Probation services officer

Probation services officers (PSOs) supervise people serving community and prison sentences who are considered to be low and medium risk.

In this guide

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a probation services officer, you could:

  • assess the risk an offender may pose to the public
  • prepare court and management reports
  • run individual or group sessions to challenge offending behaviour
  • help clients get work or training, housing, or drug and alcohol treatment
  • support offenders before and after prison release and manage them in the community
  • supervise residents living in approved accommodation
  • support victims of crime

Working environment

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

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a manager, with responsibility for a team of probation services officers.

You may also get opportunities to work in other parts of the justice system, or train to be a probation officer.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • leadership skills
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

Most relevant

  • Law - Probation services officers work within the criminal justice system, preparing court reports and supervising offenders serving community and prison sentences. They need to understand sentencing, legal frameworks, and the rights and responsibilities of both offenders and victims.
  • Psychology - Probation services officers assess the risk offenders pose to the public and run sessions designed to challenge offending behaviour. Understanding how people think, what drives behaviour, and how to motivate change is central to this work.
  • Sociology - Probation services officers deal daily with issues like poverty, addiction, housing, and social exclusion – all factors that can contribute to offending. Understanding how society is structured and how inequality affects people's lives helps them support clients more effectively.
  • English Language - Probation services officers write detailed court and management reports that must be clear, accurate, and persuasive. They also need strong verbal communication skills for running group sessions, interviewing offenders, and liaising with courts and other agencies.

Also relevant

  • Politics - Probation services officers work within government-run services and are affected by changes in criminal justice policy. Understanding how government decisions shape the justice system helps them make sense of the frameworks and priorities they work within.
  • Philosophy - Probation services officers regularly face ethical dilemmas – balancing public safety against an offender's right to rehabilitation, for example. The ability to think critically about justice, responsibility, and moral reasoning is valuable in making these difficult judgements.
  • Religious Studies - Probation services officers work with people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Understanding different belief systems and ethical perspectives helps them build trust and communicate sensitively with the wide range of clients they support.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

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

You'll need GCSEs in English and maths to apply for jobs and most colleges offer these if you do not already have them.

Taking a course in public services or youth work practice might also give you some understanding of the justice system, though this is not essential.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

You may be able to start as a case administrator in a probation office, then do on-the-job training to become a probation services officer.

You can apply directly for job vacancies with probation services.

You'll usually need:

  • experience of working with vulnerable people or people who have challenging behaviour
  • excellent communications skills
  • a minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, including English and maths

You can get experience through volunteering or paid work with charities that support ex-offenders, or by contacting your local probation service for opportunities.

If you're successful with your application, you'll train on the job. You'll do the Level 3 Diploma in Probation Practice during your first 12 months to qualify as a probation services officer.

Further information

You can find out more about how to become a probation services officer from HM Prison & Probation Service.

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