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Probation services officer
Hours
37 per week
Starting salary
£19,909 + per year
If you would enjoy the challenge of helping people to change their lives for the better, this job could be ideal for you. Probation services officers (PSOs) supervise people serving community and prison sentences. They also help with their rehabilitation after release.
You do not need formal qualifications for most probation jobs, but you should have a good standard of English.
To become a probation services officer, you will need to have excellent communication and 'people' skills. You will also need to stay calm under pressure. Sometimes you may need to handle challenging behaviour.
WorkDesc
The work
As a PSO, your work would be similar to that of a qualified probation officer, but you would only supervise lower risk offenders.
You would work in one of a number of specialist teams responsible for different areas of probation service work. This could be, for example, supervising offenders on community sentences, or helping them address the issues that led them to offend.
Your day-to-day duties could include:
- gathering information and interviewing offenders
- assessing the risk that an offender may pose to the public
- preparing court reports
- delivering individual or group programmes to challenge offending behaviour
- helping clients get work or training, housing or drug/alcohol treatment
- arranging and supervising community work placements for offenders
- supervising residents living in approved accommodation (known as approved premises)
- supporting victims of crime
- providing education or employment support for prisoners in the community or before their release
- keeping accurate case records.
You would work closely with agencies such as prisons, the police, drug and alcohol services, social services, courts, housing, health and voluntary organisations.
HoursDesc
Hours
In a full-time job you would work 37 hours a week. This may include some evening or weekend work.
You could be based in community supervision teams, in courts, in prisons or at approved premises. You might also spend time visiting offenders and projects around the community.
IncomeDesc
Income
Full-time salaries are between £19,909 and £25,974 a year.
PSOs on temporary contracts usually earn between £15 and £22 an hour.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You do not need formal qualifications for most PSO jobs, but you should have a good standard of English.
You could come to probation work from a range of backgrounds. Paid or voluntary experience of working with offenders or people facing difficulties, such as drug or alcohol addiction, would help you.
A background in youth and community work, mental health, substance misuse work or adult education could be especially useful. However, this is not essential if you can show the right personal qualities and relevant experience from volunteering.
Some probation service trusts offer opportunities for volunteering. As a volunteer, you would be linked to offenders and help them with everyday life and problem situations. There may also be opportunities in hostels, prisons or community work schemes. Contact your local probation trust to find out whether volunteering opportunities are available in your area.
You could also get relevant experience through volunteering for a Youth Offending Team or local community project. Visit the Do-it website to find out about opportunities available in your area.
You will need to pass a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) background check when you apply for work. Having a criminal record would not prevent you from applying for this job, although the nature of the offence and the time since it was committed would be carefully considered. Offences against children and violent offences would disqualify you from applying. See the CRB website for more information.
You may be able to start this type of work through an Advanced Apprenticeship in Community Justice. You will need to check if this is available in your area. For more information, visit the Apprenticeships website.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
To qualify as a PSO, you will need to gain the Vocational Qualification Level 3 Diploma in Probation Practice. This is a work-based qualification, and you will need to complete it during your first 12 months in a job.
You would also have regular ongoing training opportunities throughout your career to develop your skills in various areas of probation work, including:
- approved premises work
- community payback work
- working with victims
- substance misuse awareness.
With experience, you may be able to apply to train as a probation officer. This would involve further study, and to qualify you will need to achieve:
- either the honours Degree in Community Justice, or for graduates with a relevant honours degree, the Graduate Diploma in Community Justice
- plus Vocational Qualification Level 5 Diploma in Probation Practice.
You would study for these while you are working.
Opportunities to progress to a probation officer job would depend on vacancies in your area.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a probation services officer, you will need to have:
- a genuine interest in helping people
- patience, empathy and a non-judgmental attitude
- excellent communication and 'people' skills
- a flexible and adaptable approach
- the ability to stay calm under pressure and handle challenging behaviour
- good written communication skills
- accuracy in recording information
- awareness of confidentiality
- the ability to work as part of a team and also use your own initiative
- good organisational skills
- the ability to manage your time effectively and prioritise tasks
- an interest in social issues and the Criminal Justice System.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Skills for Justice 
Centre Court
Atlas Way
Sheffield
S4 7QQ
www.skillsforjustice.com
Probation Service
1st Floor, Abell House
John Islip Street
London
SW1P 4LH
www.justice.gov.uk/about/probation
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
Most opportunities are with local probation services, although you could also find work with local authority Youth Offending Teams.
You could find temporary contracts through employment agencies that specialise in community justice work.
Jobs are advertised in the local press, Jobcentre Plus, on local probation service websites and by specialist employment agencies.
With experience, you could move into a supervisory role, or apply to train as a probation officer if opportunities were available.
