"Community payback order"

After being charged and convicted of a crime. I was asked to complete 100 hours in a community payback order.  

This turned out to be a stressful time. After that I came to Auchintibber to complete the payback order.   My case manager was a fantastic support and wanted me to get through it the best she possible could. She was mega supportive to get me through my community payback order.   

My time in Auchintibber I was there doing the laundry or helping take nails out of wood which then would have been used to build a piece of equipment which in turn would  then be donated to a local primary or nursery for them to use.  

The placement supervisor was brilliant, down to earth and had great skills which they could then share.

Although I have had a positive experience I believe that there is thing that could be improved on.  For instance, I believe that unpaid work should be looked at on an individual basis.  I wasn’t allowed to go out to a charity because the nature of my crime but still hold a PVG which was not revoked.  Going to a charity would have been much more beneficial for my skill set.  I believe that a meeting could have been arranged with the case worker, manager and charity manager to discuss and be able to make a decision.

Also shifts being cancelled on the day that we were meant to be there but getting no time for it.  Throughout my time in the unpaid work service I have had around 5/6 cancellations which were all messages a few hours before I was meant to be in the service.  This prevented me from picking up an extra shift in work or catching up with college work.   Even if 30 minutes was given if cancelled on the same day.