Theodore Gradwell NS5402

S7000789 Assessment 002

An analytical memo of “Covid-19 and Probation’s Health-Related Practice,

2020-2021.”
The dataset that will be analysed within this memo is titled ‘Covid-19 and probation’s health-related
practice, 2020-2021’ and this includes 27 survey responses from probation staff and 11 interview
transcripts from those under probation supervision. The aim of this research was to investigate the
affects the Corona Virus Pandemic had on both those on probation and the staffs ability to “perform
a health-related role involving identifying health-related drivers of offending behaviour; facilitating
access to support for these, including continuity of care for people leaving prison…” (Sirdifield,
Nichols, and Mullen, 2022.) The research reviews specifically health-related practice in probation as
it is believed that poor health may be one of the factors that lead to reoffending. This idea can be
backed up by Becker who in his article “Probation and mental illness” found 39% of his probation
sample group to struggle with mental illness and 60% with substance abuse problems (Brooker et al,
2012.) To analyse the qualitative data collected by Sirdifield, Nichols and Mullen, the method used
will be thematic analysis.

As the data provided from this particular study is qualitative, the method that will be used will be
thematic analysis, or TA; this is a technique that involves the interpretation of patterns and themes
within qualitative data through the use of coding. TA has had multiple variations of itself over the
years, being used across a spread of work-fields dating back to the 1960-70’s when procedures to
analyse qualitative data began to develop but systematic procedures for it began to be outlined
around the 1990’s (Lyons and Coyle, 2016.) Within this particular analysis King, Horrocks, and Brooks
three stages of thematic analysis will be used and these include: stage one as descriptive coding
where the transcript is highlighted where it may be useful in addressing the research method, stage
two as interpretive coding where the descriptive codes are then grouped based off of similarity in
meaning, and finally stage three as overarching themes where key concepts are identified and
should be at a higher level of abstraction that stage one or two (King, Horrocks and Brooks, 2019.)
This basic system was drawn upon from guidelines that Darren Langridge, who emphasises the
importance of a transcription for both accuracy and its aid in coding when it comes to thematic
analysis (Langridge, 2004.) So with the transcripts of the interviews from this dataset provided, the
three stages of the thematic analysis process will be an effective method to review the interviews.

Out of the eleven interview transcripts of the dataset, within this analytical memo only three were
viewed in detail and had thematic analysis applied to them. One of the themes that presented most
in these was the importance of face to face appointments, it was brought up amongst two of the
three interviews as having impacted them negatively to have gone without it. Especially with
interviewee 2 who said, “it’s difficult to build a relationship, to build a rapport with someone just
over the telephone.” Whereas the third interviewee mentioned that “the phone calls would just be
hi, how are you and all this…” which shows that not only did the lack of face to face meetings have a
negative impact on those on probation but that without it, the meetings may not have been as
effective.

Another theme that arose from this data was the impact on staff, specifically job security. Whilst
reviewing these three interviews, all three discuss that they have had more than one probation
officer. Although the reason for the switch in officer is not mentioned in detail, since it is a present
theme in all three it could point to the fact that covid-19 affected the security of the job. The
pandemic had a large impact on the labour market in general with unemployment rising by 400,00
and the number of those in work falling by 825,000 between January-March 2020 and October-
December 2020 (Powell, Francis-Devine and Clark, 2022.) So it could be that this includes those
working within probation services. Not only does this impact the staff but also those attending
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Theodore Gradwell NS5402
S7000789 Assessment 002

probation meetings as already seen with interviewee two who describes it as a “terribly, gut-
wrenching feeling of having to just tell the whole story again.” This participant had also mentioned
struggles with anxiety and mental health, and if that is how he explains feeling when retelling the
story to a new probation officer than that in itself is also affecting the mental health of this individual
and could possibly be affecting others too.

The final theme that will be discussed was an overall health impact, whether that be mental or
physical, each interviewee mentions that there’s been an impact somehow. In one case an
interviewee says that he “can’t go to the doctors surgery because they don’t do that anymore; not at
the moment” when discussing health issues that require going in for aid. But alternatively, another
participant mentioned that since he joined parole as the pandemic was starting that he was unable
to get a local GP entirely; “because lots of the GPs in the area that I was staying at, they just stopped
taking new patients on.” The accessibility for healthcare diminished with the pandemic, and those
on probation suffered.

To conclude, the main themes that can be found through thematic analysis via the use of coding
within this qualitative dataset are the importance of face to face meetings, the impact on staff and
the health impact of those on probation. As Covid-19 affected the labour market and limited in
person contact that in turn created a wide range of problems not just limited to these three themes
mentioned. Other themes such as digital capability and access or remote appointments were found,
but these were the three most prevalent patterns found within the interview transcripts provided
that applied to the research aim.

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Theodore Gradwell NS5402
S7000789 Assessment 002

Bibliography:

Brooker, C., Sirdifield, C., Blizard, R., Denney, D. and Pluck, G. (2012). Probation and Mental Illness.
The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, [online] 23(4), pp.1–16. Available at:
file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/Probation_and_mental_illness.pdf [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023].

King, N., Horrocks, C. and Brooks, J. (2019). Interviews in qualitative research. 2nd ed. London: Sage,
pp.203–209.

Langridge, D. (2004). Introduction to research methods and data analysis in psychology. Pearson,
pp.261–271.

Lyons, E. and Coyle, A. (2016). Analysing qualitative data in psychology. 3rd ed. London: Sage
Publications, pp.128–147.

Powell, A., Francis-Devine, B. and Clark, H. (2022). Coronavirus: Impact on the Labour Market.
[online] House of Commons Library. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-
briefings/cbp-8898/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20people%20in [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023].

Sirdifield, C., Nichols, H. and Mullen, P. (2022). Probation and COVID-19: Lessons learned to improve
health-related practice. Probation Journal, [online] 69(2), pp.135–269. Available at:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/02645505221087980 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2023].