Skills for Justice - Labour Market Information Report for the Adult Advancement Career Service
Funded by Department of Business, Innovation and Skills
Prepared by Skills for Justice Research Team
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CONTENTS:
Section 1.0
Introduction to the Sector;
Section 2.0
Police and Law Enforcement;
Section 3.0
Prosecution Service;
Section 4.0
Courts and Tribunal Services;
Section 5.0
Forensic Science;
Section 6.0
Custodial Care;
Section 7.0
Community Justice;
Section 8.0
Fire and Rescue Service.
Section 9.0
Third Sector.
Under Sections 2.0 to 8.0 there are the following sub-sections:
Sector Information
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career paths and
opportunity for progression
Information on pay scales
Information on entry requirement, application processes
Qualifications
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Skills Shortages
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area or sector
Job Profiles
Case Studies
FAQs
Sources of additional information, web-links etc
Regional Information (plus UK wide information)
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Introduction to the Sector
1.0
Skills for Justice - Justice Sector – United Kingdom
Sector Information
i
The UK Justice sector has a wide range of different organisations, although operating to
individual remits; they work towards the same broad purpose – the creation and maintenance of a
safe, just and stable society.
The over-arching purpose of the Justice System is to:
Reduce crime and re-offending
Promote confidence in the Criminal Justice System
Protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime
Support the administration of Justice
The Justice sector employs around 600,000 employees across seven major strands of activity,
each with their own unique functions.
Policing & Law Enforcement
Maintenance of law and order
Prevention and detection of crime
Reassurance and support for communities
Forensic Science
Detection of crime
Varied roles such as Scene of Crime Officers, Forensic Biologists, Forensic Chemists, Forensic
Toxicologists and Fingerprint Officers.
Prosecution Services
Investigation of sudden or suspicious deaths
Production and issue of summonses
Preparation of cases for court
Public prosecutions
Court and Tribunal Services
Judiciary, magistracy and tribunals
Court management and administration
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Custodial Care
Detention
Secure escort services
Prevention of re-offending
Electronic monitoring services
Community Justice
Community safety and crime prevention
Prevention of offending and re-offending
Supervision of offenders in the community
Community-based rehabilitation project
Services for victims, survivors and witnesses
Fire & Rescue Services
Fire and rescue emergency response
Emergency planning
Community fire safety
The majority of the workforce is located in England equivalent to approximately 419,290
workers across all seven strands.
Justice Sector Employment across the UK
2%
9%
England
Wales
4%
Scotland
Northern Ireland
84%
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Table 1.0 Total Justice sector employment across the UK
Sub-sector / strand
Total employment in the UK 2007-08
Policing & Law Enforcement
321,828
Forensic Science
8,947
Prosecution Service
11,258
Courts & Tribunals
26,652
Custodial Care
77,609
Community Justice
76,963
Fire & Rescue Services
74,228
Total
597,485
Most organisations in the Justice sector are large – this is especially the case in terms of Policing
& Law Enforcement and Custodial Care, where there are a relatively small number of forces or
prisons employing a large number of people. A higher concentration of smaller employers can be
found in Community Justice, where a large number of organisations are located in the third sector
(non-profit / charitable organisations). The estimated number of third sector organisations in the
Justice sector is likely to be in the order of 12,500 in the UK.
Those employed in the Skills for Justice sector are:
Located in primarily two main occupational groups:
Professional and technical (54% of all employment)
Sergeant, Constable and Police Community Support Officer (Policing & Law Enforcement)
Forensic analysts (Imaging, fingerprint, Biology, Chemistry) and Scenes of Crime Officers
(SOCO)
Court Officer or Executive Officer
Legal Associates
Prison Officer, Prison Officer support grade, Prison Custody Officer
Community Safety Officer, Community warden, Project worker, Arrest referral worker
Administrative and secretarial (18%)
Administrative
strands
officers,
caseworkers, administrative support staff across all the
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More highly qualified than average, with 35 per cent qualified to A Level / Certificate of Higher
Education level and above compared to 28 per cent across all in employment. Only 7 per cent
have no or very low qualifications, compared to 23 per cent across all sectors. The main reason
for the high qualification level is due to the high level of training entrants to the Justice sector
receive. Most job roles include on-the-job training to A – level and higher as part of their
induction.
More likely to be employees, with self-employment negligible (approx >1%)
More likely to work full-time, 87 per cent in the sector working full-time
Compared to the economy, those working in the UK Justice sector are more likely to
be:
Male: 56% male and 44% female in the sector. Women are underrepresented in the Justice
sector, making up 44% of the Justice workforce compared to 46% of the whole economy. The
nature of Justice sector occupations means that women tend to be clustered in support staff roles
and in Community Justice rather than frontline roles such as Police Officers or Prison Officers.
The proportion of women in the workforce tends to reduce as roles increase in seniority.
From white ethnic groups: 93 per cent are from white ethnic groups whereas 91% of UK
workforce are from white ethnic groups.
The age distribution shows that there are fewer at either end of the age scale, with fewer young
workers (8% aged 16 – 24) or fewer older workers (12%). Certain key roles in the Justice sector
like police and prison officers have an age limit of 18 years and 30 year retirement schemes can
create a lack of younger and older workers at either end of the spectrum.
Those in the Skills for Justice sector tend to be grouped in the ‘prime age’ ranges: 55 per cent are
aged 25 – 44 compared to 47 per cent across the whole economy.
Useful Information:
The
Criminal
Justice
System
Website
-
Careers
in
the
Criminal
Justice
System:
http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/careers/
Criminal Justice System - Want to get involved in the Criminal Justice System?
Your guide to careers and volunteering
http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/downloads/application/pdf/CJS-Careers-Eng.pdf
The University of Edinburgh – Careers Service: Career Choices with Law – where else can I use
my
law
degree
without
qualifying
as
a
lawyer?
http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ug/files/careerchoiceswithlawsept09.pdf
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7
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Sub-sectors – United Kingdom
2.0
Policing & Law Enforcement
2.1
Sector Information
The aim of Policing & Law Enforcement within the UK United Justice sector is to
maintain law and order and to prevent and detect crime. The main functions are:

Promote safety and reduce disorder;

Reduce crime and fear of crime;

Investigating crime;

