Apprenticeship training course

Probation officer (level 6)

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Information about Probation officer (level 6)

Working with people who were convicted of crimes and providing rehabilitation services.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Legislation relevant to all aspects of probation and rehabilitation including sentencing, dangerousness, risk assessment and management, human rights and equality and diversity.
  • Organisational aims and structures and how they relate to the wider Criminal Justice System and the role of a Probation Officer.
  • Key organisational policies and procedures, and how to embed these into practice.
  • Different perspectives drawn from psychology, social theory, criminology, desistance research, behavioural sciences and their application.
  • The reasoning behind and development of probation work with victims.
  • The impact of prison upon the individual, prison and parole processes and stages of resettlement and re-integration into the community. Appreciation of the importance of planning and preparing the individual for release.
  • The principles of professional judgement, including; defensible decision making, how to guard against own conscious or unconscious bias, how to maintain professional boundaries and how these principles support effective practice.
  • The principles of effective risk assessment and management and how to apply these.
  • The impact of prison upon the individual, prison and parole processes and stages of resettlement and re-integration into the community. Appreciation of the importance of planning and preparing the individual for release.
  • The importance of effective communication and the need to gather and share information ensuring accurate and appropriate recording throughout all aspects of work.
  • Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and the role of strategic partnerships and how this supports the management and rehabilitation of complex/high risk casework.
  • The nature of the local community and resources available there, as well as the range of services available to assist with practical and social issues and/or to provide opportunities to build positive social capital and pro-social activities.
  • Performance measures and quality assurance processes and how to implement into practice.
  • The importance of maintaining own learning and development and sharing knowledge and experience with others.
  • The role of coaching and mentoring to support work with service users and colleagues.
  • Principles of effective team work to achieve outcomes, build and sustain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders

  Skills

  • Integrate academic knowledge and understanding into work in multi-agency settings such as MAPPA and safeguarding groups. Demonstrate knowledge of the legal framework and relevant policies and guidelines for work with individuals posing high risk of harm and/or re-offending.
  • Demonstrate good communication skills in complex situations and contexts by applying them in a way which promotes desistance, rehabilitation and resettlement in one to one and group settings.
  • Gather, valid, authentic, reliable, current and sufficient information. Recognise discrepancies in information and provide a balanced assessment of risk, needs and responsivity. Produce robust, well written reports, for a range of audiences using professional judgement and defensible decisions.
  • Maintain records securely in line with data protection and security of information and use information to support delivery of services.
  • Make effective use of assessment tools to inform decision making.
  • Apply strength based approaches and make professional judgements on developing service user engagement, including the likelihood of causing harm or re-offending. identify interventions to develop sentence plans and achieve positive change.
  • Produce robust and realistic sentence/risk management plans to meet complex needs that are delivered within required time-frames and are negotiated with the service user wherever possible.
  • Work in a pro-social and collaborative way with Service Users and others to achieve compliance, sentence plans objectives and positive outcomes.
  • Recognise and respond to behaviour which may indicate a mental health/personality disorder issue and potential risk to self, staff and others.
  • Evaluate and appraise different methods and interventions. Undertake comprehensive referrals and deliver appropriate interventions to meet Sentence Plan objectives and robustly oversee progress.
  • Work with other agencies like the police, social services and youth offending teams, to develop and maintain effective inter-agency relationships, channels of communication, boundaries of confidentiality and information sharing agreements to protect and safeguard those identified as being at risk.
  • Affirm and feedback positive changes in attitudes and behaviour to service users.
  • Recognise the need to review plans and risk based on changing circumstances or behaviour. Determine when the case escalation process is required and undertake this in accordance with organisational timeframes
  • Effectively liaise with the service user/prisons/Through the Gate providers to manage transitions into the community. (Through the Gate is provided by a range of organisations who are based in the prison and work specially with services users to ensure that their basic needs are met on release this might include accommodation, medical and Job Centre appointments)
  • Apply principles of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in communication with others.
  • Lead team work within own and other agencies to achieve key priorities and objectives. Effectively manage workload with high volumes of complex cases.
  • Maintain own continuous professional development, revise practice based on feedback received.
  • Apply principles of promoting equality diversity and inclusion in communication with others.
  • Identify and manage the ambiguity and diversity of the Service User population and be adaptable to the changing nature of the sector.
  • Apply understanding of domestic violence and sexual offending and characteristics of those convicted of such offences including awareness of trigger factors, risk indicators and criminogenic factors and how they relate to offending behaviour and wellbeing

  Behaviours

  • Work to the highest professional and quality standards, act with personal integrity upholding moral and ethical codes.
  • Be open, approachable, authentic and able to build rapport and trust with all either inside or outside of the organisation.
  • Be adaptable to the diversity of Service Users and the changing nature of the sector and external environment.
  • Seeks to engage and proactively look for opportunities to work in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Model pro-social behaviour and encourage service users and others to do the same.
  • Lead a culture of openness, challenging others when required, whilst maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
  • Demonstrate values of equality, diversity and inclusion and express these in all aspects of practice and interaction with others
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Protective services
• Qualification level: 6; Equal to degree
• Course duration: 36 months
• Maximum funding: £21,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Probation Officer
  • Senior Case Manager
  • Offender Manager
  • Responsible Officer
  • Senior Responsible Officer

View more information about Probation officer (level 6) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.