23875 - Senior Probation Officer - Personality Disorder Projects - Lancashire

Ministry of Justice; Burnley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice in Lancashire invites applications for a part-time Senior Probation Officer (0.6 FTE) within the OPD partnership. You will lead a team and shape risk-led, psychologically informed practice in collaboration with NHS partners.

You will split your week between OPD pathway work and external partnership development, with regular cross-sector meetings at Diadem House and governance involvement across the North West.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing high-risk individuals.
• Knowledge of personality disorder and risk management.
• Experience leading staff and providing supervision.
• Strong safeguarding awareness and MAPPA processes.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Commitment to compassionate, relational probation work.
• Experience within OPD, PIPE, IIRMS or psychologically informed services.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership to specialist probation staff within OPD services.
• Ensure cases are allocated appropriately and workloads are managed effectively.
• Maintain oversight of high-risk and complex cases and safeguarding requirements.
• Promote psychologically informed approaches across probation services.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary decision-making regarding PiP and PoP.
• Develop productive relationships with NHS providers, prisons and community partners.
• Deliver learning and workforce development activities.

Job description

23875 - Senior Probation Officer - Personality Disorder Projects - Lancashire

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Lancashire OPD for a Senior Probation Officer (SPO) role on a part-time basis (0.6). The Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Partnership brings together Health and Probation to work with some of the most complex, high-risk men and women who meet the OPD criteria, and to support those working with them. In Lancashire, there is also a strong connection with Enhanced Reconnect and services from across the Third sector.

The role is structured as a split post, with three days per week (0.6 FTE) dedicated to the OPD Pathway and two days per week (0.4 FTE) focused on developing and maintaining external partnerships.

The post-holder base will be negotiable, though there is an expectation that the team will come together regularly - usually at Diadem House. You will be line managed by the Regional OPD Senior Leader and be part of an environment that is committed to learning and developing together, with support from colleagues working in OPD services across the North West.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Manage and provide leadership to specialist Probation Officers and other staff within OPD services.
• Ensure cases are allocated appropriately and workloads are managed effectively.
• Maintain oversight of high-risk and complex cases.
• Ensure compliance with probation policies, safeguarding requirements and public protection procedures.

Clinical and Psychological Partnership Working

• Work closely with Clinical Leads and NHS partners in delivering the OPD pathway.
• Support the use of psychological formulations to inform sentence management and risk management.
• Promote psychologically informed approaches across probation services.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary decision-making regarding PiP and PoP.

Risk Management and Public Protection

• Provide management oversight for individuals assessed as high or very high risk of serious harm.
• Ensure robust assessment and management of risk.
• Support staff in managing challenging behaviours, safeguarding concerns, and public protection issues.
• Participate in MAPPA and other multi-agency forums where appropriate.

Consultation and Workforce Development

• Support delivery of case consultation and formulation processes.
• Facilitate reflective practice and psychologically informed supervision.
• Develop practitioner confidence and capability in working with personality difficulties.
• Deliver or coordinate learning and workforce development activities.

Quality Assurance and Professional Standards

• Review casework, reports and assessments.
• Provide feedback and coaching to practitioners.
• Ensure management oversight frameworks are applied consistently.
• Monitor performance and service outcomes.

Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop productive relationships with NHS providers, Approved Premises, prisons and community agencies.
• Contribute to service development and pathway improvement.
• Represent OPD services within local and regional governance structures.
• Work alongside OPD Senior Co-Commissioners to develop and deliver quality services in the Lancashire sub-region.

The post holder will also be required to undertake the following:

• Oversee multi-agency partnership arrangements within the three Lancashire MASH hubs, supporting HMPPS safeguarding activity across Lancashire.
• Support the training and development of probation staff in relation to local child and adult safeguarding procedures and processes.
• Attend monthly MASH operational meetings and participate in multi-agency audits.
• Oversee arrangements for the delivery of MARAC.
• Support PDUs and Court Teams by providing advice and improving referral pathways and communication.
• Support the Business Manager in the management and deployment of Case Administrators working within partnership locations.
• Work collaboratively with the Health and Justice Team, EPOP, and Regional Commissioning and Contracts Team to strengthen pathways and relationships with third-sector organisations across Lancashire.
• Support developments relating to neurodiversity and chair the Lancashire Autism Justice Board.
• Lead partnership work relating to women in the justice system and chair the Female Justice Partnership Board.

Person Specification

• Extensive experience of managing complex, high-risk individuals.
• Knowledge of personality disorder, trauma-informed practice and risk management.
• Experience of leading staff and providing professional supervision.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, MAPPA, and public protection processes.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication, decision-making and leadership skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to working compassionately and relationally with colleagues and people on probation.
• Experience within OPD, PIPE, IIRMS or psychologically informed services.
• Experience of reflective practice, consultation, or formulation-led approaches.
• Knowledge of personality disorder theory and psychologically informed environments.
• Experience of collaborative working with psychology and health professionals.