Probation Service Officer - Advance into Justice - National (Ref: 20613)
Job summary
Please refer to Job Description
Job description
PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible for the Advance into Justice scheme you must be:
- an Armed Forces service leaver within your resettlement period and due to leave the services within 18 months
- a veteran of the Armed Forces
- a spouse or civil partner of an Armed Forces service leaver or veteran (your current partner must either be still serving or have been discharged within the last 12 months)
- an Armed Forces Reservist
This is a Fixed Term role for 24 Months
We have job opportunities across England and Wales. You will get the opportunity to provide your location preference if you pass all the assessment stages.
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?
Were 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 28,064, Pro-Rata for Part-Time roles.
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.
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.
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.
For further information on the summary, responsibilities, activities, duties of the role and the Civil Service Success Profile Criteria which will be used in the assessment process, please refer to the full Job Description Attachment.
Right to work in the UK
You must have the right to work in the UK and Civil Service (
Skilled Worker visa changes from 22 July 2025
In accordance with current immigration rules, this role is not eligible for a new Skilled Worker visa.
From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the eligibility criteria for Skilled Worker visas. As a result:
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot consider sponsoring you to work as a probation services officer unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes.
If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your pre-employment checks and your eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.
If you apply to be a probation services officer and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to 22 July 2025, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes.
If your application is successful, you will need to ensure that you have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.
HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.
Civil Service recruitment: nationality rules
Civil Service
This guide is intended to assist departments with managing their responsibilities on nationality rules related to Civil Service recruitment.
You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here (
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 youll be part of a supportive team that thrives on sharing knowledge and expertise.
Successful applicants may be based a wide variety of office, court, team, or prison locations within the Probation Service region. Allocations will be made according to business need.
To find out more about working as a Probation Service Officer please click here
About the role
Probation services officers can help make a real difference to peoples lives. Its not always easy to help someone turn their life around, but it can be immensely rewarding.
Were 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, youll have a similar job to a fully qualified probation officer. The main difference is youll work with medium and lower risk people of probation. Thats not to say itll be easy. Theres no doubt this is a challenging role.
Day-to-day, youll manage a caseload of offenders before and after sentence. Well look to you to assess and manage risks, provide information to courts and work closely with agencies throughout the justice system. Youll 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 dont need a degree for this role. Were much more interested in your personal qualities. Ideally with experience of working with people who have social or personal difficulties, youll be empathetic, patient and resilient. Good writing skills are also essential. You must be able to produce clear and accurate reports to tight deadlines.
Person specification
Please refer to Job Description
