Job Description

Definition and Job Purpose
A Trainee Probation Officer is an employee of the Probation Area, appointed on a time-limited (normally two-year) contract, who is working to obtain the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS). The DipPS is an integrated award, made up of a degree in Community Justice and a National Vocational qualification in Community Justice (NVQ) at Level 4. Upon successful completion of training and award of the DipPS, a Trainee Probation Officer will be eligible for appointment as a Probation Officer.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
As a person in training, the Trainee Probation Officer's principal objective is to undertake the academic work and experience in probation practice necessary to acquire, practise and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, values and competencies required by the degree and the NVQ which constitute the DipPS. The Trainee Probation Officer's learning needs will determine the amount and nature of the work undertaken.

In the course of their training, Trainee Probation Officers will undertake work on behalf of the employing Probation Area and will therefore provide a service to Courts, penal institutions, individual Probation Area users (or persons for whom the Probation Area has a responsibility) and local communities. A Trainee Probation Officer will therefore be required at all times to work in accordance with the Probation Rules, National Standards, the Probation Board's policies and all other relevant enactments and policies.

In particular, in all their work, Trainee Probation Officers will ensure that service delivery reflects the Probation Area's Equality of Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory policies and will promote, especially by contributing to risk assessment and management, the Area's over-riding responsibility to ensure the safety of Service users, staff and the public.

Specifically, a Trainee Probation Officer will:

• Attend all required academic teaching events, as arranged by the University, the North West Consortium or the Probation Area
• Complete the required academic assignments
• Observe and participate in training and other learning experiences as arranged by the North West Consortium or the Probation Area

Undertake such work on the Probation Area's behalf as may be required, this may include:

• Providing the Courts with advice and information on defendants, especially through the preparation of Pre-Sentence Reports
• Contributing to the effective supervision of offenders on community sentences or after release from penal institution
• Assisting prisoners before and after release to lead law-abiding lives, including contributing to sentence management
• Helping communities to prevent crime and reduce its impact on victims
• Liaising with individuals and agencies on the Probation Area's behal
• Working in partnership with other agencies to help to reduce the incidence of offending

Nature of the work

Over the last few years the Probation Service has recognised that some offenders demand to be supervised by staff experienced in working with different levels of risk. At the beginning of your training you will be working with the lower risk offenders, even so these can be challenging to work with. This is a group of offenders usually supervised by Probation Service Officers (PSOs).

During your second year of training you will be expected to work with higher risk offenders and to co-work some high risk cases with experienced Probation Officers (POs). Offences these offenders may have committed are wide ranging but could include sex crimes, child abuse or serious violence, even murder.

To a significant extent it is this high risk group of offender with whom you will be working once you qualify.

Supervision and Accountability
A Trainee Probation Officer will be formally accountable to the Probation Board and to the Chief Officer through a TPO Line Manager. The supervision of the day to day work of the trainee will be undertaken by a Practice Supervisor.

Trainee Probation Officers may be required to work in a variety of settings and, in each setting, will be expected to contribute to the operation of the unit by attending team meetings and other such events, as well as implementing local working arrangements. In these settings, they will also be accountable to the relevant line manager for the standard of their work.

For the purposes of their education and training, Trainee Probation Officers will be assigned a Practice Development Assessor (PDA), who will be a qualified Probation Officer.

For the purposes of accountability, Trainee Probation Officers must maintain records in accordance with the Probation Area's expectations. For the purposes of their training, Trainee Probation Officers will be expected to allow their work to be observed directly and will also be required by the PDA to record, analyse and discuss their work. In particular, their performance will be assessed by the PDA and verified by the Internal Verifier.

Base
Trainee Probation Officers are appointed to the employment of the Probation Board and should be available to work in any location within their Probation Area, as their learning or assessment needs may require. It may also be necessary for Trainee Probation Officers to attend a venue in another area of the region. In particular, Trainee Probation Officers must be willing to attend teaching events, some of which may be residential.

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