Projects
CEP matchmaker project
CEP Matchmaker Project brings together individuals, teams, organisations, or groups among CEP members with a shared professional interest. Through peer-to-peer links and activities, the aim is to provide opportunities for sharing, exchanging and learning together as well as potential other benefits.
In the Matchmaker Project, an individual or team of officers with a particular curiosity or expertise in a field of work can ask CEP to make contact with colleagues to establish a link with others with shared interests or knowledge. For example, teams working in a rural area, with prisoners on release from custody or supervising older persons could seek others sharing similar challenges in other jurisdictions to share experiences, learn from each other and establish their own engagement.
The Confederation of European Probation (CEP) was established in 1981 as a network of European probation organisations to share knowledge, exchange expertise and support developments in the field of community sanctions in Europe.
CEP members and their staff represent a unique reservoir of knowledge and expertise about positive ways of working with people who offend to promote rehabilitation, reduce re-offending and make communities safer. Most importantly, CEP facilitates its members in working together, sharing expertise, learning with and supporting each other.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, CEP and its members were innovators in sustaining that positive engagement and sharing. Social media, new technology, greatly increased levels of remote working and online meetings and conversations have sustained that contact. The CEP newsletter features working during Covid-19 and, more recently, the Day in the Life of a Probation Officer articles that have attracted huge readerships and exceptional interest. There is a clear strong desire among CEP members to learn more about how others, in similar posts, work and live in other countries.
The CEP Matchmaker Project has been developed from ideas and suggestions by CEP members. It seeks to harness that curiosity and use the new communications media to facilitate direct contact, sharing of experiences and learning opportunities among members.
In the Matchmaker Project CEP will act as a contact point and matchmaker between interested members and their staff to bring people together. It will establish contacts and links between services, teams or individuals with common interests and curiosity to meet up with each other to share and explore experiences together. Once in contact, the members will determine the topics, mode of contact, level of engagement and any development.
If you or your organisation are interested in participating in the Matchmaker Project please contact the CEP secretariat: secr@cep-probation.org.
CEP is ready to facilitate and provide support for exchanging and mutual learning!
Our knowledge of Interagency Coorperation
Related News
Check out the latest news and updates on this project’s focus area.
CEP members, Gender-based violence
Interventions Alliance’s Eden House Recognized as Outstanding
15/01/2026
CEP is delighted to share that Eden House, an Interventions Alliance residential service for women with high-risk or complex needs on probation, has been rated “Outstanding” overall by HM Inspectorate of Probation. In 2022, Eden House was honored with the CEP Public Protection Award. Our sincere congratulations to the team for this remarkable achievement.
Education and Training
The Judicial Training Dashboard
14/01/2026
The European Training Platform (ETP) is a search tool for justice professionals. You can find self-learning materials on a great variety of EU law practice areas and related topics, as well as links to training providers’ homepages and course catalogues.
Technology
Communication on DigitalJustice@2030
13/01/2026
The EU’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on the digitalisation of all sectors, which will drive investment. Digitalisation and the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) will be essential to the ability of public authorities to deliver high-quality public services, notably also in the field of justice. Europe’s Digital Decade is underway with the ambition that by 2030 the EU has all key public services available online. The ultimate aim will be to increase the efficiency of public services by making them digital by default, stimulating productivity.
Alternatives to pre-trial detention, CEP Events
Webinar on Alternatives to Detention – CEP Webinar Series 2026
13/01/2026
CEP is pleased to invite you to the first webinar in the CEP Webinar Series 2026, taking place on Thursday, 22 January 2026, at 14:00 CET. This webinar will introduce a unique programme developed by the Meuse Probation Service, which was awarded the CEP Award 2025 in the category of Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion (The Sue Hall Award).
Alternatives to pre-trial detention, CEP Events
CEP Webinar Series 2026
12/01/2026
In 2026 CEP launches a series of short webinars that will take place every third Thursday of January, March, May and November.
We sincerely invite all probation practitioners, social workers, managers, policy makers, researchers, students as well as colleagues from partners organisations to join and share your knowledge with us.
Uncategorized
Help Us Improve the CEP Website
07/01/2026
At Confederation of European Probation (CEP), we want to make sure our website continues to support our mission and the work of our community in the best possible way.
We are inviting you to take part in a short survey that takes around six minutes. Your feedback will help us understand what is working well and where the website can be improved.
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