Community service back on track

Nearly 10,000 hours of standard community service had to be written off in the region in 2020/21 due to strict Covid lockdown rules.
A switch was then made to a different programme of community service in this region, which included online learning courses and connecting with third sector support agencies.
This approach resulted in Dumfries and Galloway recording the highest number of CPOs per 10,000 population imposed, at a rate of 47.6, compared to the Scottish average of 21.2.
The matter was discussed at the council’s social work committee last week where Dumfries and Nithsdale Provost Tracey Little said: “These local figures are fabulous, and it’s always nice to hear the comments and stories from service users themselves.
“Where we have the types of unpaid projects, I was just wondering how close we are to getting back to fulfilling the hours within community organisations following on from Covid?
“It’s a really important part of the service, and it goes a long way to lowering the reoffending figures.”
Catherine Knipe, the council’s locality manager for justice social work, replied: “Whilst I’m reluctant to say it’s ‘business as normal’, it’s a lot more recognisable as business as normal.
“We have had to have an overall significant shift toward outdoor working, and the areas where we’re probably still playing catch up is in terms of personal placements.
“Clearly as soon as the pandemic struck those were the first placements that closed down, and it is taking a long time to get those back up and running.
“But in terms of getting offenders back into physical attendance, we’re back as we should be and the groups sizes are back to normal.”