Senior Probation Officer - Within The ISC Team (Ref: 17001)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Senior Probation Officer – Substance Misuse Intensive Supervision Court (ISC) Pilot

The Substance Misuse Intensive Supervision Court (ISC) pilot is an innovative and evidence‑led initiative designed to provide a rehabilitative, community‑based alternative to short custodial sentences for individuals whose offending is driven by substance misuse. Grounded in problem‑solving court principles, the pilot aims to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes by addressing the underlying causes of offending through structured judicial oversight and intensive, coordinated intervention.

The role aligns with national ambitions to reduce the use of short sentences, improve treatment engagement, and strengthen partnership working across probation, health, and criminal justice services. It offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape a specialist model of supervision that places substance misuse recovery, compliance, and desistance at its core.

Role Purpose

The Senior Probation Officer (SPO) will lead a dedicated team working intensively with individuals subject to an ISC community order/Suspended Sentence order. The post holder will work in close partnership with a designated ISC Judge and a multi‑disciplinary team including police, commissioned treatment providers, health professionals, and voluntary sector partners. Together, the team will deliver tailored, evidence‑based interventions designed to stabilise substance use, improve engagement with treatment, and reduce risk.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and operational management to a specialist team delivering end‑to‑end offender management, including assessment, sentence implementation, compliance monitoring, and report writing.
• Work closely with the ISC Judge to support court reviews and ensure timely, high‑quality information is provided to the court.
• Chair multi‑agency partnership meetings.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships across probation, courts, police, health, and substance misuse treatment services to ensure a coordinated and responsive approach.
• Represent the Substance Misuse ISC pilot at regional and national learning events, contributing to service development and sharing best practice with policy and delivery partners.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Applicants must have a Probation qualification

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, 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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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/17001?entityId=17001