You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
Community justice is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: police and law enforcement; prosecution service; courts and tribunals; forensic science; custodial care; plus fire and rescue services. The sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. Its purpose is to reduce crime and re-offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.
The community justice sector can be divided into the following five main areas of activity or career pathways:
- Working with offending behaviour – agencies that work with offending behaviour to protect the public, operate and enforce court orders and prison licences and rehabilitate offenders to lead law abiding and constructive lives.
- Working with victims, survivors and witnesses – mainly third sector organisations that provide support to the victims, survivors and witnesses of crime in general (such as Victim Support), as well as organisations that specialise in a particular area of crime, such as domestic violence or rape (for example Rape Crisis UK).
- Community safety – individuals and organisations that aim to reduce offending behaviour and the harms experienced by individuals and communities because of crime and disorder. They also seek to improve people’s quality of life through efforts to change the wider physical and social environment. To achieve this, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CRDPs) have been established in England, and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been established in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Substance misuse – community-based substance misuse organisations (whether statutory or third sector) work to improve availability, capability and effectiveness of advice, support and treatment for drug misuse. Drug action teams (DATs) (150 in England) and Substance Misuse Action Teams (SMATs) (22 in Wales) are responsible for ensuring that the national drugs strategy is delivered at a local level.
Youth justice – work with young people at risk to help them progress towards employment, further training or education opportunities. In England and Wales, the Youth Justice system comprises Youth Offending Teams (YOTs).
Key facts:
- There are 73,000 people working in community justice, of which:
- 33,025 work with offending behaviour
- 11,500 work with victims, survivors and witnesses
- an estimated 3,350 work in community safety
- approximately 5,000 work in substance misuse organisations
- 10,000 staff (and as many volunteers) work in youth justice (figure for England and Wales only)
- 70% of the workforce is employed in the public sector.
- High numbers of volunteers are required to work with victims, survivors and witnesses, and with the Youth Offending Teams.
- Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.
Jobs in the industry range from:
- Working with Offending Behaviour – Probation Services Officer, Trainee Probation Officer, Probation Officer, Supervisor, Psychologist, Senior Practitioner, Treatment Manager, Operational Support Staff, Project Workers
- Working with Victims, Survivors and Witnesses – Managers, Victim Care Officers, Independent Domestic Violence Advocate, Senior practitioners, Counsellor/Therapist, Helpline workers, Volunteers
- Community Safety – Community Safety Managers, Community Safety Officers, Neighbourhood Wardens/Community Wardens, Community Safety Team Leader
- Substance Misuse – DAT/SMAT Co-ordinator, Project worker, Substance Misuse Worker, Practice nurse, Administrative worker
- Youth Justice – Youth Workers, YOT Manager, Senior Practitioner, Practitioner, Administrative Assistants, Volunteers
National and regional data
In the East Midlands, there are 9 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 8 Youth Offending Teams.
In the East of England, there are 10 Drug Actions Teams, 6 Probation establishments and 10 Youth Offending Teams.
In London, there are 33 Drug Actions Teams, 1 Probation establishment and 32 Youth Offending Teams.
In the North East, there are 12 Drug Actions Teams, 4 Probation establishments and 11 Youth Offending Teams.
In the North West, there are 22 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.
In the South East, there are 19 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.
In the South West, there are 15 Drug Actions Teams, 5 Probation establishments and 14 Youth Offending Teams.
In the West Midlands, there are 14 Drug Actions Teams, 4 Probation establishments and 12 Youth Offending Teams.
In Yorkshire and Humberside, there are 15 Drug Actions Teams, 3 Probation establishments and 15 Youth Offending Teams.
In Northern Ireland, the community justice workforce comprises:
- 1,019 people working in offending behaviour
- approximately 80 people working in community safety
- 423 people delivering youth justice services
- an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, and in substance misuse
Some key skill shortages in the Northern Ireland workforce include: risk assessment and management; challenges of working in partnership and in competition; working with high risk offenders; team leading in youth justice; multi-agency working with reference to young people; and competitive bidding.
In Scotland, the community justice workforce comprises:
- 2,677 people working in offending behaviour
- approximately 78 people working in community safety
- 822 people delivering youth justice services
- an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, and in substance misuse
Some key skill shortages in the Scottish workforce include: keeping up with policy and legislative change; partnership working skills; financial management, such as securing funding; and ICT skills.
In Wales, the community justice workforce comprises:
- 1,450 people working in offending behaviour
- approximately 66 people working in community safety
- 423 people
- an unknown number working with victims, survivors and witnesses, in substance misuse and delivering youth justice services
Some key skill shortages in the Northern Ireland workforce include: risk assessment and management; challenges of working in partnership and in competition; working with high risk offenders; team leading in youth justice; multi-agency working with reference to young people; and competitive bidding.
Career paths
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