Head of Regional Training and Skills Development Department (London Probation) (Ref: 17936)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Head of Regional Training and Skills Development Department (London Probation)

Vacancy Overview

The London Probation Regional Training and Skills Development Department is seeking an outstanding Head of Department to set up, shape, lead, and deliver an ambitious programme of learning, coaching, and practice support for probation staff across the region.

This is an exciting opportunity to set up a brand-new department in London offering a rare opportunity to build a function from the ground up. London is looking for someone who is passionate and who will thrive on the challenge of setting the vision, ways of working, and priorities from day one.

Accountable to London’s Regional Probation Director and reporting directly to the Head of Operations with the lead for Learning and Development, you will play a key role in strengthening practice and capability across London Probation. There is an expectation of regular travel across the region to support delivery and stakeholder engagement.

This senior role will lead the implementation and embedding of this department, ensuring the agreed regional model is translated into effective, consistent and sustainable practice to improve quality and protect the public The focus of the role is on turning an approved design into reality – overseeing delivery, assuring quality and impact, and ensuring the department meets its intended objectives.

The role is externally advertised and assessed under the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.

Role Summary

As Head of Regional Training and Skills Development, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for a region‑wide workforce development function. You will be responsible for establishing the department, leading delivery, and ensuring the learning and practice‑support offer delivers measurable improvements in practice quality, consistency and probation practitioner-confidence.

The role will be accountable to the Regional Probation Director and report to the Head of Operations with the lead for Learning and Development and will be part of the London Regional Leadership Team (RLT)

Regular travel across the London Region is required.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Lead the implementation and embedding of the Regional Training and Skills Development Department in line with the approved regional model.
• Provide clear leadership, governance and direction for a region‑wide development offer, ensuring consistency while responding to local learning needs.
• Oversee delivery of a structured learning and development offer, integrating:
  • classroom training and workshops
  • structured coaching and mentoring programmes
  • action learning and reflective practice
  • practice-based support (including observation, co-working and feedback).
  • talent-management, supporting staff to achieve their career development goals and fulfil their potential
• Manage phased rollout and expansion, initially prioritising Probation Services Officers (PSOs) and new administrators, with planned extension to Newly Qualified Officers (NQOs), Probation Officers (POs) and newly appointed Senior Probation Officers (SPOs).
• Provide senior oversight of quality assurance, evaluation and continuous improvement activities to ensure the department meets its objectives
• Chair operational governance arrangements and maintain a live departmental risk register, escalating risks appropriately.
• Work collaboratively with PDUs, Learning & Development, Performance and Quality, and other regional teams to ensure focus on identified regional learning-needs.
• Represent the department in regional forums, inspections and assurance activity.
• Ensure delivery demonstrates value for money, sustainability and aligns with regional priorities and objectives

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant leadership experience in workforce development, organisational improvement or complex operational delivery.
• A strong track record of implementing and leading established models or programmes, including putting governance, assurance and controls in place.
• Experience of leading complex change, mobilising new services and embedding them into operational environments.
• Strategic leadership capability, including aligning delivery with organisational priorities, inspection expectations and workforce risk.
• Credibility and confidence in engaging senior stakeholders and influencing at regional level.
• Experience of using data, assurance activity and feedback to monitor impact and drive improvement.
• Experience of project management, from planning and implementation through to completion and review

Desirable Criteria

• Experience within probation, criminal justice or related public services.
• Understanding of inspection and regulatory frameworks and their implications for workforce development.
• Experience of coaching, mentoring or professional practice development frameworks.

Civil Service Success Profiles – Behaviours

The following Success Profile behaviours are expected to be assessed at interview:

Leadership

Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service

Changing and Improving

Delivering at Pace

Working Together

Leadership Expectations

This is a Band A senior leadership role with accountability for:

• Successfully mobilising and embedding an agreed regional delivery model.
• Delivery quality, assurance, risk management and impact.
• Building a capable, inclusive and high‑performing team.
• Effective stewardship of public resources and value for money.
• Providing clear assurance to the Regional Leadership Team.

Additional Information

• Location: London Region (regular travel required)
• Grade: Band A
• Contract: 12 months with the potential to be made permanent
• Security Clearance: As required for the role

This role is suited to a senior leader who excels at turning well‑designed models into effective operational reality, delivering consistent impact at scale across a complex regional system.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
• 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

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If 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-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/17936?entityId=17936