Contribute to delivering justice in a way that secures and maintains public
confidence in the rule of law.
The Policing and Law Enforcement strand includes agencies responsible for:
Maintenance of law and order
Prevention and detection of crime and
Reassurance and support for communities.
Organisations
The Policing sector includes:
43 Police Forces in England and Wales
8 Police Forces in Scotland
Police service of Northern Ireland, and
Non-Home Office forces such as British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and
Ministry of Defence Police.
Special forces - Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Scottish Crime and Drug
Enforcement Agency and Royal Military Police Special Investigations Branch
Law enforcement organisations primarily work to protect the United Kingdom’s borders and
frontiers. This includes HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and UK Border Agency. (UKBA).
Their work can expand past the areas of law enforcement therefore only staff who work in a law
enforcement / detection capacity are included in this strand.
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Geographical area of operation
Organisations
Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)
UK Borders Agency
UK wide
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Ministry of Defence Police,
Royal Military Police Special Investigations Branch
(RMP SIB)
British Transport Police
Great Britain
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
England & Wales
Police Service
Police Service
Newham Community Constabulary
Wandsworth Parks Police Service
England only
Port of Dover Police
Port of Liverpool Police
Merseyside Tunnels Police
Wales only
Police service
Scottish Police Service
Scotland only
Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency,
Information Services -Criminal Justice
Scottish Police College
Northern Ireland only
Northern Ireland Police Service
ii
The majority of employees in this strand work within the police service (296,978; 89%) and in
iii
England (248,649; 76%) although they are spread throughout the UK.
Figure 2.0 Types of employing organisations in9the Policing & Law Enforcement strand
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Sub-sector
Estimates (2008-09)
Policing
262,124
Non-Home
Office Forces
62,231
Special Forces
4,645
Total
329,000
The Policing & Law Enforcement strand is similar across the UK, with a concentration of larger
organisations. There are approximately 90 establishments across the UK with the majority
employing over 200+ employees.
Characteristics of the workforce
Compared to the whole economy, those working in the Police & Law Enforcement are more likely
to be:
Male: 62% are male and 38% female in the sector
v
From white ethnic groups: 95% are from white ethnic groups, compared to 91% across the
vi
whole economy.
2.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunity for progression
Key job roles in Policing & Law Enforcement fall into the category of either officers or nonuniformed support staff.
Officers
Police officers train for two years as probationers before moving onto the rank of Constable.
From the rank of Constable, officers progress to Sergeant and up the following ranks;
Inspector
Chief Inspector
Superintendant,
Chief Superintendants and
Chief Constable
Immigration Officers are the key enforcement role in the UK Border Agency. There are
vii
approximately 9,000 who work across the UK in two main functions:
Border Control
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Enforcement/Removals
Those who enter the UK Border Agency generally start as an assistant immigration officer and
work towards achieving promotion to immigration officer through internal application.
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs employs approximately 5,863
is enforcement with the common job type being that of an Officer.
viii
staff whose primary purpose
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are a new and emerging support staff role in
English and Welsh police forces. The role, introduced in 2006, is uniformed and that supports the
work of police officers working within a community. They carry out high visibility patrols to
increase the police service presence. They have limited powers to tackle lower level crime,
disorder, nuisance and anti-social behaviour.
There were 16,814 full-time equivalent police community support officers, or PCSOs, in the 43
English and Welsh police forces on 30 September 2009, a rise of 6.8 per cent since September
ix
2008, and an increase of 1.9 per cent since March 2009.
Additionally Scotland and Northern Ireland are looking to adopt the role of PCSOs in the forces to
aid neighbourhood policing in the coming years.
Non-uniformed support staff
Police staff numbers for the 43 English and Welsh forces stand at 80,322 (full-time equivalents),
an increase of 2,350 or 3.0 per cent compared with September 2008, and an increase of 1,026 or
x
1.3 per cent compared with March 2009.
Police forces also employ non-uniformed staff to undertake posts in the following:
Accountancy
Call centre
Crime bureau
Finance
Fingerprints
Force intelligence
Legal services
Personnel
Communication and marketing
Scenes of crime and transport.
Among other roles, members of police staff assist visitors to police stations, deal with emergency
999 calls, prepare case papers for prosecution, recruit and train Police Officers, facilitate the
technology and systems and maintain buildings.
Similar support roles exist in non-Home Office forces and special forces as in the Police Service.
2.3
Information on pay scales in Policing & Law Enforcement
Police Constable (on commencing service)
£22,680 - £25,317
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Police Constable (upon completion of two years service) £26,787
Sergeant £35,610
All Police Officer roles have a £2,163 London salary weighting
Police Community Support Officer – starting salary at £16,000 rising to £18,700 after 5 years of
service
Non-uniformed support grades range from £11,400 to over £40,000 depending on the role.
Immigration Officer: £20,968 - £26,214 (collected July 08). All new entrants start on the minimum
salary scale. Salaries at senior level rise to £54,989 - £69,444. The role also includes London
weighting ranging from £3,020 to £1,240.
2.4
Information on entry requirement, application processes
Police Officer
There are no formal educational requirements for entry to the police service. Recruitment and
selection procedures are managed by police services at a local level, although a nationally
agreed competency-based framework is applied.
Entry is open to British and Commonwealth citizens, EC/EEA nationals, and foreign nationals
who have no restrictions on their leave to remain in the UK and are over the age of 18.
Pre-entry experience is not essential, although it is advantageous to have some experience of
working with individuals or groups in the community, such as sports coaching or working with
local youth groups. Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Effective communication skills including tact and diplomacy
Community and customer focus
A sense of personal responsibility, integrity and resilience
Problem-solving skills
A confident and calm manner
Good literacy skills so that you can accurately record details
Respect for diversity
Team working skills and the ability to work independently.
Prospective entrants complete the initial application form and medical questionnaire, which are
assessed and scored against entrance criteria. If this assessment is positive, the next stage is an
assessment centre comprising a series of assessment tests and an interview. Successful
applicants are then required to pass job-related fitness and medical tests (eyesight, hearing,
blood pressure, body mass and a full medical). The purpose of these tests is to ensure that the
entrant has a basic level of fitness and can meet the physical demands of policing. Appointments
are then made, subject to references and security clearance.
Although you may still be eligible to join the police
service
if
you
have
minor
convictions/cautions, there are certain offences12and conditions that will make you ineligible. If
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you are at all unsure, contact your chosen force for more information.
More information on recruitment is available from the Home Office and the Police Recruitment
Service - Could You? websites.
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)
Unlike the requirements for regular police officers, there is no minimum age to apply as a PCSO.
Basic eligibility requirements are:
No minimum or maximum height requirements
No formal educational requirement, but you will have to pass written tests
Only applications from British citizens, EC/EEA nationals, Commonwealth citizens, or foreign
nationals with indefinite leave to remain in the UK will be accepted
A number of crimes will mean a definite or likely rejection of your application, including anyone
who has received a formal caution in the last five years, committed a violent crime or public order
offence
Physically and mentally able to undertake police duties by passing physical exam
Complete a medical history questionnaire and undergo an eyesight test satisfactorily before
appointment
Some tattoos (whether visible or not) and facial piercing might be unacceptable.
Once an application is submitted it will be reviewed, and if it passes an initial assessment, you will
be asked to come to an assessment centre to:
Take a written test
Be interviewed
Take part in interactive role-plays.
Successful applicants will undergo background and security checks, and a basic medical
examination. More information on recruitment is available from the Home Office and the Police
Recruitment Service - Could You? websites.
Immigration Officers
There are not any formal academic qualifications required to become an Immigration Officer,
however most candidates are educated to A level standard. To apply for an immigration officer
post, applicants need to:
Be a UK national with no restrictions on your stay in the UK
Have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years
Pass security clearance (due to the sensitive nature of the work)
Be between age 18 and 63
Pass a medical examination.
You may have an advantage when applying if
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you also have some ability in a foreign
31/03/2010
language, but this is not essential. Applicants will usually be invited to an assessment centre
where communication skills, judgment, conflict management skills and awareness of equal
opportunities issues will be tested.
The immigration service recruits for some jobs through the Civil Service Fast Stream scheme.
You can find more information about careers in immigration on the websites of the UK Border
Agency, and Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
All new recruits undergo an initial period of specialist training lasting 9 weeks in total. The initial
classroom-based training programme is nearly five weeks, followed by an operational coaching
period of four weeks. Candidates will need to be available for the duration of this training period.
Courses are usually held in the Dover area, Manchester, Stansted, near to Heathrow airport or at
Gatwick airport.
New officers need to acquire a good working knowledge of immigration legislation and associated
rules and instructions. They also receive instruction in interviewing techniques. Further practical
training is carried out on the job under the supervision of experienced officers who are always
