A staff development initiative has proven a success in nurturing ‘home-grown’ talent at the Department of Home Affairs. Two Isle of Man Probation Service employees have gained professional qualifications after taking up the Department’s offer to support their career aspirations. Dawn Cubbon and Tim Dunne recently graduated with social work degrees via the Open University, enabling them to practice as qualified probation officers in the Island. The courses were funded by the Department of Home Affairs which meant that Dawn and Tim, who completed their qualifications in three years rather than the standard four, were able to study and train in the Isle of Man whilst continuing to build up important on-the-job experience. DHA Minister Adrian Earnshaw MHK said: ‘I wish to congratulate Dawn and Tim on becoming our first “home trained” probation officers. They took the more difficult route of combining their studies with doing a full-time job. Their success is not only a reflection of their hard work and personal commitment, but also of the supportive environment provided by the Probation Service. The Isle of Man will now benefit from having its own trained probation staff who are also fully conversant with the team’s day-to-day workload.’ It is hoped that Dawn and Tim’s achievements will open the way for other local trainees to follow an established development path. By completing an Open University course and undertaking short-term placements, employees have an opportunity to progress their careers whilst continuing to live and work in the Isle of Man. Previously, the Probation Service experienced difficulties in recruiting local staff and had to rely on attracting qualified officers from other jurisdictions, principally the UK. This led to operational challenges as personnel from outside the Island had to adjust to Manx law and working practices. Retention of staff was also an issue as officers sometimes chose to return to their roots after varying periods of service in the Isle of Man. Chief Probation Officer David Sellick said: ‘Thanks to the foresight of the Department of Home Affairs we have been able to overcome many of the recruitment, training and development obstacles encountered in the past. It is a genuine win-win situation as our local trainees can take advantage of the Department’s support to gain professional qualifications, whilst still making a valuable contribution to the Isle of Man Probation Service.’ He added: ‘Dawn and Tim represent our future and I am sure they will have positive roles to play in the new joint agency that will be created through the merger of the Island’s Probation and Prison Services. This programme of staff development is one we are keen to pursue and our third Island trainee has successfully completed the first year of her course with the Open University. She will now continue her studies for a further two years with the goal of acquiring a social work degree.’ Ends