Probation Officer (Band 4) - advertised on behalf of Norfolk and Suffolk CRC

Job Introduction

Are you interested in working directly with service users?  Are you interested in playing an important part in changing lives for a safer Norfolk & Suffolk?

We are looking for a qualified Senior Practitioner (Probation Officer) to join Norfolk and Suffolk CRC based in Norwich.

If you want to join an innovative, creative and high performing organisation, we offer challenging and rewarding roles and the opportunity to make a positive contribution to reducing reoffending in Norfolk & Suffolk. We offer excellent opportunities for personal and professional development and are committed to supportive induction, appraisal and supervision.

Role Responsibility

• Undertake assessments of service users to identify risk of reoffending and risk of serious harm to the public.  Review these assessments in line with CRC policy.
• Develop effective sentence/achievement plans that outline a range of options to address needs identified in assessments with the goal of reducing reoffending and overcoming barriers that serve as an obstacle to this.  This work will require the post holder to demonstrate effective engagement with operational partners and other relevant agencies. 
• Develop effective risk management plans that outline a range of options to effectively manage the risk of serious harm.   This work will require the post holder to demonstrate effective engagement with operational partners and other relevant agencies.
• Manage, supervise and enforce community orders, suspended sentence orders, licenses and post-sentence supervision in accordance with CRC policy.  The service users allocated to staff in this role will generally be those cases that present as the most complex under CRC supervision.  This could be due to the level of risks posed or the complexity of the issues present in the particular case. 
• Review plans as required based on evaluation of interventions/progress of user to ensure that identified interventions reflect changes in relation to reducing reoffending and/or the risk of serious harm. 
• Comply with CRC policy in relation to raising concerns re any service users e.g. due to risk escalation, to the appropriate team manager.
• Assist, support and encourage service users to achieve successful completion of orders/licenses.  This may be through one to one or group supervision in Local Management Centres/Neighborhood Centres, Home Visits, prison visits, through telephone contact or meetings in other community locations or through supporting access to operational partners and other agencies.

**full job description below

The Ideal Candidate

• It is essential to hold PQIP or other relevant Probation Officer qualification such as DipSW, DiPS, CQSW
• Knowledge of the English legal system
• Experience as a Probation Officer
• Experience of working with offenders or other vulnerable adults
• Experience of working in a multi-agency framework
• Ability to engage and motivate service users
• Operating to tight deadlines
• Good IT and organisational skills and a commitment to detailed & accurate work products
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to engage, motivate, support & coach colleagues
• Ability to work as part of team and able to work with multiple agencies in a productive way
• Ability to oversee colleagues practice and if necessary work with them as part of a development/performance improvement plan
• Performance & outcome orientated
• Capable of individual decision-making
• Open-minded & supportive approach to offenders

Package Description

37 hours per week, 27 days holiday + 8 bank holidays, defined contribution pension scheme, company sick pay, group discount scheme.

There is an expectation that operational staff work some evenings and weekends to enable service users to be supervised without jeopardising their employment.

We will accept applications from qualified probation officers and social workers

The Norfolk & Suffolk CRC is undergoing a national transformation as part of the Probation Reform Programme and this vacancy is subject to this change.  If successfully appointed, you will be indicatively assigned as transferring to the National Probation Service under Sentence Management in June 2021.

About the Company

The role of Norfolk & Suffolk CRC is to rehabilitate service users, reduce reoffending and protect the public and we are one of six CRCs operated by Sodexo Justice Services in the UK.  We work with service users both in the community and in custody to deliver the sentence of the court, to rehabilitate them and to provide a range of programmes and interventions to turn their lives around.  We deliver effective offender management and rehabilitation services to low and medium risk service users and our highly skilled staff work in a range of disciplines to make a real difference.  Our aim is to create a better future for the people we work with – service users, victims and their families and local communities.  We are proud to have strong relationships with other criminal justice agencies, local authorities, health trusts, employment and training providers, and work with contracted partners to enhance delivery to our service users. 

We serve the counties from the 4 major towns: Norwich, Kings Lynn, Ipswich, Waveney.  Norfolk & Suffolk CRC is an Equal Opportunities employer. All applicants are considered on the basis of suitability for the post, irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age or religion.