available to offer guidance and advice
Non-Uniformed Police Staff
The support roles employed by the police forces vary greatly throughout the forces; from analyst
to call handler or HR and finance to librarian. Each force tends to operate slightly differently and
may have very different job roles; the best route of entry is to contact your local force to discuss
the opportunities available. Qualifications and application process differ from each force and each
job role.
2.5
Qualifications
The table below summarises the qualification gained upon entry into the Policing & Law
Enforcement sector. It is important to note that all of these qualifications can only be undertaken
once a person is recruited into the organisation. Non-uniformed police staff are not included in the
table below as the variety of roles is too numerous containing a variety of necessary of
qualifications.
Job Role
Qualification
Initial Police Learning & Development Programme (IPLDP) is delivered
within each force to train all recruits. Some forces deliver IPLDP in
conjunction with Higher Education underpinning the IPLDP knowledge
into a Foundation Degree.
Police Officer
Forces which are not using the Foundation Degree route have recruits
completing the NVQ Level 3 and 4 in Policing.
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Police
Community
Support Officer (PCSO)
Currently training programmes for PCSOs vary from Force to Force.
Skills for Justice are currently working towards developing a
qualification for PCSOs.
Immigration Officer
Immigration Officers undergo an induction programme of
approximately six weeks classroom training followed by consolidated
training. Immigration Officer training is not accredited at the moment
Officers undergo a core and foundation training programmes that is
delivered in three phases over 12 months. On successful completion of
training, officers are deployed.
Officer (HMRC)
2.6
Core and foundation training are accredited with Edexcel and in the
case of Intelligence training for new officers, accredited with the
University of Portsmouth. Edexcel’s qualification is a BTEC Level 3
Award, Certificate, Diploma and Portsmouth’s is a Certificate in
Counter Fraud and Intelligence.
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Police Officer figures have remained steady since 2006 with a marginal decrease in 2008. With
forces across England & Wales being subjected to cutbacks in funding from central sources, this
will have an impact on the amount invested in operational activity and recruitment. Northumbria,
Derbyshire, West Mercia, West Midlands and Gloucestershire have seen a 2-4% increase in
officers since 2007.
Police staff figures have increased by 2% and PCSOs have increased by 17%. As of 31 March
2009 there were 16,507 PCSOs. Initially, in March 2006, a target was set to recruit a total of
24,000 PCSOs by March 2008. A Written Ministerial Statement on 27 November 2006 noted that
forces would no longer be expected to increase the number of PCSOs beyond 16,000.
A recent government Green Paper has confirmed provision of funding over the next three years
(2009 – 2011) to increase the Special Constabulary numbers from 14,000 to 20,000 across
England & Wales. It is important to note though that special constables is a voluntary role and
they do not receive pay for their work.
There are no major staff turnover challenges within the forces, although migration between forces
is popular, particularly to larger metropolitan forces away from smaller rural forces.
There is recognition within forces of the need for workforce to reflect the immediate community
population with targeted recruitment amongst women and BME groups.
Additionally a graduate fast track scheme will15be introduced (circa 2010) to help attract
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individual with potential to progress rapidly through the ranks starting at constable.
2.7
Skills Shortages
Policing
Following the most recent spending Review a limited Policing budget will have an impact on the
amount invested in operational activity and recruitment. Return on investment, performance and
financial management, will be skills needed at both the senior and front-line manager level.
There is reliance in many forces that people already have robust ICT skills and whilst specific
training is provided on specialist systems, widespread generic ICT training is not currently
happening. This may be more applicable to officers rather than support staff, for whom dealing
with ICT is a daily task. Individual police officers have limited or no access to computers as part of
daily operational practice. Increasing use of bespoke software, such as PDAs and Blackberries
may have a long term impact on this area.
HMRC
Ongoing work with part of HMRC has identified the following skills issues:
Change management
Communication and writing skills
Managing and leading teams
UKBA
Below are the following skills issues:
Electronic case management and ICT skills
Multi-agency working skills for first line and team managers with other non-law enforcement
agencies including private custodial providers
2.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
The only entry point at present to become a police officer is the rank of Constable. Pre-entry
experience is not essential, although it is advantageous to have some experience of working with
individuals or groups in the community, such as sports coaching or working with local youth
groups. Additionally, potential entrants could gain this experience by working a volunteer Special
Constable or Police Community Support Officer before applying to be a Constable.
Recruits undergo a two year probationer training initiated at their respective police force.
Following a two year probationer training period, recruits progress to become Constables. From
there, officers can choose to specialise in areas such as firearms and progress through the ranks.
The skills and attributes police forces look for in officer recruits include:
Effective communication skills including tact
Community and customer focus;
and diplomacy;
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A sense of personal responsibility, integrity and resilience;
Problem-solving skills;
A confident and calm manner;
Good literacy skills so that you can accurately record details;
Respect for diversity;
Team working skills and the ability to work independently.
Police Community Support Officers positions are open to anyone who meets the criteria and who
possess the following attributes:
Be confident, level-headed and mature
Have experience and confidence in dealing with difficult people and complex situations
Be sensitive, but also thick-skinned
Have good communication skills
Work well as part of a team
Have the stamina for long stretches on foot patrol
Exhibit excellent communication skills
Be patient in dealing with all types of people, some of whom may be drunk or hostile.
Most Immigration Officer jobs are with the civil service, and there is a clear promotion route which
is often based on your length of service and annual assessments. Entry into the Immigration
Officer role can occur via three routes:
Promotion from Administrative Officer
Promotion from Assistant Immigration Officer
External recruitment to an Immigration Officer position
The skills and attributes need to become an Immigration officer include:
Confident, responsible and methodical approach to work
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
Ability to manage a complex workload
Good spoken and written communications skills
Ability to work alone and in a team
Good powers of observation
Non-uniformed support services in the police service and special forces vary widely and there are
multiple points of entry, skills and qualifications across the gambit of jobs. By visiting websites
one can find the variety of support jobs available in police forces across the UK:
All Police jobs| uses the latest specially-
developed software to automatically scoop up
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all police jobs posted on force websites so you can find them all in one central location.
Police-jobs| aims to provide an easy to use jobsite for serving and former police officers, civilian
police staff and criminal justice sector practitioners.
Prospects - Police| provides information on qualifications you need for the job of police constable.
2.9
Information on points of entry or transfer into a sector from another area sector
The points of entry in Policing & Law Enforcement activities are as follows:
Police Officer (Constable rank)
Police Community Support Officer
Immigration Officer
Officer (HMRC)
Officer (special forces)
Regardless of whether you enter from outside the Justice sector or another Justice sector related
occupation all entrants into the above roles must go through a standard application process,
followed by on the job training ranging from 6 months to 2 years.
Non-uniformed support roles (as mentioned in 2.8) are numerous and varied with many different
points of entry from another sector. Some examples of support roles include:
Accountancy
Call centre
Crime bureau
Finance
Fingerprints
Force intelligence
Legal services
Personnel
Communication and marketing
Scenes of crime and transport
Prepare case papers for prosecution
Facilitate the technology and systems
Maintain buildings.
2.10
Job Profiles
Assistant Immigration Officer
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http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=216998688&jobprofileid=1092&jobprofilename=Assistant%20Immigration%20Officer
Criminal Intelligence Analyst
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=816
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=488413290&jobprofileid=1484&jobprofilename=Criminal%20Intelligence%20Analyst
Customs Officer
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=815656606&jobprofileid=313&jobprofilename=Customs%20Officer
Detective
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=808
Dog Handler
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=627
Immigration Officer
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingforus/careerswithind
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/immigration_officer_job_description.jsp
Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) Officer
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=2063
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/pcso/overview.html
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=719
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=647614219&jo
bprofileid=1283&jobprofilename=Police%20Community%20Support%20Officer
Police Financial Investigator
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31/03/2010
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=758
Police Front Counter Staff
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=717
Police Officer
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/police_officer_job_description.jsp
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/mod_police_officer_job_description.jsp
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/officers/overview.html
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=636
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=660856413&jobprofileid=170&jobprofilename=Police%20Officer
Police Support Staff
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/other/overview.html
Special Constable
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/specials/overview.html
Road Traffic Accident Investigator
