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National Probation Service

Briefing
Issue 36 January 2007

NPS
NPS STAFF
STAFF RECEIVE
RECEIVE TOP
2007AWARDS
BUTLER
FROMTRUST
THE BUTLER
AWARDS TRUST
INTRODUCTION

This is the second year that Butler Trust Annual Awards have been made available to probation staff in England and
Wales and National Offender Management Service staff. The Trust is delighted to give 10 awards to staff who
represent some of the work currently being undertaken with offenders in the community and in partnership with the
prison service.

2007 Award Winners

• Lord Woolf Award – Pat Thomas, Hostel Manager – Merseyside Probation Area
• Award for Excellence – Sam Chu, Chartered Forensic Psychologist – South Yorkshire Probation Area
• Diversity Award – Mayling Tse and Darren Rogers – Merseyside Probation Area
• Keith Bromley Award for Education & Skills Training – Community Punishment/Derby College Partnership
– Derbyshire Probation Area
• Offender Management and Sentence Planning Award – Paul Holt, Assistant Chief Officer – Merseyside
Probation Area
• Community Engagement and Civil Renewal Award – Community Services Unit – Dorset Probation Area
• Achievement Award – Jeff Baker- Senior Probation Officer – West Midlands Probation Area
• Achievement Award – Beverley Poiner, Probation Officer – South Wales Probation Area
• Certificate Award – David Christian, ETE Manager – Merseyside Probation Area
• Certificate Award – Rosemary Abernethy and Nick Hammond – London Probation Area

HRH The Princess Royal will present the 2007 winners with their awards at Buckingham Palace on 5 March.

DERBYSHIRE PROBATION AREA

The Community Punishment/Derby College Partnership received the Keith Bromley Award for Education and Skills
Training for an excellent project which delivers horticultural skills through practical experience and in which tutors have
embedded literacy and numeracy components throughout the teaching.

61 offenders have gained a City and Guilds qualification from the ten-week course, demonstrating improved
compliance and standards of behaviour. The practical nature of the project appeals particularly to those with limited

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academic abilities. It provides a real opportunity of employment in horticulture and building trades and plays an
important role in making offenders feel part of their communities.

DORSET PROBATION AREA

The Community Services Unit has been awarded the Community Engagement and Civil Renewal Award for an
excellent partnership with the Bovington Tank Museum which has enabled young people with a history of exclusion
from school and poor social skills to achieve literacy and numeracy skills whilst gaining an engineering qualification.

Offenders work on the refurbishment and maintenance of tanks and armoured vehicles, whilst receiving instruction
from Weymouth College. Visionary leadership delivers constructive outcomes to communities and offenders achieve
something that they believed was impossible.

LONDON PROBATION AREA

Equality and Diversity Officers Rosemary Abernethy and Nick Hammond won a Certificate Award for their exceptional
commitment and expertise in work with foreign national offenders which has earned them a national reputation.

Rosemary and Nick have been working with foreign national offenders for 15 years. Their continuing work as
practitioners has shaped the training courses which they have designed and implemented. The consultancy which
they provide to criminal justice professionals and embassy staff and their determination to promote good foreign
national practice in the context of negative political and media focus are commendable. They have contributed to
national policy and to the recent Inspectorate thematic report on foreign national prisoners.

MERSEYSIDE PROBATION AREA

Pat Thomas, Hostel Manager, winner of the 2007 Lord Woolf Award

13 years ago, Pat Thomas became Hostel Manager at Adelaide House, a 20-bed approved premise for high-risk
women with complex needs. Pat has delivered a wide range of services for residents: accommodation surgeries,
health initiatives, holistic therapies, creative projects and advocacy work for women separated from their children.
Thorough risk and needs assessments and an identified support package serve to influence sentencing decisions.

Pat’s commitment and inspired leadership is the catalyst for many different organisations to work together to provide a
safe, constructive environment.

