Community Service
The object of Community Service Orders is to provide unpaid work which is of value to the community as an alternative to a custodial sentence. Community Service Orders are carried out within the National Outcomes and Standards framework for the Social Work Criminal Justice Service. This framework places clear expectations upon local authorities and those performing community service.
Community Service by offenders provides an important, long established, community based alternative to imprisonment.
Community service orders are orders of court where:
- an offender is required to perform unpaid, useful work for the benefit of the community
- the court can order between 80 - 300 hours of community service which must be carried out at such times as directed by the supervising community service officer
Orders must be completed within 12 months from the date of sentence and are performed in an offender's free time:
- community service placements are undertaken seven days a week
- for people who work or study full-time, placements are available at weekends
Work Projects
The types of projects already undertaken by offenders are noted below. However all work projects must meet the following criteria:
- it must not take away paid work from others
- no one must make a profit from the work
- it must be worthwhile, constructive and give offenders new skills
- offenders must be seen to be putting something back into the community
There are two types of work projects available:
- team placements
- personal placements
Team placements
The work is undertaken throughout Angus in small community service work teams (five people maximum) under the supervision of a Community Service Work Supervisor. There are a range of team placements:
- gardening
- painting and decorating
- joinery
- furniture collection and deliveries
- charity collections
- vandalism repairs
- graffiti removal
Personal placements
This work is undertaken on an individual basis with the offender being supervised by a nominated manager who reports progress and compliance to the supervising community service officer. There is a wide range of personal placements available within non-profit making agencies, for example:
- voluntary agencies
- charity shops
- churches
- community groups
Faith groups, community organisations, voluntary groups and local authorities are encouraged to suggest projects they would like to see the Community Service section of the Angus Council Social Work Criminal Justice Service get involved with.
If, as a result of looking at this website, you think you have a project which would benefit from assistance from the Community Service department, please contact:
Angus Council Social Work Criminal Justice Service
9 Fergus Square
Arbroath DD11 3DG
Phone: 01241 871161 (out-of-hours answer phone)
Fax: 01241 431898
Requirements of a Community Service Order
Individuals sentenced to a Community Service Order must:
- attend as instructed
- follow health and safety instructions
- follow work instructions and undertake work to a high standard
- not work under the influence of alcohol, drugs or solvents
- advise of any change of address
- contact the supervising community service officer as soon as possible if unable to attend
Enforcement of community service orders
All community service orders are enforced rigorously in accordance with National Outcomes and Standards. If the terms and conditions of the order are breached (broken), the order will be taken back to court where the court can:
- allow the order to continue and impose a fine
- add extra hours to the order
- revoke (cancel) the order and impose any penalty that was available in the first instance, for example, the sentence for the original offence(s)
If the order is revoked, an alternative sentence may be imprisonment.
An Angus Council Social Work Criminal Justice Service newsletter is appended:
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