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/JobProfile?code=1523433498&jobprofileid=1313&jobprofilename=Road%20Traffic%20Accident%20Investigator
2.11
Case studies
Criminal Intelligence Analyst
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2481&parent=816
Detective Sergeant
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http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2059&parent=808
Police Family Liaison Officer
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2041&parent=636
A
day
in
the
life....of
a
Force
Diversity
Advisor
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/Day%20in%20the%20life%20article%20%20issue%2010.pdf
-
Ministry of Defence Police Constable
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2298&parent=2063
A
day
in
the
life...of
a
Police
Community
Support
Officer
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/A%20day%20in%20the%20life%20of%20a%20PCSO
.pdf
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2740&parent=719
Police Officer
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2054&parent=636
Sohail,
police
officer
in
a
neighbourhood
policing
team
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/police_officer_case_1.jsp
in
Yorkshire
-
Police Dog Handler
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2356&parent=627
Recruitment Manager
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=65&catalogueContentID=2277&parent=28
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2.12
FAQs
Do I need to get fit before I apply to be a police officer?
One of the most rigorous elements of our screening process is the physical fitness training.
Because our officers must be able to move quickly while carrying a lot of heavy equipment, they
have to be in pretty good shape.
If you pass the assessment process, you will then have to take a physical fitness test. To pass,
you will need to be reasonably fit, and able to run short distances fairly quickly. Later you will also
have to pass a medical examination. Always remember to check with your chosen force if you
have any specific concerns.
Am I eligible to become a police officer?
Do you think you meet the basic eligibility criteria? Take the quick police officer eligibility
questionnaire, which is designed to help to answer most of your eligibility questions. And, don't
forget, if you have any specific questions you can always contact your local force for more
information.
What is the difference between a PCSO and a police officer?
PCSOs do not have powers of arrest, cannot interview or process prisoners, cannot investigate
crime and do not carry out the more complex and high-risk tasks that police officers perform.
How do I apply?
Select a force from Police - Could You? to search for vacancies for police officers and PCSO. Or
choose all forces to view the available vacancies in all 43 English and Welsh forces. Please note
you can only apply to one force at a time. If you are looking for police support staff roles, please
contact your local force.
2.13
Sources of additional information, web-links etc
British Transport Police - www.btp.police.uk
Civil Nuclear Constabulary - www.cnc.police.uk/
Civil Service Recruitment Gateway - http://www.careers.civil-service.gov.uk/
Home Office - http://www.careers.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Police Could You? - http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/index.php
All Police jobs - http://www.allpolicejobs.co.uk/
Police-jobs - http://www.police-jobs.co.uk/
UK Border Agency - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingforus/careerswithind
2.14
Regional Information
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31/03/2010
2.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 5 police forces that employ approximately 17,800 officers, staff and
specials, approximately 7% of the police service. The five forces are:
Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
Derbyshire Constabulary had 2-4% increase in the number of officers from 2007 to 2008.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East Midlands for Policing & Law
Enforcement are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 6 police forces that employ approximately 22,000 officers, staff and
specials, approximately 9% of the police service. The six forces are:
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Essex
Hertsfordshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East of England for Policing & Law
Enforcement are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.3 London
London has 2 police forces that employ approximately 54,000 officers, staff and specials,
approximately 22% of the police service. The forces are:
City of London
Metropolitan Police Service
Additionally 3,100 police officers, staff and specials in the British Transport Police work
throughout London. Skills shortages and labour market projections in the London for Policing &
Law Enforcement are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.4 North East
The North East has 3 police forces that employ approximately 12,000 officers, staff and specials,
approximately 5% of the Police service. The three forces are:
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Cleveland
Durham
Northumbria
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the North East for Policing & Law Enforcement
are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.5 North West
The North West has 5 police forces that employ approximately 33,500 officers, staff and specials,
approximately 13% of the police service. The five forces are:
Cheshire
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
Merseyside
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the North West for Policing & Law Enforcement
are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.6 South East
The South East has 5 police forces that employ approximately 32,600 officers, staff and specials,
approximately 13% of the police service. The five forces are:
Hampshire
Kent
Surrey
Sussex
Thames Valley
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South East for Policing & Law Enforcement
are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.7 South West
The South West has 5 police forces that employ approximately 21,400 officers, staff and specials,
approximately 9% of the police service. The five forces are:
Avon & Somerset
Devon & Cornwall
Dorset
Gloucestershire
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Wiltshire
Gloucestershire Constabulary had 2-4% increase in the number of officers from 2007 to 2008.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South West for Policing & Law Enforcement
are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 4 police forces that employ approximately 25,000 officers, staff and
specials, approximately 10% of the police service. The four forces are:
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Mercia
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the West Midlands for Policing & Law
Enforcement are broadly in line with those nationally.
2.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The Yorkshire & Humberside has 4 police forces that employ approximately 24,000 officers, staff
and specials, approximately 10% of the Police service. The four forces are:
Humberside
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
The skills shortages and labour market projections in Yorkshire & Humberside are broadly in line
with of the rest of England.
2.14.10
Northern Ireland
The largest employing strand in the Northern Ireland Justice sector is Policing & Law
Enforcement (13,700) of which mostly all are employed by Police Service Northern Ireland
(PSNI).
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Northern Ireland are in line with the UK and England & Wales. The role of
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was going to be introduced in Northern Ireland in 2009
but due to a budget shortfall the introduction has been shelved temporarily.
Skill shortages
There are also a number of skill issues that are specific Policing & Law Enforcement strand in
Northern Ireland. These issues include:
25
31/03/2010
Performance management
First line management skills
Dealing with volume crime
Investigative skills alongside new community policing issues
Qualifications
Qualifications are broadly in line with that of the UK and England & Wales. Specific training is
delivered to all new uniformed recruits into Policing & Law Enforcement roles across the UK, and
where formally accredited, is in line with the relevant qualification level in that country.
Qualifications for support staff vary according to role.
2.14.11
Scotland
Policing & Law Enforcement is one of the largest strands in Scotland employing 26,629 people.
Organisations in the strand include:
Scottish Police Service
Scottish Crime & Drug Enforcement Agency
Information Services – Criminal Justice
Scottish Police College
British Transport Police
HMRC
UK Border Agency
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Scotland are in line with the UK and England & Wales. The role of Police
Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been recently introduced in Scotland.
Skill shortages
Headline skills issues for the police service in Scotland include:
Increased partnership working
Collaborative leadership
Keeping up with legislative change
ICT and soft skills related to communication
Recruitment process
Attracting quality and job ready Recruits
Additionally the following immediate challenges across the strand in Scotland over the next 12
months include:
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Attracting appropriately skilled staff
Increased partnership working across the Justice Sector as a whole
Keeping up with technology
Keeping up with policy and legislative change
Qualifications
Qualifications are broadly in line with that of the UK and England & Wales. Specific training is
delivered to all new uniformed recruits into Policing & Law Enforcement roles across the UK, and
where formally accredited, is in line with the relevant qualification level in that country.
Qualifications for support staff vary according to role.
2.14.12
Wales
Policing & Law Enforcement make up approximately 13,500 of the total Justice sector workforce.
The majority of the 13,500 employees come from police service. Although there are officers and
staff working in the British Transport Police, UK Border Agency, HMRC, Civil Nuclear
Constabulary and Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Wales are in line with the UK and England.
Skill shortages
Specific skills shortage outlined from our research include:
Multi agency working
Management and leadership skills
Performance and quality management
Managing change
Financial and resource management
Risk management
Commercial skills in contracting and procuring
ICT and Computing
Race and Diversity
Qualifications
Qualifications are broadly in line with that of the UK and England & Wales. Specific training is
delivered to all new uniformed recruits into Policing & Law Enforcement roles across the UK, and
where formally accredited, is in line with the relevant qualification level in that country.
Qualifications for support staff vary according to role.
27
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3.0
Prosecution Services
3.1
Sector Description
The aim of the prosecution services strand within the Justice sector is to provide
prosecuting authority for criminal cases. The strand employs 11,258xi people across the
UK with the majority working in England (76%). The following prosecution services
operate within the UK:

