Community unpaid work
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Husband is having a really hard time at the moment with unpaid work. He has to complete 100 hours but has been placed somewhere that's an hour and a half there and an hour and half back so 3 hours travel a day, surely this isn't allowed?. He has to get three trains and a bus. He also receives PIP due to physical health problems but they don't seem to care? He's spoken to both unpaid work supervisor and probation officer a number of times in the past two weeks since he's been sentenced to tell them he's struggling making it there but all they keep saying is due to the offence it's the closest project available. Anyone else' OH had any issues with this and what the next steps are? He really wants to get the hours finished but now experiencing bad migraines from the stress of the travel and hasn't been able to go, they have said it could be a breach.
My person has to travel a similar distance. He leaves the house at 7, gets to the probation office where he joins other offenders and the team supervisor, by 8, then they all go by minibus to the work location arriving for a 9 start. Ridiculous! He would like to do more than one day a week but can't afford the fuel to travel such a distance, and there is no public transport option.
Sadly, there is no empathy or understanding shown.
Can your person make up some hours by doing the online study 'courses'? I think they are called 'Alison'. Some are 2 or 3 hours duration, and do knock off the unpaid work hours. And his travel time on public transport might also count too?
I think he needs to turn up even if unwell, if poss, to show willing and not be in danger of breach, and hopefully the supervisor would not make him work once he got there.
Can he see his GP about this set up being unreasonable and harmful to his health?
Sadly, there is no empathy or understanding shown.
Can your person make up some hours by doing the online study 'courses'? I think they are called 'Alison'. Some are 2 or 3 hours duration, and do knock off the unpaid work hours. And his travel time on public transport might also count too?
I think he needs to turn up even if unwell, if poss, to show willing and not be in danger of breach, and hopefully the supervisor would not make him work once he got there.
Can he see his GP about this set up being unreasonable and harmful to his health?
Having supported my son through 300 hours community payback and 9 months on the Horizon programme i am aware that there are some placements that people on the SOR can't work in and other placements that probation have assessed as unsafe due to the personalities of the people already on those placements.
I understand how diffficult the travelling is and how much additional time it adds to the day but it may be that the decision has been made to keep your person safe whilst he completes his hours. It may be that your husband can complete up to 30% of his time by doing online courses which would reduce the number of days he'd need to travel for.
I understand how diffficult the travelling is and how much additional time it adds to the day but it may be that the decision has been made to keep your person safe whilst he completes his hours. It may be that your husband can complete up to 30% of his time by doing online courses which would reduce the number of days he'd need to travel for.
That's an interesting perspective, Ocean
<< there are some placements that people on the SOR can't work in and other placements that probation have assessed as unsafe due to the personalities of the people already on those placements.>>
Thank you!
It would be so helpful, wouldn't it, if probation, police, SS, et al, could communicate their reasoning for decisions to us clearly rather than telling us what we must do and then gaslighting us, as has been my person's experience.
<< there are some placements that people on the SOR can't work in and other placements that probation have assessed as unsafe due to the personalities of the people already on those placements.>>
Thank you!
It would be so helpful, wouldn't it, if probation, police, SS, et al, could communicate their reasoning for decisions to us clearly rather than telling us what we must do and then gaslighting us, as has been my person's experience.
Your husband can do up to 1/3 of his hours online so that would mean he only has to do 60 odd in person. Also the travel time is included in his hours...my OH is claiming his 2 hours per day, which does bring the hours down a bit quicker.
But as others have said, probation aren't the most transparent and to me it looks like they like to make sure the offender knows where the power in the relationship lies. My OH was basically reprimanded in the early days for asking too many questions about how best to get his hours done quickly...could he do extra days for example?
I really hope your OH manages to get something closer and can just get the hours done. It'll be one less thing to worry about for sure.
But as others have said, probation aren't the most transparent and to me it looks like they like to make sure the offender knows where the power in the relationship lies. My OH was basically reprimanded in the early days for asking too many questions about how best to get his hours done quickly...could he do extra days for example?
I really hope your OH manages to get something closer and can just get the hours done. It'll be one less thing to worry about for sure.
My husband cant drive so if he was to go in by himself it would take anywhere up to 2 hours or more by bus or train and that doesnt include the wait for an hour for said bus or train if you miss it. He gets driven in by family as its a 30 minute car journy. Its worked well so far.
Thank you all for your replies!
Spoke to probation officer, mentioned if travel goes towards hours, nope. Mentioned if we could change the day of unpaid work so that I can atleast drive him some of the way, nope. Asked if we could pause the unpaid work for a few weeks whilst husband is having his assessment for ADHD and getting new medication, nope. He said if you wanted those things changed he wouldn't be able to, it would have to go back to court, in his words "just don't go to the unpaid work for a few weeks, you'll receive letter for breach and then state the evidence at court as they may be able to change things for you" but surely getting a breach makes everything worse and will surely go against us when social services find out?! Husband has received letter about not attending last week and mentioned if he doesn't tell unpaid work couch why he didn't attend it will be a breach... but he messaged and called 4 times on the day to tell him he won't make it in and got no reply!
just feel like everyone is against him :(
Spoke to probation officer, mentioned if travel goes towards hours, nope. Mentioned if we could change the day of unpaid work so that I can atleast drive him some of the way, nope. Asked if we could pause the unpaid work for a few weeks whilst husband is having his assessment for ADHD and getting new medication, nope. He said if you wanted those things changed he wouldn't be able to, it would have to go back to court, in his words "just don't go to the unpaid work for a few weeks, you'll receive letter for breach and then state the evidence at court as they may be able to change things for you" but surely getting a breach makes everything worse and will surely go against us when social services find out?! Husband has received letter about not attending last week and mentioned if he doesn't tell unpaid work couch why he didn't attend it will be a breach... but he messaged and called 4 times on the day to tell him he won't make it in and got no reply!
just feel like everyone is against him :(
Your travelling time should definitely count towards the hours - it did for my ex husband! Due to him losing his job he no longer had a car and was relying on public transport, this took him over an hour and half and it was counted as his time. You can do some online too as someone else has said!
My oh was 30 mins away at his own choice otherwise you had to wait to the right mix in the group this meant it was completed a lot quicker
