Introduction

National Offender Management Service

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) was created in 2004 to link prisons and probation in one seamless service. Its core aim is to reduce re-offending by those sentenced to a custodial or community sentence.

NOMS was established following the Carter review of correctional services which identified gaps in the work of prison and probation. It also recommended changes in sentencing that have led to an increase in the workload of both services. Future governance arrangements of the Probation Service are subject to pending legislation.

Central to the operation of NOMS is the role of the Offender Manager. Once NOMS is fully implemented all offenders will have a single offender manager (usually a probation officer) who will co-ordinate all aspects of the sentence from conviction to the end of the sentence whether served in the community or in custody, thus ensuring continuity and consistency of delivery. This new approach also ensures that there is no breakdown in communication and that advances made by an individual at any stage in the sentence are built upon.

The new system puts probation at the heart of services for offenders and makes a clear distinction between offender management and interventions. Offender managers will manage each case and supervise offenders through the whole of their sentence. Those employed in interventions will be responsible for delivering the requirements of a community sentence, suspended sentence or period of release on licence.

These can include specific elements of the sentence, such as a period of unpaid work in the community or a curfew order, or those aspects of a sentence designed to change behaviour such as delivery of an offending behaviour programme or work to reduce dependency on drugs or alcohol.

The offender management model has been piloted in the North West and will shortly be implemented across the whole service.

The model necessitates Trainee Probation Officers having extensive learning opportunities in working with medium and high risk of harm offenders during the course of their training, so that as newly qualified Probation Officers they are competent to work with offenders who are assessed as presenting a high risk of harm to others.

Further information can be found on the National Probation Service website:
www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk

As part of NOMS, the aims of the National Probation Service are:

• Protecting the public
• Reducing re-offending
• The proper punishment of offenders in the community
• Ensuring offenders' awareness of the effects of crime on the victims of crime and the public
• Rehabilitation of offenders.

The North West Training Consortium is one of nine such Consortia across England and Wales. They are all recognised and approved by the Home Office and have a number of Key Functions:

• To assist in the recruitment and selection of staff (particularly for new Trainee Probation Officers)
• To manage collaborative staff training and development programmes (particularly but not exclusively the Diploma in Probation Studies)
• To manage the assessment and accreditation of staff (particularly arrangements for NVQ Assessment Centres)
• To manage the training of staff to deliver programmes that have been accredited as effective in reducing offending

The North West Consortium comprises the five local areas of:
Cheshire-Cumbria-Greater Manchester-Lancashire-Merseyside

The Consortium has a central role to play in assisting its constituent Probation Areas in the recruitment and selection of staff and with training and staff development programmes for all grades of staff, not just Probation Officer grades.

Although the North West Consortium manages the recruitment and selection process, Trainee Probation Officers will be employed by a Probation Area and not by the North West Consortium. For this reason, applicants are invited to indicate the Probation Area or Areas from the list on the front of the application form, for which they wish to be considered.

The selection process has been designed to be:

• Open - all applicants will know how and why they are being assessed.
• Fair - everyone will be tested in the same way and for the same qualities.
• Relevant - the selection decisions will be based on the potential to do the job.

Disability

The National Probation Service welcomes applications from disabled people. The Service utilises the 'two ticks' programme and all candidates who meet the criteria for short listing will be invited to participate in the Assessment Centre. If you consider that you do have a disability within the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, we do not need any further information from you at this stage.

Within the act, Disability is defined as:

A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

For example:

• Physical impairments affecting the senses, such as sight, hearing and mobility.
• Mental impairments including learning disabilities and mental illness.
• Dyslexia.

If you are unsure as to whether you may or may not fall within this definition, please call North West Consortium on 0151 531 6183 for a confidential conversation.

If you are shortlisted it is important for you to let us know what your particular access requirements are so that appropriate reasonable adjustments can me made for you to participate in the Assessment Centre. We will contact you prior to the Assessment Centre to establish with you any access requirements that you will require.

The assessment centre comprises of :

- a1 hour 15 minutes written exercise
- a group exercise - (instructions are given verbally and written)
- and interviews

If you are successful in your application and you commence employment with the National Probation Service your employer will organise with you any access requirements (including travel) that you need to ensure reasonable adjustments are made.

If you have any difficulties in completing the application form, please contact the Consortium's office on 0151 531 6183.

Diversity

The North West Consortium, acting on behalf of its constituent local areas, is committed to treating all persons fairly, openly and with respect. We recognise that discrimination can occur in many forms and we are committed to its elimination, adopting policies of positive action where this is permitted. Our aspiration is to ensure that no person experiences discrimination of any kind as a result of their gender, race, ethnic or national origin, age, relationship status, disability, sexual orientation, religious or political belief, or on any other ground that cannot be shown to be justified.

This Policy Statement expresses the absolute commitment of the Consortium and its constituent local areas to seek to ensure full accessibility and equality (of opportunity and outcome) in all operational matters, including the recruitment and selection of staff. The probation service needs and must have the highest quality staff and an essential element (and therefore measure) of quality is that our workforce should be truly reflective of the richness of diversity that exists within all the communities that we serve.

We are endeavouring to ensure that this aspiration is integrated fully into all our policies and procedures so that these are fair, accessible and without discrimination. It is recognised that discrimination does exist in many forms and, in addition to the observance of relevant legislation, the Consortium will also seek to take positive action where this is permitted.