Crown Prosecution Service (England & Wales)

Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal (Scotland)

Public Prosecution Service (Northern Ireland)
Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office (based in England but remit extends across the UK)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the Government Department responsible for
prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales and is the
primary employer in this strand in England. As the principal prosecuting authority in
England and Wales, it is responsible for:

Advising the police on cases for possible prosecution

Reviewing cases submitted by the police

Where the decision is to prosecute, determine the charge in all but minor cases

Preparing cases for court

Presentation of cases at court.
xii
The CPS employs over 8,730 staff including around 2,800 lawyers and every year they deal with
xiii
just over 1.3 million cases in Magistrates’ Courts and another 115,000 in the Crown Court.
The CPS consists of 39 area offices in England; each is headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor
and corresponds to a single police force area. Although the CPS works closely with the police it is
independent of them.
Some facts about the CPS workforce include:
The average size (77%) of a CPS office is between 50-199 employees.
67% of CPS employees are female and
12% are CPS employees from a minority ethnic background.
The Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) is another employer in this strand. It
xiv
employs 323 staff of which the majority are lawyers. It is an independent government
department prosecuting major drug trafficking and tax fraud cases across the UK. Prior to the
RCPO, these types of criminal prosecutions were handled separately by Customs and Excise and
Inland Revenue lawyers. RCPO employees are based and work out of two offices located in
London and Manchester.
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3.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
Key Occupations in this sector are:
Legal staff which includes;
Legal Trainees
Prosecutors
Caseworkers
Administrators
In general, legal staff represents one-third of the workforce (approximately 3,500).
There are three routes into the CPS as a Crown Prosecutor:
As a Legal Trainee in the CPS Legal Trainee Scheme
As an solicitor who is admitted in England and Wales with a full current practising certificate
As a barrister called to the English Bar who has completed pupillage.
Annually the CPS recruits for trainee barristers and solicitors. Applicants need to have completed
the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Vocational Course (BVC) or be in the final year of study
to apply. It is only when the scheme is completed and solicitor and barrister qualifications are
obtained that the Legal trainee can progress to a Crown Prosecutor. Legal Trainees are also
appointed from internal candidates. Crown Prosecutors need:
Excellent skills in advocacy and personal organisation,
Ability to work effectively within a team;
Have sound judgment
Capacity to work accurately under pressure are essential.
Crown Prosecutor initially work on the more straightforward cases but should progress quickly to
deal with more complex casework. Crown Prosecutors can progress to be either Senior Crown
Prosecutors or Crown Advocates.
Senior Crown Prosecutor (SCP) review, provide advice in and present cases at magistrates court.
They analyse, review, prepare and prosecute a wide range of case, and will be expected to have
up-to-date knowledge of criminal offences ranging from motoring to murder.
Crown Advocates are a key element to strengthen the prosecution process in the CPS. Crown
Advocates:
Analyse, review, prepare and present a wide range of cases in the Crown Court and the Court of
Appeal
Are expected to have an up-to-date knowledge of all criminal offences and will maintain a high
volume of casework, which will include the review of more serious and complex cases
Caseworkers provide administrative support,
help prepare case files for court and help
29
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ensure smooth communication with other members of the criminal justice system. Whether it is
typing up case notes, filling in forms, filing or acting as the first point of contact, caseworkers are
the bedrock which enables the prosecution team to work effectively and efficiently. Skills needed
by caseworkers include:
Deals with others professionally and respectfully
Able to absorb and react to information quickly
Prioritises work and manages own time effectively
Communicates calmly and effectively to all levels.
Able to make decisions independently
Ability to adapt to changing circumstances
Alongside the legal staff, CPS employs a wide variety of professionals in areas such as:
Communication
Equality and diversity
Human resources
Administration
Emerging Jobs
Associate Prosecutors
Legislation has been introduced permitting Crown Prosecution Service staff who are not lawyers,
to review and present in magistrates courts a limited range of cases involving straightforward
guilty pleas (e.g shoplifting, possession of cannabis).
Under the supervision of experienced Crown Prosecutors, Associate Prosecutors divide their time
between police stations, where they review cases, and local magistrates courts.
The Associate Prosecutor role provides a clear progression path from Administrative roles to
Prosecutor roles in the CPS. Caseworkers who pass a testing training course, validated by an
external body, and are formally designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions, can undertake
some of the Magistrates Court work.
3.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
xv
Administrative Support Assistant - £13,283 - £16,081 (London: £14,061 - £17,205)
Caseworker – £15,225 - £18,764 (London: £16,439 - £20,139)
Legal Trainee – Suspended 2009/10 and to be reviewed 2010/11 (See below)
Crown Prosecutor - £27,393 – £31,002 (London £29,296 – £33,531)
Senior Crown Prosecutor £34,957 – £42,224 (London £36,355 – £43,807)
Chief Crown Prosecutor - £75,218 (Min. Band
Crown Advocate - £46,506 - £58,002 (London:
1) - £135,012 (Max.Band 4)
£50,059 - £62,433)
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Senior Crown Advocate - £61,225 - £65, 799 (London: £63, 883 - £68, 482)
3.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
Legal Trainees
Taken from the CPS website regards Legal Trainee recruitment:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/legal_professional_careers/legal_trainees/index.html
‘The decision has been taken to suspend the recruitment of Legal Trainees for 2009/10. The
recruitment of Legal Trainees for 2010/11 will be subject to a further review next year’
See CPS website for further details.
Crown Prosecutors
To apply for a post in the CPS as a Crown Prosecutor an applicant must be either;
As an solicitor who is admitted in England and Wales with a full current practising certificate
As a barrister called to the English Bar who has completed pupillage.
Applications can be made when vacancies are advertised on the CPS career webpage
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/.
Associate Prosecutors
The Associate Prosecutor role provides a clear progression path from Administrative roles to
Prosecutor roles in the CPS. Caseworkers who pass a testing training course, validated by an
external body, and are formally designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions, can undertake
some of the Magistrates Court work. Therefore entry to this route is predicated by being a
caseworker / administrator within the CPS.
Caseworkers
Caseworkers provide administrative support, help prepare case files for court and help ensure
smooth communication with other members of the criminal justice system. Skills needed by
caseworkers include:
Deals with others professionally and respectfully
Able to absorb and react to information quickly
Prioritises work and manages own time effectively
Communicates calmly and effectively to all levels.
Able to make decisions independently
Ability to adapt to changing circumstances
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Applications can be made when vacancies are advertised on the CPS career webpage
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/.
Witness Care Officer
As a Witness Care Officer’s job is to:
reduce ineffective trials,
improve public confidence in the Criminal Justice System,
increase victim and witness satisfaction and
Bring more offences to justice by providing an enhanced level of information to victims and
witnesses.
A Witness Care Officer will act as a single point of contact for victims and witnesses, conducting a
needs based assessment for those required to attend Court and dealing with enquiries and
correspondence from victims and witnesses in a professional and courteous manner.
There are also Witness Care Managers who oversee a team of officers and Senior Witness Care
Unit Managers who oversee 4 Witness Care Managers and approximately 40 Witness Care
Officers. All areas in England and Wales have Witness Care Units, approximately 165 in total.
Video: Debbie Hewlett, Unit Head of the Witness Care Unit in Avon and Somerset:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/victims_witnesses/reporting_a_crime/keeping_you_informed.html
Administration
Administrative Officers provide general administrative assistance to the team, often acting as the
first point of contact for the unit, dealing professionally and courteously with general enquiries and
passing to the relevant person or department as and when necessary.
They also provide assistance to the team by performing a range of general administrative duties
when required, and build and maintain good working relationships with external agencies and
other members of the Criminal Justice System.
Professional careers
Alongside the legal staff, CPS employs a wide variety of professionals in areas such as:
Communication
Equality and diversity
Human resources
Administration
Entry requirements depend on the many varied roles within the CPS. Applications can be made
when vacancies are advertised on the CPS career webpage http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/.
3.5
Qualifications
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Roles such as administrative assistant or caseworker do not require any qualification for entry.
Associate Prosecutors must pass a testing training course, validated by an external body, and are
formally designated by the Director of Public Prosecutions, can undertake some of the
Magistrates Court work.
Legal Trainee scheme is presently suspended until at least 2010/11.
Crown Prosecutors, Crown Advocates or other legal staff must be either:
Solicitor who is admitted in England and Wales with a full current practising certificate
Barrister called to the English Bar who has completed pupillage
Qualifications for non-legal staff in areas such as communication, equality and diversity, and
human resources depend greatly on the role and vary widely.
3.6
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The tight spending awards set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review are likely to
keep growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire
services) at or around 1 per cent per year for the rest of the decade. In the long term government
spending on Public Administration & Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the
economy as a whole. As a result, a very small decline is projected over the period to 2017.
These projections predict that by 2017:
Declines will be the administrative, clerical and secretarial group.
Increases for managers and professional occupations.
Women are expected to continue to slowly increase their share of total employment.
Part-time working is projected to continue to increase. This sector is a popular source of jobs for
women, particularly those looking for part time employment as conditions are favourable to such
working arrangements.
Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and
efficiency will be essential to the sector. A key element of the government's strategy to increase
efficiency and to direct more staff to front-line delivery of services is the efficient and effective
use of technology.
3.7
Skills shortages
Amongst general Prosecution staff the following have been highlighted as skills gaps:
1st line management skills – ‘getting the best out of our people’
Customer service
