'Moving Forward': How Did We Do That?
| Date | 01 June 1996 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059604300201 |
| Published date | 01 June 1996 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
58
’Moving
Forward’:
How
Did
We
Do
That?
Gillian Hirst, Senior Probation Officer in Merseyside Probation
Service, traces the development of a pioneering partnership initiative
to provide a comprehensive and principled programme for women
service users.
ver
the
last
year,
Moving
Forward
A
Programme
for
Women
has
been
offering
a
unique
partnership
facility
on
Merseyside
which
takes
a
holistic
approach
to
the
experience
of
women
whose
lives
are
affected
by
crime.
In
less
than
twelve
months,
over
one
hundred
women
have
participated
in
one
or
more
of
the
six
Moving
Forward
components
on
at
least
one
occasion,
while
more
than
a
third
of
them
have
become
regular
attenders.
Some
women
have
followed
an
assertiveness
course
provided
by
a
local
college
and
gained
credits
in
further
education;
others
have
been
provided
with
support,
advice
and
information
in
respect
of
health,
education,
training,
leisure
and
employment;
women
have
been
supported
in
taking
difficult
decisions
about
leaving
violent
partners;
a
sentencing
option
tailored
specifically
to
the
needs
of
women
offenders
has
become
available
to
the
court;
and
women
have
taken
advantage
of
the
option
for
women-only
programmes
in
respect
of induction
and
offending
behaviour.
Additionally,
women
have
enjoyed
themselves and
been
given
opportunities
to
try
new
activities;
felt
comfortable
in
a
setting
where
they
are
not
stigmatised
or
isolated
as
a
result
of
their
experience
of
offending;
and
been
able
to
have
their
children
cared
for
on-site
while
they
take
time
out
for
themselves.
Given
that
this
has
been
achieved
with
a
budget
of
some
E4560
(ie
at
less
than
£45.60
per
head),
it
could
be
described
as
a
successful
project.
In
a
recent
study
of
gender
differences
in
managers’
attributions
for
successful
work
performance,
Rosenthal’
asked
subjects
to
describe
a
recent
success
in
work
by
rating
the
degrees
to
which
the
following
had
contributed
to
the
outcome:
personal
skills
and
abilities;
hard
work
and
effort
invested
in
the
task;
positive
circumstances;
and
the
relative
ease
of
the
task
in
hand.
She
found
that
women
tended
to
prefer
explanations
based
on
factors
external
to
themselves
and
to
de-emphasise
the
role
played
by
their
own
abilities,
whilst
being
more
generous
in
recognising
the
abilities
of
those
they
managed.
After
describing
the
background
to
the
Programme,
I
shall
analyse
the
causes
of
its
success
using
the
structure,
and
aware
of
the
possible
gender
effect,
suggested
by
Rosenthal.
The Background
In
1991,
Her
Majesty’s
Inspectorate
of
Probation
(HMIP)
conducted
an
inspection
into
Probation
Service
delivery
and
women
offenders.
Among
recommendations
relevant
to
Moving
Forward:
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