Probation Services Officer - Bowling Green Approved Premises, Carlisle

Please note the PSO role is Approved Premises based with no option for hybrid working. This is a part‑time role for 18.5 hours per week. If you are successful but no immediate vacancy is available, you may be placed on a merit list for up to 12 months. This means you could be considered for future Probation Services Officer vacancies at the Approved Premises, including opportunities for full‑time roles where they arise.

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?

We’re looking for empathetic, patient, and organised people to join us in this varied role, which offers the chance to make a difference, gain new skills and build a rewarding career within the Probation Service. If this sounds like you, apply now.

If you are successful in the recruitment process to join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £26,475 pro‑rata. 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. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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.

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 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 people on probation. 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.

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.

Approved Premises (AP) provide critical community-based service to accommodate and closely supervise high-risk offenders on release from prison, for the purposes of public protection. AP are staffed 24 hours per day, with staff enforcing an overnight curfew, and other monitoring and reporting requirements. Probation Services Officers lead on the key interventions and rehabilitative activities with the resident group, working regular hours Monday to Friday but also covering at weekends as required.

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.

The post is currently advertised without VISOR Vetting to enable appointment to take place as soon as possible, however, VISOR vetting will be required to be completed in post offer.

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.

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. 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.

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace.