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Probation officer

Alternative titles for this job include

Probation officers supervise people serving community and prison sentences and help them to stay away from crime.

Average salary (a year)

£24,000 Starter

to

£40,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

36 to 38 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends occasionally

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

University

You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • criminology
  • sociology
  • psychology
  • youth and community work

Similar subjects may be acceptable.

Once you finish your course you can apply for the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) training programme. You need to complete this to become a qualified probation officer.

The PQiP programme takes between 15 and 21 months to complete, depending on what you studied at university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

Work

You could start work as a probation services officer. Once you've built up your experience and completed on-the-job training, you could apply to join the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) programme.

Volunteering

You'll be expected to have paid or voluntary experience of working with vulnerable people, or people with challenging behaviour, before you apply for training. You can get this by working with charities and organisations that support ex-offenders.

Go to Do IT and NCVO for information on voluntary opportunities in your area.

Direct Application

You may be able to apply directly for a trainee probation officer job if you already have a qualification at Level 5 or above. For example, a social work degree that includes a probation option.

More Information

Career tips

It will help if you have some knowledge of how the criminal justice and rehabilitation systems work.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Probation Institute for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You'll find more on how to become a probation officer from HM Prison & Probation Service.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to work on your own
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a probation officer, you could:

  • interview offenders before sentencing or parole
  • make sure offenders attend supervision appointments and rehabilitation programmes
  • run programmes designed to change offenders' behaviour
  • assess risks and write reports to help prisons and parole review boards make decisions
  • work with victims of crime when prisoners are considered for parole
  • help clients to get work or training, housing, or drug and alcohol treatment
  • work closely with other agencies to manage risks and reduce reoffending

Working environment

You could work in a prison, in a court, in an office or in the community.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

After further training, you could specialise in working with certain groups, like high-risk prisoners or those who have committed sexual offences.

With experience, you could become a senior probation officer.

Further promotion usually means moving into management and away from direct work with offenders. You could also become an area manager.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a probation officer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

BTEC Diploma in Public Services L3

  • Provider: CITY OF PORTSMOUTH COLLEGE
  • Start date: 09 September 2025
  • Location: Portsmouth

LV3 Extended Diploma in Public Services

  • Provider: COVENTRY COLLEGE
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: COVENTRY
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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