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Applying to PQiP

Applications have now closed for our trainee probation officer programme (PQiP), and will re-open in last summer. To be the first to know when you can next apply, please register your interest below.

Re-watch our webinar

We held a webinar on 30 March ‘Becoming a probation officer – live Q&A’, where probation officers spoke about their experiences of the application process, PQiP training and their experiences in the role. You can re-watch this event below:

We are aware that there are websites in operation offering assistance to candidates with PQiP assessments – please note that these are not official websites, nor are they endorsed by the Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible to apply to the PQiP prgramme, you must hold a valid level 5 qualification:

a Diploma of higher education (DipHE)
a foundation degree
a level 5 award
a level 5 certificate
a level 5 diploma
a level 5 NVQ
or an equivalent qualification.

If you are successful in reaching the online assessment centre stage of the application process, you must be able to provide evidence that you have successfully passed a Level 5 (or above) qualification by producing a valid certificate when asked at the start of the online assessment centre. If you have not yet undergone your graduation ceremony, or have still not received your certificate at the time of the online assessment centre, you can instead produce a valid transcript from the university as evidence, or a letter of confirmation of your pass mark from your education provider.

If you have studied for a qualification outside of the UK you will need to obtain a NARIC confirming that the qualification level is equivalent or above a UK Level 5.

Please note: If you are unable to produce evidence of a Level 5 qualification, then you will not be able to continue with your online assessment centre and your application will be withdrawn.

In addition, you should have experience working with challenging individuals whose lives are in crisis and display challenging behaviour. It doesn’t matter whether it’s paid or voluntary – just that it involves the kind of behaviour we see from offenders.

The application process

The first stage of the recruitment process involves filling out an application form.

As well as asking you about your education and career, we use the Success Profiles Framework to assess you against a range of elements using different selection methods, you can find out more here.

Within the application form you will be asked to complete four behaviour-based questions and one experience question, each of which requires a 250-word count. Please think carefully about your responses and ensure you are happy with the quality of your answers before you submit them. You may find it helpful to draft your responses in a word document before putting your final answers into your application form.

You will need to enter important personal details, such as nationality and your right to work in the UK. We use these to check you are eligible to be a probation officer. You will need:
- proof of right to work
- proof of ID
- proof of address
- National Insurance Number
- proof of Level 5 Qualification.
If you feel you need reasonable adjustments to support you, please click here for more information about the support we offer and inform of us of this when prompted in your application form.

We won’t reopen a campaign once it’s closed so please make sure you submit your application ahead of the closing date and time.
Once you’ve successfully submitted your application, you will be invited to complete an online test called Skyrise City. This is a behaviour-based assessment.

This test enables you to showcase your natural strengths and behavioural preferences, and provides us with a fair and objective measurement to discover how suited you are to the role. You will complete a series of mini-tasks that have been created through years of research.

We will then review your results and compare them with that of successful performers in the job role, to assess if you have qualified to progress to the next stage of assessments.

Overall, the assessment takes around 30-50 minutes to complete, but everyone is different and there is no time limit, so please complete it at your own pace.

Do not worry if you have not completed this type of assessment before, it will not affect your results. This is still a fair and reliable assessment that is just presented in an easy-to-use, interactive format.

Before you take the real test, we recommend taking the practice assessment which will help to prepare you for the real test. You will receive information and a code on how to download the practice test and the actual test once you apply.
This is a half day assessment, completed online. We test to see if you have the abilities, behaviours and strengths to be a probation officer.

The assessment will involve:

Written Test
The test checks your written ability and assesses whether you are able to take information from various sources and summarise it in written format. We are looking for you to write in concise sentences that show a reasonable understanding of grammar, with the majority of spelling correct. The written test takes 60 minutes.

Role Plays
You will be assessed on two 10-minute role plays. The role plays require you to take on the role of a trainee probation officer who is interacting with an offender in different situations. They are based upon challenging scenarios that you could be faced with as a trainee probation officer. You do not need any prior knowledge of the role to be successful.

Interview
The 40-minute blended interview covers a mixture of behaviour-based and strengths-based questions. Behaviour-based questions will explore your past experiences and achievements. Strength-based questions will focus on what motivates and energises you.

We will give you more information of what to expect and how to best prepare later on in your application journey.

If you feel you need reasonable adjustments to support you, please click here for more information about the support we offer and inform of us of this when prompted in your application form.
If you are successful in your application, you will receive a provisional offer letter, subject to the availability of suitable vacancy locations, within a reasonable commute distance. Please note that placement during that intake is not guaranteed as vacancies are determined by business need. Allocation of successful candidates into PQiP vacancies is by fair and open competition based on merit from assessment scores and PDU preferences. If it is not possible to place you into a suitable vacancy location due to insufficient vacancies, you will remain on the merit list and your application will be deferred to the following intake. Candidates are able to remain on the merit list for 12 months.

If you are successful you will need to undergo and clear pre-employment checks. This will include Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Enhanced Level 2 vetting and as access to the multi-agency ViSOR system will be required as part of these posts, police vetting – Non Police Personnel Vetting Level 2 will also be required.

Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is required in order to complete the NPPV2 vetting process. If you have been out of the country for a significant period of time (usually up to one year) and maintained your UK residency you may still be considered for vetting clearance. For further information please see section 6.4 of the APP Vetting document here.

All of our positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, which means all spent and unspent convictions are examined as part of the vetting process. As part of this, you must declare all convictions, cautions and absolute or conditional discharges – however long ago they occurred. More information about vetting is available here. This should not deter candidates with any criminal history from applying as all cases are always considered on their individual merits before a decision is reached.

The National Probation Service encourages applications from people with lived experience and we believe this can make a difference to our service user outcomes. A conviction does not necessarily mean you cannot become a probation officer. However, failure to disclose information will put an end to your application, as we expect a high level of integrity from all those who we employ.
If you are successful at your online assessment centre, we will send you a provisional offer letter. However, we can’t always guarantee a placement every time, as it is dependent on local needs in each area as well as your successful completion of the pre-employment checks.

If we can’t place you, we will defer your application to the next intake until a suitable vacancy is available – for a maximum of 12 months from your assessment day date. After this, you would have to reapply to a future campaign.

If we can place you, we will send you a location offer. If you choose to accept the location and your pre-employment checks are successfully completed, we will issue a contract and you will start your exciting new career.
We will verify your Level 5 qualification and the modules you studied, you may be asked to provide further information or evidence of your level 5 qualification, and we will confirm whether you’ll be enrolled on the 15 or 21-month programme. Your DTM (Divisional Training Manager), PTA (Practice Tutor Assessor) or Line Manager (SPO) will be in touch prior to your start date, and they will be able to answer most training and PSO role queries. Should you have a query regarding your pay or contract please contact SSCL on MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com or 0345 241 5358

The application process can take six to seven months. So this means if you apply in April, you can expect to start in November. However, if we are unable to offer a suitable location for the November intake, you will remain on the merit list and your application will be carried forward to next intake. Candidates are able to remain on the merit for 12 months – in line with HMPPS recruitment policy.

Working for the Civil Service

We abide by the Civil Service Code’s standards of behaviour.

Our recruitment processes are driven by the principle of a fair and open competition leading to appointments based on merit (as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles).

If you have any questions about the Civil Service Commission or our Recruitment Principles, we recommend contacting the Civil Service Commission directly.

If you feel we haven’t upheld those principles throughout your application and want to make a complaint, first contact the Ministry of Justice. If their response is unsatisfactory, contact the Civil Service Commission

Contact Us

Email: MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

Telephone: 0345 241 5358