Individuals in Scotland serving Community Payback Orders (CPOs) as an alternative to custody can choose to engage with “Other Activity”, where they can develop their interpersonal, educational,
and vocational skills to support progression to employment and prevent re-offending.
But many do not take part as they are unaware of the activities available. This can have a disproportionately negative impact on an already marginalised cohort of society, affecting their employability and housing prospects, which can in turn affect options for family contact. One reason for the limited uptake is that information about available options is extremely fragmented, in the form of emails, newsletters and personal connections.
The Justice Training Directory will seek to address this problem by providing a national platform for making referrals to and booking vocational training and interventions suitable for “Other Activity”. It will join up the organisations who deliver interventions and skills training with Social Workers who want to refer their clients. It will list courses and activities, manage bookings and provide automated reporting directly back to Criminal Justice Social Work Services (JSW) as the responsible body.
As it will be nationally available and fully online, it will offer easy access and increase referrals to existing interventions, maximizing the use of resources currently available.