ABSTRACT
This chapter explores whether the task-centred model, originating from work with ‘voluntary’ clients who want to do something about acknowledged problems, can be used in the context of a judicial order. It finds out how effective the method is as judged by the clients themselves, by the probation officers and by reconviction rates. In most of the remaining orders further delinquency or adverse circumstances either led to the probation period running for a full year or to the clients’ disappearance or to custodial sentences. These thirty-six offenders for whom the task-centred method did not work out differed in some socio-demographic respects from those who successfully completed a short-term task-centred probation order. Dissatisfaction in social relations and difficulties in role performance, mostly related to work, were identified as target problems in over half the cases. Tasks were aimed at gaining some insight into the clients’ behaviour and working out a strategy with them for bringing about some small and specific changes.
