Probation services officer
Probation services officers (PSOs) supervise people serving community and prison sentences who are considered to be low and medium risk.
Typical Salary
£24,000 – £29,000
per year
Working Hours
37–39
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As a probation services officer, you could:
- assess the risk an offender may pose to the public
- prepare court and management reports
- run individual or group sessions to challenge offending behaviour
- help clients get work or training, housing, or drug and alcohol treatment
- support offenders before and after prison release and manage them in the community
- supervise residents living in approved accommodation
- support victims of crime
Skills needed
- knowledge of public safety and security
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- leadership skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
Career progression
With experience, you could become a manager, with responsibility for a team of probation services officers.
You may also get opportunities to work in other parts of the justice system, or train to be a probation officer.