Introduction

Research studies have long established that the most effective strategy for reducing reoffending is to demonstrate a quality level of offender engagement by relating effectively to service users, and using evidence-based supervision skills. The research literature also suggests that in order to ‘relate’ to service users, practitioners need to exhibit empathy, mutual respect, and an appreciation for the life, perspectives, and needs that the service user experiences (see, for example, Dowden and Andrews, 2004; Raynor et al, 2014; Bonta and Andrews, 2017; Chapters Six to Eleven, and Fourteen, Fifteen and Seventeen of this volume describe these skills in detail). However, it is not always easy for practitioners – often forced to play the role of disciplinarian and authority figure – to connect with service users in a way that allows for this relationship to develop; the balance between trusted confidante, and enforcer and disciplinarian is a difficult one to achieve.

With this in mind, in 2013 the London Probation Trust (LPT) developed the role of engagement worker in order to provide practitioners with another resource to be used in their attempts to establish successful working relationships with service users. The engagement workers are former users of the probation service themselves – a life experience that may enable them to successfully engage current service users in a way that practitioners are not always able to do. In addition to supporting individuals to change, the experience of being an engagement worker may contribute to the engagement workers’ own desistance.

Following a year of the engagement worker experiment, the project was evaluated by the LPT research analyst, John Rico (LPT is now the London Community Rehabilitation Company [CRC]). This chapter explores the question ‘Who works?’ (Durnescu et al, 2014) and asks whether employing ex-offenders in this way can enhance engagement, improve outcomes and provide a substantive value that is both tangible and unique.

Employing ex-service users

Unfortunately, there is little research regarding the employment of ex-service users directly in probation departments or other criminal justice organisations. Instead, the underlying research base for engagement workers mostly derives from studies surrounding the effectiveness of peer mentoring programmes, which also often make use of former service users (see, for example, Maguire et al, 2010; Fletcher and Batty, 2012).