VACANCIES

There are no vacancies currently available within Merseyside Probation Trust.
See our Public Protection page for details of a MAPPA Lay Advisor vacancy.

For all future applications, please note the following:

Follow this link for guidance notes on completing your application form.

Follow this link for important information about submitting your application form.

Follow this link for an Application Form in Word format.

Follow this link for an Application Form in pdf format.

Follow this link should you require the Application Form in an alternative format.

For information about Trainee Probation Officer recruitment, see the section below on Probation Officer Staff.

RECRUITMENT

Merseyside Probation Trust is aiming to be an equal opportunities employer.
Applications from all sectors of the community are welcome.
Selection is on merit basis only.

PROBATION OFFICER STAFF

The Probation Service requires high quality recruits from a wide variety of backgrounds, including those pursuing a subsequent career. The range of communities with which the Probation Areas work is richly diverse and this diversity must be reflected in the workforce. Probation work is complex and demanding, requiring particular skills and abilities and candidates will be required to demonstrate how their life and work experiences relate to the role and skills required of a Probation officer.

The ability to show that you have these transferable skills, is more important than the circumstances in which you gained those skills. Therefore, whilst experience of working with offenders is clearly beneficial, this is not an essential requirement and the Service invites applications from candidates who can provide evidence of potential to work with people who have experienced personal or social difficulties (not necessarily offender related).

AGE

Trainee Probation Officers must be a minimum age of 20 years by the envisaged commencement of training. There is no upper age limit.

FITNESS TO PURSUE CAREER

The demanding nature of the work involved itself demands recruits who are themselves physically and emotionally capable of undertaking the full range of duties. Health and attendance records from previous employment will therefore be an important consideration.

WHEN TO APPLY

Posts are normally advertised in the national and regional press in March every year, for appointment in October. For more information visit www.probationofficer2008.com or www.nwconsortium.whizzkid.co.uk
The closing date for this year's recruitment has passed.

QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates under 21:
2 passes at A level and 3 at GCSE or 3 A levels & 1 GCSE

Candidates over 21, but under 25:
5 passes at GCSE

Candidates Over 25:
No formal qualifications required, but academic potential will be tested in a written exercise.

SALARY

While studying, the salary for a trainee probation officer ranges from £17,191 to £18,406 (under review). By 2010 as a main grade probation officer you could be earning upwards of £26,229 (under review). A pay spine covers more senior probation officer grades.

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS

The Probation Service is exempt from the provisions of Section 4 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Acts 1974. This means that you must disclose ALL previous convictions, as an adult or a juvenile, whether spent or not. You must also declare ALL cautions, bind overs, any road traffic offences, courts-martial, or ANY pending proceedings.

Having a criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to appointment. Each case will be carefully considered on its own merits, recognising that certain categories of offence normally will make the applicant unacceptable for appointment. Probation Areas will not make decisions upon the offence category alone but will look especially at how recently the offences took place, issues of seriousness and of circumstances.

All appointments are subject to satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau certification.

For further information on probation officer recruitment in the North West region, please write to the following address:

National Probation Service
North West Consortium
Sefton House
1 Molyneux Way
Old Roan
Liverpool
L10 2JA

The North West region covers Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire.