NCJ Number
89893
Journal
British Journal of Social Work Volume: 12 Issue: 5 Dated: (1982) Pages: 487-506
Date Published
1982
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A team strategy model for allocating new work in a field probation unit allows team members to specialize in different areas of social work and gives clients the option of simply reporting to an officer for supervisory rather than assistance purposes.
Abstract
Personal experience as a Senior Probation Officer (SPO) and interviews with 19 other SPO's from 22 field probation offices in England indicated that the following factors affect the intake process: the accessibility of a unit's premises and their impact on prospective clients, ways of assigning court coverage to probation officers, the proximity of the probation unit to the correctional institution, and intake administration and documentation. The data also showed that meetings among probation officers to assess or allocate cases focused on the logistics of work and time. An alternative model for such meetings shifts this emphasis to locating skills needed for particular clients among the team's members. This approach allocates social work by work episode rather than case and categorizes episodes as reports, counseling, intake groups, and liaison/negotiation. One team member is designated as the nominated officer who keeps in touch with clients waiting for their intake group, advises on any immediate problems, and acts as the contact for clients who choose to report regularly rather than receive any social work services. The model also involves changes in recordkeeping methods, merging assessment and allocation into one extended meeting, using a continuous wall display to depict agency demands and resources, including clerical staff in the meetings, and peer evaluation. Diagrams and six references are provided.