Overview
Helping to keep the public safe. Giving people the chance to turn their lives around. Building a rewarding professional career. There are many reasons to join the Probation Service. What will yours be? Probation services officers can help make a real difference to peoples' lives. It’s not always easy to help someone turn their life around, but it can be immensely rewarding. We’re looking for empathetic, patient and resilient people to join us as probation services officers. As a PSO, you’ll have a similar job to a fully qualified probation officer. The main difference is you’ll work with medium and lower risk clients. There’s no doubt this is a challenging role. Day-to-day, you’ll manage a caseload of offenders before and after sentence. You’ll assess and manage risks, provide information to courts and work closely with agencies throughout the justice system. You’ll also do everything you can to support offenders. This could involve providing practical advice about housing and employment or simply listening and empathising.
The job holder will undertake the full range of work with people on probation before and after sentence. This will include assessment, sentence implementation, offender management and producing reports. The job holder will provide case management support to a full range of people on probation utilising service procedures and practice directions that underpin professional judgement.
To assess and manage the risk (including risk management plans and escalation) posed by people on probation to protect victims of crime and the general public by:
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties
* To undertake the full range of offender management tasks with people on probation assessed as low or medium risk of harm and to support the Probation Officer grade in high risk cases.
* When providing case manager support, to contribute to the delivery of the Risk Management plan and report significant changes relating to risk of harm and/or of reoffending or any non-compliance within agreed enforcement procedures.
* To use computer based systems to produce, update and maintain records and other documentation within agreed timescales.
* Ensure effective referrals to services and facilities and communicate with offender management staff, interventions staff, service providers and external agencies to review progress and associated risks.
* To undertake prison, home or alternate location visits as required in accordance with service procedures and policies.
* To undertake work in the court setting, including the completion of appropriate reports on cases and prosecution of breaches.
* To provide cover within teams as required.
* To deliver and co-lead accredited programmes commensurate with grade.
* To conduct mandatory alcohol and drug tests as required, and to follow prescribed medication procedures.
* Carry out safeguarding children duties in accordance with the PS statutory responsibilities and agency policies.
* Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes.
* To work within the aims and values of PS and HMPPS.
Where applicants provide multiple location preferences, reserve lists will be managed in accordance with location preference/s, as indicated in your application. We will appoint in merit list order for each location outlined in the vacancy and hold a separate locational reserve list for each of these locations. After appointments have been made using this locational appointment process, any remaining candidates who met the benchmark for the role will remain on a locational reserve list in accordance with their preferences for 12 months. Please only indicate preferences where you are prepared to work. If you are subsequently offered a role from the reserve list for a location preference indicated in your application and decline it, you will be removed from the reserve list for the vacancy, across all locational preferences. All offers of employment will be made strictly in merit order, based on your performance throughout the recruitment process. Candidates at the top of the merit list will be offered vacancies as they arise in their chosen locations.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and/or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks. Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS\' Flexible Working policy.
You don’t need a degree for this role. We’re much more interested in your personal qualities. Ideally with experience of working with people who have social or personal difficulties, you’ll be empathetic, patient and resilient. Good writing skills are also essential. You must be able to produce clear and accurate reports to tight deadlines. An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
Civil Service Success Profile Criteria Behaviours
* Making Effective Decisions
* Developing Self and Others
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
* Communicating and Influencing
* Managing a Quality Service
Experience
* Ability to communicate verbally and in writing, Experience of helping and/or supporting people who have experienced a range of social and/or personal difficulties
* Experience in planning and coordinating work
* Experience of working with groups or individuals in order to motivate and change behaviour
* An understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and diversity good practice
* Understanding of factors related to offending e.g. substance misuse, accommodation issues and being able to emphasise constructively with a range of people
* Understanding of and commitment to the principles of case management
* Knowledge and understanding of risk management/risk assessment as pertaining to offenders and the impact on victims of crime
* Understanding of Health & Safety legislation in the workplace
* Knowledge and understanding of the work of the Criminal Justice System and Probation Service
* Knowledge of the aims and objectives of the Probation Service
Technical
* The ability to evidence high level numeracy and literacy skills required to read, understand and interpret policies and the ability to write reports and correspondence for internal and external stakeholders or minimum 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above, including English, Maths,
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods: Experience Questions; Application Form Question Word Limit. You will be assessed on your ability to communicate verbally and in writing, with written communication assessed across the application form and verbal communication assessed in the interview. Behaviours: Delivering at Pace; Managing a Quality Service.
By managing offenders in the community, the Probation Service protects the public from the effect of crime and gives offenders the chance to turn their lives around. Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive team that thrives on sharing knowledge and expertise.
If appointed to a role within our Offender Management in Custody (OMIC) team, this will be via a loan agreement and will be confirmed at point of provisional offer. At the end of the loan agreement, a move to a Probation Delivery Unit will take place. Loans are expected to initially be for 2/3 years with potential to extend to 5 years depending on business need. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. If you are successful in the recruitment process to join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £26,475. The Probation Service offers the opportunity for annual pay progression through a Competency Based Framework (CBF), which if eligible, will see your pay increase. CBF is designed to enable you to move up through the pay band range as your competence grows. Probation Service also increase their pay band ranges annually in line with Civil Service Pay guidance, which will also apply an increase to band pay ranges where applicable.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
* Annual Leave: 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service, plus public holidays. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
* Pension: The National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the GMPF. See www.gmpf.org.uk for details. Current Civil Servants may be opted out of the PCSPS and auto enrolled into LGPS when joining MoJ.
* Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers extensive training opportunities.
* Networks: Employee networks exist to support and provide input to senior management on minority group views.
Eligibility & Equal Opportunities
* All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
* Supportive policies for flexible working and family-friendly arrangements.
* Access to flexible benefits and childcare options where applicable.
* Disability considerations and adjustments during recruitment; a Disability Confident employer.
* Social equality and diversity commitments as part of Civil Service diversity strategies.
For further information about redeployment and veterans initiatives, see the Civil Service guidance. Redeployment opportunities are available as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme.
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