Probation Officer - Personality Disorder Projects

Ministry of Justice; United States; Remote; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice's Lancashire OPD unit invites applications for a Senior Probation Officer on a 0.6 FTE basis. The role blends operational leadership of Probation Officers within OPD services and development of external partnerships, with a structured split across OPD Pathway and broader partnership work.

The post holder reports to the Regional OPD Senior Leader and will operate from Diadem House with regular team meetings.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in managing complex, high-risk individuals.
• Strong safeguarding, MAPPA and public protection knowledge.
• Experience supervising staff and providing professional supervision.

Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: manage and lead specialist Probation Officers and staff within OPD services.
• Clinical and Psychological Partnership Working: collaborate with Clinical Leads and NHS partners to deliver OPD pathway.
• Risk Management and Public Protection: oversee high-risk cases and ensure robust risk assessment.
• Consultation and Workforce Development: support case consultation and reflective practice; coordinate workforce development activities.
• Quality Assurance and Professional Standards: review casework and provide feedback; ensure oversight frameworks.

Skills

Leadership

Risk management

Communication

Decision making

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Job description

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's 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.

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.

Essential

• Existing Senior Probation Officer.
• 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.

Desirable

• 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.