Stress, Support and Well Being as Perceived by Trainee Probation Officers

A study on stress, support and well-being was carried out with probation trainees (n = 110). The study indicated that working as a probation trainee entailed high demands. Greater levels of demands were experienced by trainees with children and those undertaking part-time work. A large majority of trainees reported a high sense of personal accomplishment, had good self esteem, held positive attitudes towards themselves and enjoyed their work with offenders. Female trainees had significantly less positive attitudes towards themselves than males. Small, but significant numbers of trainees experienced problems with stress, well-being, low self-esteem, tiredness and emotional exhaustion. They might benefit from receiving more individual support, mutual group support and stress management courses. ‘Professional’ support opportunities from fellow students and practice development assessors were perceived as more important than from family or friends. There were some significant differences between trainees in their perceptions of support offered by Consortia and their tutors. Overall, there were no significant differences in relation to age or ethnicity.