Probation Service Officer - Victim Liaison Officer , Truro & St Austell (Ref:79642)

Job content

Job Summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job Description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity .

VLO role involves regular travel across the region as we are a dispersed regional team.

Probation services officers can help make a real difference to peoples’ lives. It’s not always easy to help someone turn their life around, but it can be immensely rewarding.

We’re looking for empathetic, patient and resilient people to join us as probation services officers. As well as making a difference to others, the role offers plenty of on-the-job training and a real chance to build a career in the Probation Service.

As a PSO, you’ll have a similar job to a fully qualified probation officer. The main difference is you’ll work with medium and lower risk clients. That’s not to say it’ll be easy. There’s no doubt this is a challenging role.

This is an interesting and rewarding role to start or develop your career in the Criminal Justice System and learn all aspects of Prison and Probation work, with extensive career development opportunities within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and wider Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The Probation Service is committed to learning and development, and full training for the role is provided, with regular support and supervision being provided throughout your journey to develop your skills and experience.

Overview Of The Job

The job holder will work with victims who are in, or are being considered for inclusion in, the statutory National Probation Service (NPS) Victim Contact Scheme (VCS). The scheme is for victims of specified serious violent or sexual offences where the offender receives a prison sentence of 12 months or more, or a hospital order. They will contribute to the assessment and management of risk posed by offenders in order to protect the public. They will liaise with victims and keep them updated at regular intervals in accordance with the service specification for victim liaison, and relevant legislation. They will provide the victim with information about any

significant changes during the offender’s sentence, enable victims to participate by making representations or providing their views at specific points, and produce reports at appropriate times. They will liaise with the offender manager and contribute to inter-agency meetings in appropriate cases in order to ensure that victims’ views have been considered.

Summary

The post holder will have direct contact with victims, in order to share information about the offender’s sentence/hospital order and to explain and respond to queries about an offender’s journey through the period of detention to their supervision in the community. This requires knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system, including the functions of the courts, prisons, probation and the Parole Board, as well as youth justice and the arrangements for mentally disordered offenders. They will do this through the actions below:

Liaise with and provide (and analyse) information and give advice to criminal courts, criminal justice agencies and other partner agencies to ensure that the victim perspective has been considered.

To keep the victim informed and to provide information to victims during the key stages of the offender’s sentence, during the licence period through to sentence end and contribute towards the assessment and management of the risk of harm to victims.

To work with other agencies and groups to prevent crime and meet the needs of victims and offenders.

In line with NPS policies and procedures, the job holder must at all times demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion and an understanding of their relevance to the work they do.

The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position.

Provided it is safe to do so, some out of hours working may be required during the week and weekends.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties set out below.

• Use the NPS computer based systems to produce, update and maintain records and other documentation (such as reports for external bodies) within agreed timescales.
• Assess the risks and needs of victims for whom the post holder is the case manager and complete any required actions within appropriate time scales including home, prison and/or alternate location visits as required in accordance with the service procedures and policies.
• Refer significant changes/escalation in risk or need to the Senior Probation Officer (SPO), the offender manager (OM) and other agencies e.g. Police, Prison, Children’s services and domestic violence units).
• Ensure effective referrals to and communication with offender management staff, service providers and external agencies.
• To attend professional meetings and represent the NPS at appropriate partnership forums.
• Carry out safeguarding children and safeguarding adult duties in accordance with the NPS statutory responsibilities and agency policies
• Manage victims’ expectations and keep them updated with relevant aspects of the case in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Assist where necessary to enable victims to make representations about licence/discharge conditions and/or complete Victims Personal Statements.
• Provide cover within the victim liaison unit as appropriate.
• To assist colleagues working in NPS and partner agencies to understand their responsibilities under the Victim Contact Scheme.
• Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes.
• To work within the aims and values of NPS and NOMS
  

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and are not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alternations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh

Person specification

Please Refer To Job Description

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
  

Technical Skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Ability to communicate, verbally and in writing with internal and external stakeholders and service users.
• Good working knowledge of IT systems and ability to work confidently with a variety of IT platforms.
• Ability to report and record information accurately and succinctly.
  

Alongside your salary of £23,637, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £6,263 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance
  

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5358
  

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/brand-13/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/79642-79642-Probation-Service-Officer-Victim-Liaison-Officer-Truro-St-Austell/en-GB