Life in Community Payback

Community Payback is a type of punishment that requires offenders to give back to the communities affected by their crime, while helping to reduce reoffending and create safer, stronger neighbourhoods. 

Community Payback runs 7 days a week, with some projects also running during evenings. Almost all Community Payback supervisors work one day each weekend, with some working both days. Supervisors benefit from unsocial hours payments for working weekends.  

Our Community Payback operations managers are required to be on-call during unsocial hours.  

Any additional, evening, weekend, or on-call hours worked will attract a higher rate of pay. Part-time working may be available in some regions and can be discussed at interview. 

Community Payback Supervisor

As a Community Payback supervisor, you’ll be at the heart of this work, leading small teams to complete their community sentence hours. 

You’ll supervise and motivate them to complete a range of manual tasks to pay back for the harm they’ve caused. These tasks could include clearing overgrowth, restoring facilities such as sports halls and playgrounds, planting trees or laying flowerbeds, and litter picking and graffiti removal. 

 You’ll be helping offenders to: 

• make positive changes to local communities 

• access training and development to learn new skills 

• improve their chances of employment as they make changes in their own lives 

On a typical day, you’ll spend up to 7 hours supervising a group of offenders on a Community Payback project. 

Working pattern

The Community Payback supervisor role is accommodated to people on probation who work or have caring responsibilities. Community Payback projects run 7 days a week and some during the evening, therefore you will:

• work frequent weekends, and you may be asked to cover some evenings
• be paid a higher rate for any evening and weekend days you do work

There may be a chance to work part-time in some regions. You can discuss this at your interview.

Community Payback placement coordinator

As a Community Payback placement coordinator, you’ll be responsible for establishing and maintaining working relationships with a range of stakeholders – including local authorities and charities. 

This will include exploring opportunities for people to access on-the-job training and education to develop their skills and increase their chances of employment while they complete their community sentence. 

You’ll support your Community Payback operations manager to ensure all the placements comply with health and safety legislation. This will include conducting on-site assessments, occasionally at weekends or during the evening. 

In this busy and varied role, you’ll also be responsible for planning rotas to make sure Community Payback supervisors and offenders are allocated to projects and have the necessary equipment. 

Working pattern

As a Community Payback placement coordinator you will:

• be expected to work weekends when needed to cover for Community Payback supervisors or to visit project sites – such as schools which are not accessible on weekdays
• get paid a higher rate for any weekend days you do work

Community Payback operations manager

As a Community Payback operations manager, you’ll have overall responsibility for managing the logistics of Community Payback in your region. 

Managing a team of placement coordinators and supervisors, you’ll make sure Community Payback is delivered effectively, efficiently and to a high standard. 

You’ll oversee the development and assessment of suitable Community Payback work placements, taking the lead on sourcing new large-scale projects with major community stakeholders such as local authorities and charities. 

Wherever possible, you’ll look to make sure work placements provide training and development or future employment opportunities. 

Working pattern

As Community Payback runs 7 days a week, as a Community Payback operations manager, you’ll:

• be required on occasional weekend or on-call work
• get paid an enhancement for any additional hours you work