Head of Regional Training and Skills Development Department (London Probation)

The London Probation Regional Training and Skills Development Department is seeking an outstanding Head of Department to set up, shape, lead, and deliver an ambitious programme of learning, coaching, and practice support for probation staff across the region. This is an exciting opportunity to set up a brand-new department in London offering a rare opportunity to build a function from the ground up. London is looking for someone who is passionate and who will thrive on the challenge of setting the vision, ways of working, and priorities from day one.

Accountable to London’s Regional Probation Director and reporting directly to the Head of Operations with the lead for Learning and Development, you will play a key role in strengthening practice and capability across London Probation. There is an expectation of regular travel across the region to support delivery and stakeholder engagement. This senior role will lead the implementation and embedding of this department, ensuring the agreed regional model is translated into effective, consistent and sustainable practice to improve quality and protect the public.

The focus of the role is on turning an approved design into reality – overseeing delivery, assuring quality and impact, and ensuring the department meets its intended objectives.

Role Summary

As Head of Regional Training and Skills Development, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for a region-wide workforce development function. You will be responsible for establishing the department, leading delivery, and ensuring the learning and practice-support offer delivers measurable improvements in practice quality, consistency and probation practitioner-confidence. The role will be accountable to the Regional Probation Director and report to the Head of Operations with the lead for Learning and Development and will be part of the London Regional Leadership Team (RLT). Regular travel across the London Region is required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and embedding of the Regional Training and Skills Development Department in line with the approved regional model.
• Provide clear leadership, governance and direction for a region-wide development offer, ensuring consistency while responding to local learning needs.
• Oversee delivery of a structured learning and development offer, integrating classroom training and workshops, structured coaching and mentoring programmes, action learning and reflective practice, and practice-based support (including observation, co-working and feedback).
• Manage phased rollout and expansion, initially prioritising Probation Services Officers (PSOs) and new administrators, with planned extension to Newly Qualified Officers (NQOs), Probation Officers (POs) and newly appointed Senior Probation Officers (SPOs).
• Provide senior oversight of quality assurance, evaluation and continuous improvement activities to ensure the department meets its objectives.
• Chair operational governance arrangements and maintain a live departmental risk register, escalating risks appropriately.
• Work collaboratively with PDUs, Learning & Development, Performance and Quality, and other regional teams to ensure focus on identified regional learning-needs.
• Represent the department in regional forums, inspections and assurance activity.
• Ensure delivery demonstrates value for money, sustainability and aligns with regional priorities and objectives.

Person Specification

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant leadership experience in workforce development, organisational improvement or complex operational delivery.
• A strong track record of implementing and leading established models or programmes, including putting governance, assurance and controls in place.
• Experience of leading complex change, mobilising new services and embedding them into operational environments.
• Strategic leadership capability, including aligning delivery with organisational priorities, inspection expectations and workforce risk.
• Credibility and confidence in engaging senior stakeholders and influencing at regional level.
• Experience of using data, assurance activity and feedback to monitor impact and drive improvement.
• Experience of project management, from planning and implementation through to completion and review.
• Experience within probation, criminal justice or related public services.
• Understanding of inspection and regulatory frameworks and their implications for workforce development.
• Experience of coaching, mentoring or professional practice development frameworks.

Civil Service Success Profiles – Behaviours

The following Success Profile behaviours are expected to be assessed at interview:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

This is a Band A senior leadership role with accountability for:

• Successfully mobilising and embedding an agreed regional delivery model.
• Delivery quality, assurance, risk management and impact.
• Building a capable, inclusive and high-performing team.
• Effective stewardship of public resources and value for money.
• Providing clear assurance to the Regional Leadership Team.

Additional Information

Grade: Band A
Contract: 12 months with the potential to be made permanent
Security Clearance: As required for the role

This role is suited to a senior leader who excels at turning well-designed models into effective operational reality, delivering consistent impact at scale across a complex regional system.

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.

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.

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.

Networks: The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management.

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.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

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.

The