About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally

Job description

Advert and job description

Assistant Inspectors – (4 roles)

These posts are available on two-year secondments/loans or a fixed term contract of up to two years.

When joining us on a secondment, remuneration (salary and any taxable allowances), pay progression and employment terms & conditions will be the same as currently received from the seconding employer. Due to recruitment rules, we can offer current civil servants a secondment of two years with a possibility of an extension to three years. For successful candidates who do not currently work for the civil service (for example staff working for local government/local authority) we can offer a two-year secondment or a fixed term contract.  When joining on a fixed term contract the salary will be £39,868.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services.

If applying for a secondment, you should confirm with your employer that, in principle, they are willing to second you before you apply for these posts. Your office base during your secondment will be your current work location.

About these roles

• are you a probation officer, senior probation officer, YJS officer, YJS Team Manager or an operational manager (in a youth or adult setting)?
• are you looking for a role that is interesting, challenging and makes a difference?

Assistant Inspectors (AIs) play a key role in HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspections of adult and youth offending work. During inspection visits they examine and assess the quality of practice carried out by frontline staff, against HMI Probation’s published inspection standards.

The Inspectorate is committed to learning and development for all staff. During the first year of your secondment, you will work towards a Skills for Justice certificate of achievement in inspection skills (arranged and funded by the Inspectorate). You will receive ongoing feedback and support as you develop your professional skills.

AIs who have completed secondments with us have gone on to take middle manager and quality development roles in the criminal justice sector.

A current AI said:
“This is the only job I’ve done so far in my career where I’ve been afforded the opportunity to really reflect on how to actually improve practice…”

About you

AIs must:

• have experience of working within or close to probation or youth justice services (in a youth or adult setting)
• have experience of assessing quality of performance against a specified set of standards
• have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely and provide feedback to others in a sensitive and constructive manner.

The inspection programme for AIs is demanding yet rewarding and while we are delivering a hybrid model of inspection (with some inspection activity conducted remotely and some on-site) you may still need to work away from home for a significant amount of time. At times, this may involve being away from home up to three weeks out of four.

We strongly encourage you to contact us for a discussion and to ask any questions – these conversations will be confidential and will not count towards your application (see contact details at the end of the advert).

We warmly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates and Welsh speakers.

If you are a Welsh language speaker and you would like to discuss how your unique skill set can improve our service delivery, please e-mail corporate@hmiprobation.gov.uk to arrange a discussion with Caren Jones or Louisa Jones who can provide further insight to our commitment to treating the Welsh and English languages on an equal basis when conducting inspections in Wales. Please mark your email “AI – recruitment, request for Welsh language discussion” and if you would like the discussion to occur in Welsh, please indicate your preference in the e-mail.

Os ydych chi'n siaradwr iaith Gymraeg ac yr hoffech drafod sut y gall eich set sgiliau unigryw wella ein darpariaeth gwasanaeth, e-bostiwch Corporate@hmiprobation.gov.uk i drefnu trafodaeth gyda Caren Jones neu Louisa Jones a all drafod ymhellach ein hymrwymiad i drin yr ieithoedd Cymraeg a Saesneg yn gyfartal wrth gynnal archwiliadau yng Nghymru. Marciwch eich e-bost “AI-recriwtio, cais am drafodaeth iaith Gymraeg” ac os hoffech i'r drafodaeth ddigwydd yn Gymraeg, nodwch eich dewis yn yr e-bost.

The option of part ‑time or job share contracts can be discussed individually.

We are looking for successful candidates to start with us in January 2025.

Selection Process
You must complete your application by no later than 23:55 on Monday 24 June 2024.

We will invite short-listed candidates to an assessment centre, the first part of which will be conducted remotely on 12 and 13 August. Candidates MUST be available to attend one of these days, we are unable to offer alternative dates.
Candidates who are successful at part one of the assessment centre will be invited to part two, which will consist of an interview, based on a blend of Behaviours and Strengths. Interviews will take place during the week commencing 16 September 2024.

We recruit using the Civil Service Success Profiles https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Further information on the structure and expectations of our assessment centre process will be sent to candidates who are successful through the application sift stage.

About us

Our vision

High-quality probation and youth offending services that change people’s lives for the better.

Our purpose

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. We set the standards that shine a light on the quality and impact of these services. Our inspections, reviews, research and effective practice products provide authoritative and evidence-based judgements and guidance. We use our voice to drive system change, with a focus on inclusion and diversity. Our scrutiny leads to improved outcomes for individuals and communities.

We work in ways that are influential, independent, professional, diverse and inclusive. Read more about our vision, mission and values on our website:  www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. We will not discriminate on grounds of gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, faith or any other factor not relevant to a person's work.

Key requirements of the role

• Work as part of HMI Probation’s team of inspection staff by undertaking assessments of front-line practice, including observation of interventions being delivered
• Provide accurate and concise written feedback to lead inspectors on individual cases
• Provide feedback to individual case managers/ responsible officers about their work
• Lead and facilitate meetings of staff groups and service users
• Contribute to HMI Probation’s work on policy areas, based on inspection findings
• Undertake work on joint inspection programmes, working collaboratively with colleagues from other Inspectorates
• Deliver training to probation and youth offending staff on how to assess practice, using HMI Probation’s inspection standards
• Provide briefings to HMI Probation staff on specified subject areas
• Represent the organisation at external meetings
• Recognise and promote diversity issues in all aspects of work
• Undertake other work as allocated by HM Chief Inspector

Person Specification - Success Profiles

Behaviours

Changing and Improving

You identify both negative and positive aspects of practice and communicate this to aid learning. You clearly identify when change is required and always maintain a focus on the benefit of improvement for service users and the public. You create an environment where others can reflect upon their own practice and know their voice will be heard. You know when to escalate issues.

Making Effective Decisions

You make decisions based on thorough analysis. You clarify your won understanding through collaboration and consultation with others. You arrive at reasonable conclusions after analysing multiple sources.

Communicating and Influencing

You communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing. You communicate openly with a range of stakeholders to ensure objectives are met. You communicate with confidence and respect, adapting your style depending on your audience. You remain open-minded and impartial in discussions.

Working Together

You behave in an open and approachable manner and easily develop good working relationships. You work collaboratively, creating an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are taken into account. You contribute to a strong team spirit amongst the team. You understand others’ needs and motivations and how your work may impact them.

Delivering at Pace

You maintain a high standard of performance during challenging circumstances. You review and adjust priorities as needed whilst managing competing demands. You communicate your own areas of strength and limitations to ensure optimal contribution. You work with vigour to manage large volumes of data and a demanding workload. 

Ability

IT Skills

• Essential - You are confident and competent in the use of Information Technology (e.g. you have experience using Word, Excel, Outlook, a reasonable amount of case management software, etc.).  

Verbal and Written Communication Skills

• Essential - You can communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in written format in order to support others’ understanding. Provides feedback to others in a sensitive and constructive manner.

Experience

Quality Assurance

• Essential -  You have experience of assessing quality of performance against a specified set of standards.

Work Experience

• Essential - You have experience of working within or close to probation (youth or adult).

Technical

Professional Qualification

• Desirable - You have a professional qualification in Probation (adult or youth). You have a related professional qualification in a relevant occupational area e.g. social work

If you would like to discuss these posts, please contact corporate@hmiprobation.gov.uk, marking your email ‘AI recruitment June 2024’.

Person specification

Please refer to job description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

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.