Whether you are just leaving school or are finishing university, you probably haven’t considered working in probation. You are unlikely to have heard your teachers recommend this line of work, despite the fact it is so rewarding. The work of the National Probation Service is essential to rehabilitating offenders and creating a better society for all.

Few understand the important work the national probation service does for our public areas. It is connected with all sorts of local projects, like litter picking and maintenance, that affect our public areas. In simple terms, it aims to make our surroundings nicer while also providing gainful work for offenders.

Sentences like community payback are designed to punish offenders for their previous conduct, creating a workforce of hands to undertake important work in our communities. Towns, cities and villages across the country benefit from the work of offenders and in Surrey and Sussex alone, Community Payback is responsible for over 300,000 hours of work each year.

Community Payback is just a part of the role of the probation service. There are a range of probation service careers; these range from prison work to office work, although around 60% will have contact with offenders.

Few in the probation service claim that their work is trouble-free but the feeling of satisfaction is very high when you see the difference you can make in people’s lives. Offenders going through the legal system often come from troubled backgrounds and the probation service is a great way to help them get back on track. It can only be a positive thing if more young people could be exposed to the important work the probation service does and be encouraged to consider this as a career path.