Brighton sees recruitment drive for community payback roles

Community Payback (CP), previously known as Community Service, is an alternative to a prison sentence for people who have committed a crime. The Ministry of Justice is looking for supervisors, who work hands-on to oversee Community Payback projects on the ground.

The recruitment drive in Brighton will support efforts to both reduce crime and improve community spaces across the region. With research showing that community interventions are more effective than short prison sentences, a role in Community Payback gives individuals the opportunity to directly impact their community.

For armchair criminal justice advocates, inspired by recent shows like The Outlaws, Jury Duty and Annika, it’s a chance to help offenders get their lives back on track

Community Payback supervisors lead small teams, helping to motivate them to complete projects that will impact the community – from restoring community facilities like sports halls and playgrounds to planting trees or graffiti removal. No formal qualifications are necessary, just a reasonable level of fitness and a valid driver’s licence for a manual vehicle.

Some of the projects Community Payback supervisors in Brighton have overseen include grounds maintenance and improvements at Woodvale Cemetery in Brighton. Churchyards and cemeteries are a very typical type of unpaid work placement for as they will often rely on volunteers from the churches community for maintenance, which can be in short supply, meaning the spaces become overgrown and neglected. Offenders completing unpaid work in this environment are made aware of the use of open public spaces by the community, and the appreciation of the local community for taking care of such a sacred space, supporting with their rehabilitation journey.

The new Community Payback roles are open to a wide range of applicants and are ideal for those looking for a rewarding career where you can both motivate and inspire others to change for the better, and build better and safer places to live.

All new staff are given robust training to help them work effectively and safely with offenders, from learning about the principles of Community Payback to training on health and safety, risk awareness, and dealing with challenging behaviour. New staff will also have full training on any tools used and will work alongside and shadow an experienced colleague before taking responsibility for supervising a group on their own.

Anyone interested in a career in Community Payback should visit: Community Payback - Ministry of Justice