Being able to work sensitively with victims and witnesses
Management and Leadership skills for legal professionals
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3.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
The Legal Trainee scheme has been suspended in 2009/10 and is to be reviewed for 2010/11.
Barrister pupils can serve the entire 12 months within the CPS where they are under the
supervision of an experienced pupil supervisor.
No sponsorship for LPC, BVC or CPE is available through the CPS for external applicants.
Those with an interest in criminal law could enter the CPS as a caseworker and progress to an
Associate Prosecutor role by passing a training course.
Career progressions pathways are as such that someone can enter the CPS as an administrator
and work up being a Chief Crown Prosecutor through internal advancement.
The CPS offers an interesting and rewarding career option to those who wish to work within the
criminal justice system in the UK. With a considerable emphasis on advocacy, the workload is
quite different to that of private practice. With branch offices all over the UK, the CPS offers the
usual benefits of employment with a large organisation. The CPS offers a good training, a
commitment to equal opportunities, options for part-time work, job sharing and career breaks.
CPS posts are permanent and pensionable.
3.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
Points of entry into the sector are:
Administrator
Caseworkers
Witness Care Officer
Legal trainees – Currently suspended.
Prosecutors
Professional non-legal staff
All applications must go through a standard application process followed with on-the-job training.
In 2006, over 2,000 applications were received for the Legal Trainee Scheme and CPS appointed
24 trainees from external applications. As of March 2007, the CPS had 35 internally-recruited
trainees.
Roles such as administrator and caseworker have internal career progression pathways onto
such roles as prosecutor whereas normally entry into these roles would require outside
qualifications and private practice experience.
3.10
Job Profiles
Administrative roles
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31/03/2010
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/A2_668_Administrative_Officer.doc
Caseworker –
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/A1_661_Casework_Assistant.doc
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/A2_669_Casework_Support_Officer.doc
Witness Care Officer
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/A2_674_Witness_Care_Officer.doc
Legal Trainee Solicitor
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/legal_professional_careers/legal_trainees/
Pupil Barrister
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/B1_405_Pupil_Barrister.doc
Crown Prosecutor http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/assets/uploads/files/CP_402_Crown_Prosecutor.doc
3.11
Case studies
Witness
Care
Officer
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/business_administration_careers/witness_care/michael_okai_/
-
Associate
Prosecutor
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/other_legal_professionals/associate_prosecutor/edward_parton/
Legal
trainee
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/legal_professional_careers/legal_trainees/lucie_cummins/
-
Crown
Prosecutor
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/legal_professional_careers/crown_prosecutors/tivoli_wallington/
-
Equality
and
Diversity
Manager
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/professional_careers/equality_and_diversity/lizzy_hilton_equality_
and_diversity/
3.12
FAQs
How many places are there on the CPS Legal Trainee Scheme?
The Legal Trainee scheme has been suspended in 2009/10 and is to be reviewed for 2010/11.
Are there only legal careers at the CPS?
The answer is no! There are plenty of professional and business administration careers within the
CPS in such areas as Human Resources, Equality and Diversity, Communications,
Administrative, and Witness Care.
What are some benefits of working for the CPS?
The work related benefits range from ongoing training and development throughout your career
with the CPS, this includes a wide range of internal/external courses, opportunities for
35
promotion or opportunities to specialise in specific roles, and providing financial support
31/03/2010
so that you can increase your professional qualifications.
CPS benefits that will help you to achieve a work/life balance include a flexible working policy,
choice of pension schemes, competitive annual leave allowances, maternity/maternity
support/adoption leave, flexible hours, childcare support, health benefits, sports and social
activities and staff networks and the opportunity to transfer to different areas across the country.
Source of additional information:
Crown Prosecution Service – Video about it’s role (2009):
http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/journals/dpps_journal/open_justice/
Crown Prosecution Careers Page -
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/
Revenue & Customs Prosecution
gb/aboutus/Working/Pages/home.aspx
Office
Careers
Page
-
http://www.rcpo.gov.uk/en-
Civil Service Recruitment Gateway - http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/
Career
progression
for
prosecutors
http://www.cps.gov.uk/careers/benefits_of_working_with_the_cps/career_progression/
3.14
Regional Information
-
xvi
3.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 5 CPS Area Offices who employ 590 full time equivalent staff. The five
area offices are:
Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East Midlands for Prosecution are broadly in
line with those nationally.
3.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 6 area offices that employ 610 full time equivalent staff. The offices are:
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Essex
Hertsfordshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
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Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East of England for Prosecution are broadly
in line with those nationally.
3.14.3 London
London has 2 Area Offices who employ approximately 2,160 full time equivalent staff, making it
the largest CPS region.
Additionally Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff which are split between
London and Manchester. Skills shortages and labour market projections in the London for
Prosecution are broadly in line with those nationally.
3.14.4 North East
The North East has 3 Area Offices who employ 460 full time equivalent staff. The three Area
Offices are:
Cleveland
Durham
Northumbria
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the North East for Prosecution are broadly in
line with those nationally.
3.14.5 North West
The North West 5 Area Offices who employ 1,240 full time equivalent staff. The five Are Offices
are:
Cheshire
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
Merseyside
Additionally Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office employs 323 staff which are split between
London and Manchester. The North West is the second largest region behind London. Skills
shortages and labour market projections in the North West for Prosecution are broadly in line with
those nationally.
3.14.6 South East
The South East has 5 Area Offices who employ 890 full time equivalent staff. The five Area
Offices are:
Hampshire
Kent
Surrey
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31/03/2010
Sussex
Thames Valley
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South East for Prosecution are broadly in
line with those nationally.
3.14.7 South West
The South West has 5 Area Offices who employ 530 full time equivalent staff. The five forces are:
Avon & Somerset
Devon & Cornwall
Dorset
Gloucestershire
Wiltshire
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South West for Prosecution are broadly in
line with those nationally.
3.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 4 Area Offices who employ 870 full time equivalent staff. The four Area
Offices are:
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Mercia
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the West Midlands for Prosecution are broadly
in line with those nationally.
3.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The Yorkshire & Humberside has 4 Area Offices who 910 full time equivalent staff, the third
largest region in England. The four Area Offices are:
Humberside
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
The skills shortages and labour market projections in Yorkshire & Humberside are broadly in line
with of the rest of England.
3.14.10
Northern Ireland
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The Public Prosecution Service (PPSNI) was formally launched in 2005 and has
responsibility for the prosecution of all criminal cases in Northern Ireland. The service is
regionally based and there are four regions in total, each coterminous with one or more
court divisions. The PPSNI employs 562 staff, of which 165 are lawyersxvii.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Northern Ireland are in line with the UK and England & Wales. There does
exist a potential replacement demand issues of 25% retirement by 2014.
Skill shortages
Additionally, the PPSNI highlighted the following areas of development:
Provision of experience for prosecutors
Management skills for lawyers
Potential impact of devolution
Management skills development
Qualifications
Lawyers who work within the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), equivalent to the Crown
Prosecution Service in England & Wales, are referred to as Public Prosecutors. Public
Prosecutors must be qualified in Northern Ireland or expect to be admitted as a solicitor to apply
for posts. The PPS have run a Legal Trainee Scheme similar to the programme run by the Crown
Prosecution Service. It was first introduced in 2006, with a two-year training contract offered to
candidates who have been accepted by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. Following an
open competition, two successful candidates were appointed as Legal Trainees during 2007/08,
bringing the total number of trainees currently within the Scheme to four. For financial reasons no
further trainees will be appointed to the Scheme during 2008/09.
3.14.11
Scotland
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) provide Scotland's
independent public prosecution and deaths investigation service. It is a department of
the Scottish Government and is headed by the Lord Advocate. The Procurator Fiscal
Service is divided into 11 areas, with an Area Procurator Fiscal for each.
These areas coincide as far as possible with the boundaries of the eight Scottish police
forces, except in Strathclyde which is further sub-divided into 4 areas.
Within the 11 areas, there is a network of 48 Procurator Fiscal offices, one for each
Sheriff Court district. The COPFS is the sole public prosecution authority in Scotland. It
is responsible for making decisions about
and bringing prosecutions for almost all
criminal offences, statutory (devolved and 39reserved) and non-statutory (common law).
31/03/2010
The COPFS employs 1,520 staff of which 30% are legal staffxviii.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Scotland are in line with the UK and England & Wales.
Skill shortages
The COPFS has headlined the following three areas of their workforce which need developing
over the next three years:
Increased partnership working
Leadership and management
Keeping up with legislative change
Qualifications
Lawyers who work within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Scotland (COPFS), equivalent
to the Crown Prosecution Service in England & Wales, are referred to as Procurator Fiscal
Deputes. Deputes must be qualified in Scotland or expect to be admitted as a solicitor to apply for
posts. Additionally COPFS offer two year legal traineeships. Applications are invited from
graduates in Scots Law (or an equivalent Honours Degree in other subjects, combined with a
degree in Scots Law) who have obtained, or expect to obtain, a Diploma in Legal Practice from a
Scottish university and an entrance certificate from the Law Society of Scotland before August
2010.
3.14.12
Wales
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the Government Department responsible for
prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. As the
principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales, it is responsible for:

