Probation services officers

This role is based in the Approved Premises in Bournemouth and not suitable for hybrid or remote working. 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.

• 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. ()

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 you'll be part of a supportive team that thrives on sharing knowledge and expertise. Successful applicants may be based at a wide variety of office, court, team, or prison locations within the Probation Service region.

Allocations will be made according to business need.

To apply to this role you will be required to complete a short application form and detail responses to Civil Service Behaviours and Experience based question. As part of this application, you will also be required to sit the Civil Service Judgement test (CSJT). The CSJT is a two‑part test which looks at your ability to make decisions in relation to specific civil service behaviours.

The CSJT is stage one of your application process and you will have the option to complete a practice test immediately before taking the test, to give you an insight of what to expect before you start. If you would like more information relating to reasonable adjustments and the CSJT, please see more details here. You can also watch a short a video here.

You can find out more about the CSJT and complete a practice test now here.

If you are successful in passing this stage, your full application will be sifted once the Final date to receive applications has closed. You will then receive further instruction on the progress and outcome of your application. If you are successful in passing both the CSJT and application sift process you will be invited to interview. If in the event we receive a high volume of applications, we may only assess candidates against the lead behaviour.

There is also no guarantee that you will progress to the next stages of the recruitment process; however, we will keep you informed at each stage. Take a look at a short video about Probation Service Officer Role here.

Probation services officers can help make a real difference to people’s lives. It’s not always easy to help…