Open Competition: Probation Officer
The Probation Service is an agency within the Department of Justice. We pay an important role in helping to reduce the level of crime and to increase public safety by working with offenders to help change their behaviour and make good the harm done by crime. We are the lead agency in the assessment and management of offenders in our community.
The Probation Service is holding an open competition for the appointment to the position of Probation Officer.
Closing date: 5pm, 10th March 2023
Application link: https://staffline.getgotjobs.ie/home
Please see the information booklet for full details about this competition.
The Role
A Probation Officer may be assigned duties in any of the following areas: Courts and Community, Prisons/Places of Detention, Young Persons Probation or other particular assignments that may arise in the Service.
A Probation Officer can anticipate changes in assignment from time to time during their careers with the Service.
The areas of current strategic priority for the Probation Service that are likely to impact on the work of a Probation Officer include:
- Ensuring community sanctions remain a viable and relevant disposal for the court;
- Expanding the range of community sanctions and approaches to offender rehabilitation available to the Courts, the Department of Justice, and other relevant authorities;
- Developing new ways of working with our criminal justice partners, including greater integration of work practices in the management of offenders;
- Developing a more victim sensitive approach in our work with offenders as well as further developing restorative justice interventions and services to victims;
- Engaging with the community in promoting and delivering community sanctions.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
Candidates must, on or before 10th March 2023
1. Be registered in the Social Work Register maintained by CORU
OR have an entitlement to be registered and obtain registration prior to appointment
and
2. Have experience in and capacity to demonstrate the following:
- Interviewing skills
- Report writing and assessment skills
- Case management skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to work as part of a team
and
3. Have knowledge of:
- The Criminal Justice system
- Community resources and how these can be mobilised
Desirable
- Post qualification work experience in a probation or social work setting
- Court room skills
- Knowledge of a range of social work methods of intervention
- Knowledge of legislation relevant to the work of a Probation Officer
- Knowledge and understanding of victim related issues
- Knowledge of offending behaviour interventions and programmes
- Ability to engage and motivate offenders
- Knowledge of addictions
- A clean driving license
For further details about this open competition, please see the information booklet here.
We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.