7286 - Probation Service Officer - Birmingham (West Midlands)

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?

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 increases their pay band ranges annually in line with Civil Service Pay guidance, which will also apply an increase to band pay ranges where applicable.

About the role: Probation services officers can help make a real difference to people’s 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 well as making a difference to others, the role offers plenty of on-the-job training and a real chance to build a career in the Probation Service. 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. That’s not to say it’ll be easy. There’s no doubt this is a challenging role.

Day-to-day, you’ll manage a caseload of offenders before and after sentence. We’ll look to you to 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 everything from providing practical advice about housing and employment to simply listening and empathising.

About you: 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.

About us: 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. Successful applicants may be based at a wide variety of office, court, team or prison locations within the Probation Service region. Allocations will be made according to business need.

Overview of the job: 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.

Summary: 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:

• Liaising, providing information and advice to criminal courts, criminal justice agencies and other partner agencies.
• Supervise and manage risk of those people on probation subject to community sentences, during and after custodial sentences.
• Work with other agencies and groups to prevent crime and meet the needs of victims and people on probation.

In line with PS policies and procedures, the job holder must at all times demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion and an understanding of their relevance to the work they do. The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position. If relevant to the role, some out of hours working may be required (i.e. Courts, Approved Premises, programmes, evening reporting etc.).

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties: The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and 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.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English.

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: 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 empathise 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.

Application Process: To apply to this role you will be required to complete a short application form and detail responses to three Civil Service Behaviours and one Experience based question. As part of this application, you will be required to sit the Civil Service Judgement test (CSJT). The CSJT is a two-part test which looks at your ability to make decisions in relation to specific civil service behaviours. The CSJT is stage one of your application process and you will have the option to complete a practice test immediately before taking the test, to give you an insight of what to expect before you start. If you are successful in passing this stage, your full application will be sifted once the application deadline has closed. You will then receive further instruction on the progress and outcome of your application.

Additional Information: 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.

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. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

The MoJ offers a range of benefits: Annual leave is 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 Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).

Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support: A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share. Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.