Trainee Probation Officer - Professional Qualification in Probation Wales

Job Description

Trainee Probation Officer - Professional Qualification in Probation (Intake 20 - External Campaign)

Please note that this campaign is targeted to external candidates not currently employed by the Ministry of Justice. If you are directly employed by the Probation Service or wider Ministry of Justice, you may be eligible to apply to the PQiP 20 Internal MoJ Campaign.

Train to be a Probation Officer - By investing in your future, you could transform countless lives.

Salary: £26,475 p.a.

PQiP

Start Date:

7th September 2026

For London Probation Delivery Units there is an allowance of £4,249 per annum. London allowance is extended to those staff who are contracted to work in workplaces within the M25 boundary.

Working in probation is a career like no other – you’ll gain the skills and insight to protect the public and reduce reoffending.

As a probation officer, you can change lives. Working with offenders in the community and in prisons, you’ll support them to get back on track and turn their lives around. We are looking for people with empathy and resilience to help people change. The role of a probation officer is rewarding but can be challenging – as you often work with people with complex needs, and no two people are the same.

In addition, you’ll be working full‑time alongside studying – but you’ll be supported every step of the way.

HM Prison & Probation Service fully fund the Professional Qualification in Probation programme, whilst also paying your salary throughout your studies, so it’s a great opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’ whilst working towards becoming a fully qualified probation officer.

Even as you’re learning, you’ll make a positive impact as you encounter different situations. The decisions and actions you take can be the turning point for offenders– and instead of being part of the system for years to come, you can help them leave criminal behaviour behind for good.

Day to day, you’ll handle everything from visiting hostels, prisons and courts – all to make interventions with people who have committed offences that enable them to understand their behaviour and want to change it. Throughout, you’ll be working with offenders to help them recognise the benefit of education, skills, treatment or maybe counselling to prevent reoffending. You will be working in an environment that supports a range of flexible working options, including the ability to use technology to work remotely, to enhance your work‑life balance and support the needs of the business.

You’ll be supported throughout your training to develop the resilience and practical tools to challenge these behaviours. You will also be given dedicated study time during your working week to complete the academic components of the qualification. However, as this is a fully funded, work‑based professional programme, you’ll also need to commit some personal time to study. The amount of personal study required will vary depending on your learning style, so it’s important to ensure you have the capacity to meet this commitment and succeed.

We offer different learning programmes dependant on the level of qualification you hold. These range from 15 months for Graduates with a level 5 qualification to 27 months for our non‑graduate programme.

As part of the Probation Service, we support people on their road to rehabilitation. It involves working closely with all kinds of offenders often with complex needs, including those who’ve committed violent and sexual offences, or struggling with their mental health or substance misuse. As a Probation Officer, you need to be resilient as this can often make their behaviour challenging.

Not everyone is ready to change, and you will experience setbacks. However, through our PQiP training programme, you will learn the tools needed to address such behaviours, engage with people and support them to make positive changes. You’ll also work with victims of crime, colleagues across the criminal justice system, charities and the wider community.

Please note:

We cannot sponsor Trainee Probation Officers via the Skilled Worker visa route. If you hold limited right to…