Advising the police on cases for possible prosecution

Reviewing cases submitted by the police

Where the decision is to prosecute, determine the charge in all but minor cases

Preparing cases for court

Presentation of cases at court.
The CPS employs over 470 full time equivalent staff over four CPS Areas Office; Dyfed Powys,
North Wales, Gwent, South Wales.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Wales are in line with the UK and England.
Skill shortages
40
31/03/2010
The skills shortages in Prosecution in Wales are broadly in line with that of England.
Qualifications
Qualifications in Wales are in line with England.
41
31/03/2010
4.0
Courts & Tribunal Services
4.1
Sector Description
xix
The remit of the courts and tribunal services strand of the UK Justice sector is to deliver justice
effectively and efficiently to the public. This strand has specific responsibility for providing
administration and support to the courts and tribunals throughout the UK.
Courts and Tribunals Service employs a little over 26,000 employees, with the majority in
England (80%). Approximately 3,000 employees work in Tribunal Services with the remainder
working in the administration and support to the courts. The following court and tribunal services
operate within the UK:

Her Majesty’s Court Service (England & Wales)

Scottish Court Service (Scotland)

Northern Ireland Court Service (Northern Ireland)
Tribunal Service (UK)
In England & Wales, Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) is the organisation with responsibility
for providing administration and support to the courts. It is an executive agency of the Ministry of
Justice (MoJ) with responsibility for the administration of the civil, family and criminal courts in
England and Wales (including Crown, County and Magistrates’ Courts). HMCS employs
approximately 20,400 employees across England. It aim is to:
bring offenders to justice through efficient and effective partnerships between the courts and
other criminal justice agencies;
put the public at the heart of the service so victims, witnesses and jurors feel confident in the
system;
work in partnership with the judiciary
There are 513 Crown, County and Magistrates’ courts across England with the majority located in
London, North West and the South East.
The Crown Court deals with more serious criminal cases such as murder, rape or robbery, some
of which are on appeal or referred from Magistrates' courts. Trials are heard by a Judge and a 12
person jury.
The County Court, often referred to as the Small Claims Court deals with civil matters, such as:
Claims for debt repayment, personal injury, and family issues such as divorce or adoption
Magistrates' courts are a key part of the criminal justice system and 95% of cases are completed
there. In addition magistrates' courts deal with many civil cases e.g. family matters, liquor
licensing and betting and gaming.
42
31/03/2010
90
Crown Courts
County Courts
80
4
Magistrates Courts
70
4
12
24
5
Number of Courts
60
26
50
3
5
13
24
3
40
2
14
13
14
3
12
30
10
52
45
42
20
38
33
30
27
10
33
22
0
North East
North West
Yorkshire &
Humber
East
Midlands
West
Midlands
East of
England
London
South East
South West
The staff breakdown in HMCS by court / area of work for 2006/07 is illustrated in the below table.
Court / Work Area
No of HMCS Staff
Magistrates’ Court
7,435
County Courts
4,533
Crown Court
2,304
Civil Appeals
67
Criminal Appeals
102
Royal Courts of Justice
1,068
Headquarters
553
Enforcement
1,027
43
31/03/2010
Court / Work Area
No of HMCS Staff
Other offices
2,897
Total
19,986
The Tribunals Service (TS) is the organisation with responsibility for providing administrative
support to tribunals, employing just over 2,600 staff in England. It is an executive agency of the
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and provides support to 21 central government tribunals plus the
Adjudicator to HM Land Registry and The Gender Recognition Panel (these last two are not
technically tribunals).
The tribunal jurisdictions that now constitute the Tribunals Service deal with over 500,000 cases a
year and resolve more disputes than the civil courts. Many of these disputes involve society’s
most vulnerable people, and they relate to a very diverse range of social and regulatory matters
including asylum and immigration, social security and pensions, employment, health and care,
criminal injuries compensation, and property and land.
Compared to the whole economy, those working in Courts & Tribunals are more likely to be:
Female: 69 per cent are female and 31 per cent male in the sector, compared with 54 and 46 per
cent respectively across the whole economy.¡Error! Marcador no definido. The Courts sector
has the highest female workforce percentages across the Justice sector.
Higher number from ethnic groups: 88 per cent are from white ethnic groups, which is higher
that the whole economy (92 per cent)¡Error! Marcador no definido. and other Justice sector
strands such as Policing & Law Enforcement (5%) and Custodial Care (6%).
4.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
Skills for Justice focus on the Courts administering the criminal justice system, as opposed to the
administration of civil proceedings.
Key Occupations Within Magistrates Court
Key Occupations Within Crown Court
Legal Advisor
Court Manager
Court Administration Manager (titles vary)
Court Clerk
Administrative Staff
Administrative Officer
Bailiff / Enforcement Officer
Usher
Usher
Legal Advisor
44
31/03/2010
A Legal Advisor in the Magistrates’ Court is a qualified Solicitor or Barrister. His or her role is to
ensure the effective and efficient provision of summary Justice by providing the highest quality of
legal advice to Magistrates, staff and Court users.
Legal Advisors could either have become professionally qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister before
commencing work with HM Courts Service or they could be employed by HM Courts Service as a
trainee Solicitor / Barrister after completion of their academic and full-time vocational training. To
qualify at the academic stage, candidates normally need to complete a law degree or a degree in
another subject and then take a postgraduate law conversion course, although other ways of
qualifying do exist. At the vocational stage, solicitors follow the Legal Practice Course (LPC),
whilst barristers are required to complete a Bar Vocational Course (BVC).
HM Courts Service offers a specific scheme for trainee Solicitors /Barristers. Trainee legal
advisers undergo training for up to two years. They develop knowledge of areas such as road
traffic law and youth law. They also sit in courts, learning from more experienced legal advisers.
Legal advisers receive ongoing training to ensure that they are kept up to date with changes in
the legal system.
Magistrates' court legal advisers may progress within the magistrates' court system by
concentrating on the legal or the managerial aspects of the work. Promotion is possible to
justices' clerk or, on the managerial side, can take the form of specialisation. Specialist areas
include finance, the training of magistrates, looking after a team of magistrates' court legal
advisers, or managing the whole legal side of a court.
Court Administration Manager / Court Manager
The Court Administration Manager is responsible for the administrative functioning of the
Magistrates’ or Crown Court. A number of core and tailored courses are provided for Court
Administration Managers to develop leadership and management capability. As well as attending
training courses, some managers have the opportunity to obtain management qualifications such
as NVQ Management Level 4 or a Masters in Business Administration.
Court Clerk
The Clerk, sometimes called the ‘Associate’, looks after all the documents for the trial, and
records all the Judge’s decisions and instructions, so that they can be acted upon. The Clerk is
responsible for some of the most important formalities:
He or she reads out the ‘indictment’ (telling the defendant what he/she is charged with),
Ensures that the Jury takes a solemn oath to give a true verdict according to the evidence and
that the witnesses take a solemn oath to tell the truth.
Internal training is provided for the Court Clerk role.
Administrative Officers
Administrative staff undertake a wide range of administrative duties and make up the majority of
staff in the court office. A court administrative officer should:
Have good communication skills
45
31/03/2010
Be able to work with people from a wide range of different backgrounds
Have good customer service skills
Be patient, tactful and polite
Be able to explain procedures to people with no knowledge of the court system
Enjoy working with people.
Entry requirements vary from court to court. As a guide, candidates may need five GCSEs/S
grades (A-C/1-3) or equivalent qualifications. English is required for vacancies in HM Courts
Service. Candidates without these qualifications, but with relevant administrative experience may
also be considered. An increasing number of successful applicants have A levels/H grades or
equivalent.
New recruits are trained on the job. Some staff across HMCS were provided with the opportunity
to obtain an NVQ Level 3 in Administration, NVQ Level 3 or 4 in Customer Service, and a NVQ
Level 3 in using IT.
Experienced court administrative officers may be promoted to more senior posts. With additional
training, it may be possible to become a legal executive
Enforcement Officers
Enforcement Officers implement the Courts Act 2003 Fines Collections Scheme. They enforce
accounts in accordance with current time scales and in accordance with current policy also
ensuring that all computer reports are actioned and maintained accordingly. Amongst other
activities, they:
undertake pro-active telephone chasing against debtors
arrange and conduct Fines’ Clinics and negotiate payment with debtors
receive, complete, authorise and check means forms as required, ensuring that time to pay
requests are processed and checked accordingly
