Review : Probation Service Community Group Scheme in Huddersfield West Yorkshire Probation & After-Care Service
| Published date | 01 September 1981 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058102800411 |
| Author | Bill Whittaker |
| Date | 01 September 1981 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
140
Consumer
Opinion
of
the
Journal
Members
of
Conference
had
the
oppor-
tunity
to
express
their
views
of the
Journal
on
the
reverse
of
the
competition
entry
form.
The
Editorial
Advisory
Board
is
particularly
grateful
to
those
who
took
the
trouble
to
fill
these
in.
Quickly
and
simply
we
received
from
our
readership
more
views
of
the
Journal
than
had
come
our
way
in
total
in
the
past
two
years.
The
views
expressed
do
not
give
us
a
rep-
resentative
cross
section
of
opinion
throughout
NAPO,
of
course.
However,
we
think
it
important
to
make
some
report
of
the
opinions
which
were
represented
to
us.
Over
150
competition
forms
were
returned.
About
half
included
comments
on
the
Journal.
In
all,
64
people
expressed
satis-
faction
with
the
Journal,
and
56
said
they
preferred
the
new
look.
Other
general
comments
focused
on
the
need
to
try
and
make
the
Journal
more
lively
and
interesting.
Several
replies
sug-
gested
that
the
contributions
were
some-
times
rather
too
long
and
occasionally
pretentious.
There
were
requests
for
more
humour,
more
photographs
and
more
ma-
terial
on
local
probation
projects
and
prac-
tice.
The
review
and
digest
sections
were
welcomed.
There
was
the
slight
suggestion
in
some
replies
that
the
Editorial
Advisory
Board
could
without
NAPO
members
themselves
exerting
themselves,
rectify
the
omissions
and
failures
which
were
occasionally
hinted
at. May
we
remind
you, that
the
pool
of
con-
tributions
from
which
the
Jonrnal
finally
emerges,
is
determined
almost
exclusively
by
what
we
receive.
We
cannot
include
in
the
Journal
light,
lively
or
humorous
items
if
we
do
not
receive
any.
There
were
small
numbers
of
comments
on
various
other
aspects
of
the
Journal.
but
in
such
small
quantity
that
no
overall
view
could
be
said
to
emerge.
We
were
pleased
indeed
to
receive
the
comments
of
readers,
especially
when
such
a
large
percentage
of
them
were
broadly
favourable.
We
are
keen
to
hear
from
you
all,
whether
or
not
you
were
at
Conference.
and
~hope
that
you
will
let
us
know
your
views,
as
well
as
think
about
contributing
material.
Please
do
not
feel
daunted
by
the
Jour-
nal :
things
go
through
an
amazing
trans-
formation
once
they
are
put
into
print.
Most
of
us
are
tentative
and
doubtful
about
things
as
we
sit
writing
them
in
blotchy
biro:
that
is
how
most
good
writing
starts:
have
a
go!
REVIEW
Probation
Service
Community
Group
Scheme
in
Huddersfield
West
Yorkshire
Probation
&
After-
Care
Service
Having
been
seconded
for
twelve
months
to
study
Community
Work,
Paul
Falkingham
returned
to
his
home
area
eager
to
initiate
Com-
munity
Work
within
the
framework
of
the
agency
function.
He
perceives
clients
problems
as
&dquo;lying
at
least
as
much
within
structural
factors
as
within
individual
pathology&dquo;,
and
sees
community
involvement
&dquo;as
heighten-
ing
comprehension
of
clients
expert
ences&dquo;.
He
gives
a
fascinating
account
of
his
negotiations
with
colleagues
and
with
the
hierarchy
to
set
up
his
scheme,
and,
I
suspect,
is
a
good
deal
more
charitable
to
some
of
them
then
they
deserve.
The
problem
may
well
not
have
been
non-co-operation
so
much
as
incomprehension,
but
why
does
a
service
whose
purpose
is
related
to
helping
its
clients
to
change,
itself
seem
so
apparently
immutable?
The
&dquo;experiment&dquo;
is
to
continue:
service
co-operation
seems
to
be
im-
proving.
One
awaits the
next
instal-
ment.
It
is
possible
to
approach
proba-
tion
work
from
several
perspectives,
and
I
would
have
thought
that
Falk-
ingham’s
was
entirely
respectable
-
one
wonders
why
he
needs
to
sound
so
defensive
about
it.
He
says
&dquo;the
service
needs
to be
able
to
engage
with
the
people
whom
it
claims
to
help
at
a
range
of
levels
which
correspond
to
the
diversity
of
client
need&dquo;.
Quite.
BILL
WHITTAKER
PO,
Student
Unit,
Plymouth.
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