HM Inspectorate of Probation Advert and job description Assistant Inspectors – (3 roles) These posts are available on two-year secondments/loans or a fixed term contract of up to two years. When joining us on a secondment, remuneration (salary and any taxable allowances), pay progression and employment terms & conditions will be the same as currently received from the seconding employer. Due to recruitment rules, we can offer current civil servants a secondment of two years with a possibility of an extension to three years. For successful candidates who do not currently work for the civil service (for example staff working for local government/local authority) we can offer a two-year secondment or a fixed term contract. When joining on a fixed term contract the salary will be £41,463. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspectorate of probation and youth justice services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services. If applying for a secondment, you should confirm with your employer that, in principle, they are willing to second you before you apply for these posts. Successful candidates will be allocated a notional office base, as close to their home location as possible, for the purposes of travel and subsistence, but in practice we are flexible in terms of where in the country you wish to work from. About these roles • are you a probation officer, senior probation officer, YJS officer, YJS Team Manager or an operational manager (in a youth or adult setting)? • are you looking for a role that is interesting, challenging and makes a difference? Assistant Inspectors (AIs) play a key role in HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspections of adult and youth justice work. During inspection visits they examine and assess the quality of practice carried out by frontline staff, against HMI Probation’s published inspection standards. The Inspectorate is committed to learning and development for all staff. During your first year with us, you will be required to complete and pass our internal training programme, which focuses on developing the skills and knowledge needed to undertake high quality inspection practice. You will receive ongoing feedback and support as you develop your professional skills. About you AIs must: • have experience of working within or close to probation or youth justice services (in a youth or adult setting) • have experience of assessing quality of performance against a specified set of standards • have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely and provide feedback to others in a sensitive and constructive manner. The inspection programme for AIs is demanding yet rewarding and while we are delivering a hybrid model of inspection (with some inspection activity conducted remotely and some on-site) you may still need to work away from home for a significant amount of time. At times, this may involve being away from home up to three weeks out of four. We strongly encourage you to contact us for a discussion and to ask any questions – these conversations will be confidential and will not count towards your application (see contact details at the end of the advert). AIs who have completed secondments with us have gone on to take middle manager and quality development roles in the criminal justice sector. A current AI said: “This is the only job I’ve done so far in my career where I’ve been afforded the opportunity to really reflect on how to actually improve practice…” The option of part time or job-share contracts can be discussed individually. Selection process You must complete your application by no later than 23:55 on Friday 13 June 2025. We will invite short-listed candidates to an assessment centre, which will be conducted remotely on Wednesday 23 or Thursday 24 July 2025. Candidates MUST be available to attend on one of these days, we are unable to offer alternative dates. Candidates who are successful at the assessment centre will be invited to an interview based on a blend of behaviours and strengths. Interviews, which will be conducted remotely, will take place the week commencing 11 August 2025. We recruit using the Civil Service Success Profiles https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles Further information on the structure and expectations of our assessment centre process will be sent to candidates who are successful through the application sift stage. About us and contacts We warmly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic and/or Welsh speaking candidates. We are particularly interested to hear from candidates who have experience in youth justice practice. Our vision High-quality probation and youth justice services that change people’s lives for the better. Our purpose HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth justice services in England and Wales. We set the standards that shine a light on the quality and impact of these services. Our inspections, reviews, research and effective practice products provide authoritative and evidence-based judgements and guidance. We use our voice to drive system change, with a focus on inclusion and diversity. Our scrutiny leads to improved outcomes for individuals and communities.. Location : UK