MERSEYSIDE Probation Service staff have scooped four out of 10 prestigious awards at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace for their pioneering work and dedication with offenders.
The Butler Trust Awards were presented to four staff by the Trust's patron, HRH The Princess Royal, in honour of their achievements both in the region's prisons and in the community.
The Butler Trust is an independent registered charity and this is only the second year that a section of the awards have been made available to Probation staff and the National Offender Management Service.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Probation said they were particularly proud to have scooped almost 50% of the awards in this their centenary year.
The four winners are all experts in their own field, and have a proven track record of outstanding achievement.
The winner of the 2007 Lord Woolf Award is Pat Thomas, a hostel manager at one of only five all-female probation/bail hostels in the country.
She manages a 20-bed hostel for high-risk women, and delivers a wide range of services dealing with accommodation needs, health, therapies, creative projects, counselling and legal support for women separated from their children.
A Probation spokesman said: "Many residents are vulnerable individuals who have suffered a history of abuse, both mental and physical.
"Pat's commitment and inspired leadership draws togeth-er the expertise of different organ-isations in order to provide a safe, constructive environment in which women can develop, change and move on, many into employment, training or education."
Winners of the 2007 Diversity Award are Mayling Tse and Darren Rogers, who together run the Service's innovative Black Mentoring Scheme, which has had a major impact on those from the diverse black communities in Merseyside. Offered to all such offenders, its aim is to support and encourage individuals through their court orders.
It provides access to community resources, and encourages problem-solving approach through individual planning and support.
The National Offender Management Model published in 2005 owes much to the pioneering work of Paul Holt, winner of the 2007 Offender Management and Sentence Planning Award.
The spokesman said: "Offender management covers all aspects of an offender's supervision, from the beginning to the end of a sentence.
"The model was trialled in Merseyside, then as the national model throughout the North West. He later led the implementation of the first case management unit in Liverpool Prison as part of the performance test.
"The results of Paul's important work can be seen locally and nationally."
David Christian, employment, training and education manager, won the Certificate Award for work with un-employed offenders and those struggling with basic skills.
He was recognised for develop-ing a unique programme of structured, outdoor activities, along-side classroom learning to teach discipline, teamwork, problem-solving skills and to build con-fidence while achieving nationally recognised qualifications.