A Job Study on Probation Officers

A Job Study on Probation Officers

Job Study

This assignment will look at becoming a Probation Officer which is my desired career path. It will look at the working hours, conditions and qualifications I need to achieve this and it will also refer to the competitive selection process. It will then look at how I am suited to this job as a person with an element of self analysis. I have also interviewed a former Probation Officer to get a more personal feel on what the job entails.

A Probation Officer has several jobs to contend with during their working day, such as writing assessments on offenders for the court, to manage, reinforce and supervise community orders, and to work directly with prisoners before and after they have been sentenced. (www.prospects.ac.uk) The creating of these assessments are vital as Probation Officers are responsible for deeming whether or not an offender is at risk to themselves and/or others and this is done in the form of a risk assessment. However, arguably the most important part of their job is to aid in the rehabilitation of offenders so they can be trusted not to re-offend, giving them a better chance in life to achieve success legitimately, which also attempts to make society a much safer place. Typically, Probation Officers work a 37-40 hour week, however, working hours may vary and sometimes fall in anti-social hours. Much of the work takes place in an office, however, there are instances where a Probation Officer needs to travel to court, prison and sometimes the offender’s homes. Therefore, the ability to drive would help and in some cases the Probation service will offer an allowance for this travel. (www.prospects.ac.uk)

In terms of qualifications, you need to be at least 20 years old and have 3 GCSE’s and 2 A- Levels or, 1 GCSE and 3 A-Levels, (www.get.hobsons.co.uk) however, entry requirements may change for older people or those who have a large amount of work experience. A Probation Officer also needs to have a diploma in...

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