Volunteers in Prison After-Care : The Report of the Teamwork Associates Pilot Project Paperback / softback

Originally published in 1971, volunteers in the social services were being asked to undertake increasingly demanding and responsible work, particularly in the field of prison after-care.

Effective professional leadership and support were therefore essential.

Hugh Barr’s report describes a pilot project in London in which he tried to build effective partnership between professionals and volunteers, and between statutory and voluntary agencies.

It is a report that was immediately relevant in the field of probation and after-care at the time and had implications in general for the future of the personal social services. Separate chapters discuss recruitment, motivation, preparation, selection and supervision of the volunteers; illustrations of their work are included and an attempt is made to evaluate the results of the project.

The book ends with a study of the implications for future projects and of the ever-widening scope for the volunteer, who will use his leisure to match society’s need. ‘This is a man writing about something he has a hand in creating’ (from the Foreword).