News Update - March 2009
Trainee Probation Officers
The training of Probation Officers is currently under review and the present training programme has been suspended until final decisions are made about the shape of the new arrangements.The East of England Training and Development Consortium will not be in a position to give any further information.Once a decision has been made about the future of training a notice will be posted on this website.
If you are interested in working for Suffolk Probation Area in any other capacity vacancies will be advertised in the local press and on this website.
There are a number of different roles and jobs within Suffolk Probation Area requiring different types of skills and qualifications:
Working directly with offenders
The core business of the Probation Service involves working directly with offenders in the following ways:
Offender managers: These staff work mostly in field teams in our three main sites of Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft. High and medium risk offenders are managed by qualified Probation Officers, while lower and some medium risk offenders are dealt with by Probation Service Officers who at the moment receive in-service training but do not require a formal qualification (although this is likely to change shortly). The role involves assessing offenders particularly in relation to the 
risk they pose, advising courts on sentences, managing offenders subject to statutory orders, implementing planned work with offenders and enforcing orders. Most of the work takes place with offenders in the community although there is a significant amount of work with serving prisoners in preparing them for release. There is also a lot of inter-agency work with, for example, the police, prisons, courts, social care, housing, health, and voluntary organisations.
Click here to find out more about offender management.
Interventions staff: These staff deliver specific interventions as part of the plans that are set by Offender Managers. This can involve the following:
delivery of groupwork and individual programmes to offenders to address specific offending issues e.g. sex offending, domestic violence, substance abuse, violent offending, acquisitive crime
supervision and management of offenders undertaking community unpaid work projects as part of their sentence
managing and supervising residents at the two Approved Premises in Suffolk
assisting offenders with specific problems such as accessing employment, training and education, support to find suitable accommodation, and financial and debt advice.
Many of the roles within interventions are undertaken by Probation Service Officers, although work with some of the higher risk group work programmes and some roles within the approved Premises require a Probation Officer Qualification.
Click here to find out more about interventions.
Prison-based staff: There are four prisons in Suffolk and all of these have staff from Suffolk Probation Area seconded to them. They have a vital role to play in maintaining links with outside Probation Staff in order to ensure successful rehabilitation into the community. They also undertake assessments of prisoners, advise on suitable programmes and needs for prisoners, deliver some programmes of work, and write a variety of reports relating to suitability and plans for release of offenders. Most staff in this work have to have a Probation Officer qualification but there are some supportive roles for Probation Service Officers.
Click here to find out more about probation's role in prison.
Click here for information about training as a probation officer or probation service officer.
Other Specialist Roles related to Offenders
Victim Contact Officers: These are normally Probation Service Officers. Have a role in providing information to victims about sentenced prisoners in order to ensure that their needs are considered in any release plans.
Click here to find out more about victim contact work.
Court-based staff: All criminal courts in Suffolk (magistrates' and crown courts) have Probation Service Officers working in them. Their role is to advise the
courts on matters relating to the Probation Service, prosecute breach proceedings, present and undertake court reports, and ensure timely and accurate flows of information.
Click here to find out more about probation's role in courts.
Partnership staff: These organise and plan work with partnership agencies who will deliver services to offenders eg alcohol and drug services, employment and debt services. Staff in these roles are normally of a management grade.
Click here to find out more about probation's partnership work.
Other roles: As with any organisation there is a need for supportive functions and management roles to ensure proper accountability and delivery of services. Support roles include administration, finance, IT, HR and communications.