Mayling Tse and Darren Rogers, Probation Service Assistants, winners of the 2007 Diversity Award

The Black Mentoring Scheme run by Mayling and Darren has had a major impact on offenders from the diverse black
and minority ethnic communities in Merseyside. This excellent scheme identifies and breaks down barriers to
successful completion of supervision with a very low level of breaches (9.6%). The scheme also facilitates access to
community resources and encourages a problem-solving approach through individual plans. Clients grow in self
esteem, embracing their culture and taking responsibility for their future.

Paul Holt, Assistant Chief Officer, winner of the 2007 Offender Management and Sentence Planning Award
(supported by G4S)

The National Offender Management Model published in 2005 owes much of its structure and form to the pioneering
work of Paul Holt. He realised the importance of interaction between worker and offender for successful outcomes.
3,000 offenders were managed in a trial of Paul’s draft model during which he developed a caseload weighting formula

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to demonstrate risk differential. He led the introduction of case management units in Merseyside and developed a
case management specification for the performance test of Liverpool Prison. The results of his important work can be
seen locally and nationally.

David Christian, Employment, Training and Education Manager, winner of a 2007 Certificate Award

Dave Christian has developed an innovative Pre-Employment Programme of structured, outdoor activities coupled
with classroom learning. Participants quickly learn teamwork, problem-solving skills and confidence building, whilst
achieving nationally recognised qualifications which help them to build up a portfolio of evidence for prospective
employers. For many these are the first real achievements of their lives and a number return to the programme as
mentors to provide support and motivation for their peers.

SOUTH YORKSHIRE PROBATION AREA

Chartered Forensic Psychologist, Sam Chu won the 2007 Award for Excellence for her significant contribution to the
management of high risk offenders which is widely respected by other public protection agencies. High-risk offenders
are referred to psychology clinics where interventions are tailored to manage individual risk. Sam has developed an
innovative partnership with trainee psychologists at local prisons who are provided with mentoring and work
experience in probation. Sam carries out her work with enthusiasm and professionalism, balancing her innate sense
of fairness with an awareness of risk and public protection requirements.

SOUTH WALES PROBATION AREA

Probation Officer Beverley Poiner received a 2007 Achievement Award for the boundless dedication and compassion
she has shown to families and friends of prisoners and for which she has earned widespread respect and admiration.

21 years ago Beverley set up Families and Friends of Prisoners to provide emotional support and practical advice to
prisoners’ families. The charity now has eight volunteers who support families in court and provide assistance with
financial problems and relationship difficulties post sentence. Beverley raises funds and plans developments of the
service which now receives 1800 referrals a year. All Beverley’s work with prisoners’ families is done in her own time.

WEST MIDLANDS PROBATION AREA

Senior Probation Officer Jeff Baker has won a 2007 Achievement Award for his unswerving commitment to improving
service delivery for offenders with mental disorders. For the last ten years he has managed Elliott House, an
approved premises dedicated to this challenging group of people. He has worked tirelessly to provide access to a
range of psychiatric services for the residents of Elliott House which now also provides accommodation for those on
license. He has provided guidance and training to colleagues and played a key role in supporting a probation service
mental health forum to promote service delivery.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Nominations for awards can be made by offenders, ex-offenders, fellow staff or colleagues from associated services.
Nominations need to demonstrate the results and outcomes of the nominee(s)’ work and how it has benefited
offenders and/or fellow staff. Nomination packs for the 2008 Awards are available from the end of January. To
request a paper or digital copy please contact: The Butler Trust, Howard House, 32-34 The High Street, Croydon, CR0
1YB. Alternatively you can call: 020 8688 6062, fax: 020 8688 6056 or email: info@thebutlertrust.org.uk. Nomination

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Handbooks and Nomination Forms can also be downloaded directly from the newly relaunched Butler Trust website.
Please visit www.thebutlertrust.org.uk for further information.

The closing date for nominations is 31st May 2007.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Further Briefings like this one will be produced as necessary and will be posted on the National Probation
Service website at: www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk>News and Updates>Briefings
Issued by NOMS Probation Communications

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