ABSTRACT
The clients’ retrospective reports to the independent assessor on whether they agreed on problem or task with the probation officer did not differentiate between the twenty-two clients with high ratings on problem reduction and task achievement, and the rest. Indeed, the proportion of cases in which there was - in the client’s view - complete agreement between himself or herself and the probation officer on the main problem was almost identical in the two groups - thirteen and fourteen. In the much younger probation group, problems of social transition were mainly related to marital breakdown: the opportunity to grapple with the necessary emotional and material readjustments or with the process of decision-making was used to good purpose]. An analysis of the methods of intervention used by probation officers in the forty-four cases was carried out using the ratings in the interview schedule as to which of the five activities - exploration, encouragement, structuring, direction and enhancing awareness.
