Profile

"I am Programme Manager for the Luton branch of Crime Concern, a national crime prevention charity, and the Luton Crime and Disorder Partnership."

When Joan Bailey was a social worker, she had a tough training ground with young people – in New York’s Times Square area.

But the outreach work made her realise that she wanted to work with young people in the fight against drugs and crime.

She said: “As a social worker, I told young people what to do, but as a youth worker you asked them what they wanted to do. When I came back from America I found the course at Luton to give me the right qualifications to carry on with youth work.”

That was the beginning of a long association with the University of Luton for Joan. It gave her the basis for her career and the opportunity to teach on the course that she once studied.

“I loved the course and now I teach on it. It gives a really good grounding for youth workers. It is not just academic, it has a big practical element,” she said.

Joan also tries to keep her feet on the ground within her job. Although she is now involved in more strategic work in crime reduction, she keeps her connections with the people it is aimed at. She can often be found visiting youth clubs, talking to youth workers, as well as helping to bring on new youth work students setting out on their careers at Luton.

Joan has topped up her Diploma from Luton with a degree through the Open University and more recently completed an MA in Community Education.

She has worked her way up to the top from her first full time post with the Luton Crime Reduction Programme, working with young people around the issue of drugs and community safety.

She said: “In 2002 I became Programme Manager which involves all strategic, financial and project management for both the local branch of Crime Concern as well as Luton’s Crime and Disorder Partnership.

Joan’s connection with the University of Luton has also continued over a number of years in several ways. She is a practice tutor to students on the Diploma in Youth and Community Studies. She also provides placements for students on this course as well as paying for youth workers employed with the organisation to attend the course if successful in their application.

She has been a practice teacher for a student on the Diploma in Social Work, a visiting lecturer on the Diploma in Youth and Community Studies course and she delivers a substantial amount of the material on the Community Work module for year two students. She has also delivered elements of the Community Safety Module to year three Criminology Students.

Joan said: “I really feel as though I am able to give something back. I am proud to be doing something for them.”

Joan has also had articles published in two books, Young People, Drugs and Community Safety and The Russell House Companion to Working with Young People. She is also one of the Editors of the National Community Safety Journal published by Pavilion.

Interview took place in 2003.