Probation Officers’ Perspectives on Integrating Volunteering into Practice

On 25 November, European Strategies Consulting held a second online multiplier event, this time addressed to probation officers from across Romania. The session brought together practitioners from county probation services and the National Directorate of Probation, creating a shared space to discuss how volunteering could be integrated into everyday probation practice. The discussion focused on the CoPPer project, its approach to structured volunteering, and the practical realities officers face in their work.

Participants reflected openly on where volunteers could add value without crossing professional boundaries. Officers consistently pointed to emotional and social support for clients, help with employment and reintegration, assistance with navigating institutions and paperwork, and support for prevention or group programmes. The conversation also surfaced areas where clarity is needed, particularly around supervision, ethics, and coordination, confirming both openness to volunteering and the importance of clear role definitions.

A particularly strong signal from the discussion was that, even though most officers had never worked with volunteers before, their understanding of the volunteer role closely aligned with the CoPPer model, focusing on reintegration, emotional support, and practical assistance rather than supervision or risk related tasks.