day it remains an important and priority project for the probation service.
Every year offenders in North Yorkshire carry out around 120,000 hours of compulsory Unpaid Work. On minimum wage, this equates to almost £700,000 worth of free labour that benefits local organisations and charities. Although the beneficiary must provide the cost of the materials, all the labour is provided free by the offenders as part of their community order.
As well as providing a tough form of punishment for offenders and a constructive form of payback to communities, tough community sentences can be more effective than a short prison sentence in terms of rehabilitating some offenders, turning them away from crime and therefore giving greater protection to the public.
Community Payback is effective in helping to reduce re-offending as offenders develop useful skills which can help them lead crime free lives.
North Yorkshire residents can nominate projects they would like to see carried out in their area via www.nyprobation or by contacting the Scarborough Community Payback team on 01723 366341. |