liaise with other Courts, enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in order to maximise
payment collection
No formal entry qualifications are required. Employers will look for basic numeracy and good
communication skills. They also require applicants to show that they do not have a debt or
criminal record.
Training in England and Wales is mainly on the job, although there may be opportunities to attend
short courses. There are various promotional opportunities. Civil servants may be promoted to
bailiff manager, move sideways into another Civil Service function or move into the private sector.
Ushers
Court Ushers prepare the courtrooms and help maintain order in the Court. In particular their role
includes:
Dealing with court users attending for hearings
in person and on the telephone
46
31/03/2010
Preparing courtrooms for daily sittings and liaising with the Magistrates, Court Legal Advisor and
Solicitors to ensure smooth running of the list.
Acting as Usher during Court hearings, calling cases on.
Although there are no formal entry qualifications, applicants generally have at least four GCSEs/S
grades (A*-C/1-3), or the equivalent, including English.
Training is mainly on the job and usually takes about a year. A new usher shadows an
experienced usher, gradually taking on more of the duties. In the higher courts and large
magistrates' courts, an usher can be promoted to supervising usher, with responsibility for a
group of ushers. A court usher can also be promoted to the grade of administrative officer within
the Civil Service.
4.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
Ushers – £13,984 - £16,950
Court Clerk - £14,562 – £16,530
Bailiff / Enforcement Officer - £14,310 – £17,425 (County Court) £13,716 – £15,579 (Magistrates)
Administrative Officer - £15,907 - £20,135
Legal Advisor Trainee – at least £19,395
Legal Advisor - £27,153 – £39,822
4.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
To work for either the HM Court Service or Tribunal Service:
You must be either:
United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland national
Commonwealth citizen or a British protected person
national of the European Economic Area (EEA), including Switzerland
You must not have been convicted of a serious offence
You must have the right to take up employment within the UK.
You must have the experience and qualifications specified in the advert
Entry requirements vary depending on the role within the Court Service. For example:
Legal Advisors are generally professionally qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister before
commencing work with HM Courts Service.
Court Managers in some cases will already have management and leadership experience
including NVQ Management Level 4 or a Masters in Business Administration.
Administrators may enter HMCS having already obtained generic administrative qualifications
and / or training in IT or customer service before entering the service. Most posts require 5
GCSEs or equivalent (including English Language) at grade C or above OR relevant
experience.
47
31/03/2010
Ushers require 2 GCSEs or equivalent including English Language at C or above OR recent
relevant administrative or customer services experience
Bailiff / Enforcement Officers have no formal entry qualifications are required. Employers will
look for basic numeracy and good communication skills and may expect a minimum of five
GCSEs/S grades (A*-C/1-3), including English and Mathematics. They also require applicants to
show that they do not have a debt or criminal record. Candidates with relevant experience may
be preferred as this may help them deal with difficult situations.
The Court Service does provide on the job training that is both accredited and non-accredited to
its staff once service is commenced as well as continuing professional development.
Vacancies are advertised on:
Ministry of Justice career page (http://www.justice.gov.uk/jobs/current-vacancies.htm)
HM Court Service webpage (http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/working.htm)
Tribunal Service webpage (http://www.tribunalsservice.gov.uk/Tribunals/About/about.htm)
4.5
Qualifications
The table below summaries the qualifications gained upon entry into the Court Service and in
some cases prior to joining (most relevant for Legal Advisors). It is important to note that most of
these qualifications are undertaken once a person is recruited into the organisation.
Legal Advisor
Legal Advisors are generally professionally qualified as a Solicitor or
Barrister before commencing work with HM Courts Service. Although once
one completes their LPC or BVC they could enter through the Trainee
Solicitor / Barrister Scheme.
Entrants will generally already have skills in management and leadership
and possibly qualifications in this area.
Court Managers
Some managers have the opportunity to obtain management qualifications
such as NVQ Management Level 4 or a Masters in Business Administration
during their career with HMCS / TS
Administrative
Staff
Some staff across HMCS / TS were provided with the opportunity to obtain
an NVQ Level 3 in Administration, NVQ Level 3 or 4 in Customer Service,
and a NVQ Level 3 in using IT.
Generally administrative posts require 5 GCSEs 5 GCSEs or equivalent
(including English Language) at grade C
4.6
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The tight spending awards set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review are likely to
keep growth in the public administration (this48includes the judicial activities and police and
31/03/2010
fire services) at or around 1 per cent per year for the rest of the decade. In the long term
government spending on Public Administration & Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate
than the economy as a whole. As a result, a very small decline is projected over the period to
2017. These projections predict that by 2017:
Declines will be the administrative, clerical and secretarial group.
Increases for managers and professional occupations.
Women are expected to continue to slowly increase their share of total employment.
Part-time working is projected to continue to increase. This sector is a popular source of jobs for
women, particularly those looking for part time employment as conditions are favourable to such
working arrangements.
Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and
efficiency will be essential to the sector. A key element of the government's strategy to increase
efficiency and to direct more staff to front-line delivery of services is the efficient and effective use
of technology.
Ongoing work within HMCS and the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) since the creation
of the organisation in 2005 has focused on the 6 Core Skills areas of the Professional Skills for
Government (PSG) as the core skills of its workforce which includes: People management,
financial management, programme and project management, analysis and use of evidence,
communications and marketing, and strategic thinking.
Additionally the following skills issues have been highlighted:
Workforce planning / performance management
Coaching at senior levels / leadership and management
E-learning applications / ICT skills
Work with legal advisors
4.7
Skills shortages
Amongst general Court and Tribunal staff the following have been highlighted as skills gaps:
st
1 line management skills – ‘getting the best out of our people’
Customer service
Being able to work sensitively with victims and witnesses
Communication skills with the public and those with differing communication needs
4.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
The HMCS recruits legal trainees who have already completed the LPC or BVC to enter the Legal
Trainee Scheme to train to be Legal Advisors in Magistrates’ Court.
No sponsorship for LPC, BVC or CPE is available through the HMCS for external applicants.
Team work is a key feature of working within the Court Service. Offices can be very busy
and you will be expected to be self motivated,49and to make effective contributions to the team
31/03/2010
effort. You will also be expected to be flexible in helping others – equally the service is very
supportive of its workforce.
New employees receive formal induction and job related training during the first few weeks and
months. Ongoing training is given as need. In some cases to meet specialist needs, there may be
support to study for relevant professional or vocational qualifications.
4.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
Points of entry into the sector are:
Ushers
Court Clerk
Bailiff / Enforcement Officer
Administrative Officer
Court Manager
Legal Advisor
All applications must go through a standard application process through the Ministry of Justice for
both the Tribunal and HM Court Services. Legal Advisor trainees must have completed a LPC or
BVC course to enter the programme which is highly competitive. Other entrants into Legal
Advisory roles must already be qualified Barristers or Solicitors.
Roles such as administrator, ushers and clerks have internal progression pathways. Additionally
the Court Service offers both continuing professional development as well as specialist training
opportunities for specific roles.
4.10
Job Profiles
Administration Officer (Careers Advice Website)
and
Administration Officer (Connexions Website)
Court Usher (Careers Advice Website)
and
Court Usher (Connexions Website)
Legal Adviser and Trainees (Careers Advice Website)
and
Legal Adviser (Connexions Website)
Baillif/Enforcement
Officer
(Connexions
Court Reporter (Careers Advice Website)
Website)
50
31/03/2010
4.11
Case studies
Court Usher (Connexions Website)
Legal Adviser (Connexions Website)
Section Manager (Connexions Website)
4.12
FAQs
What are the working conditions like for an administrative assistant / officer?
In a full-time job you would work 37 hours a week between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Overtime may be necessary for occasional special hearings in the evening or at the weekend, but
this is unusual. Part-time work, job sharing and flexi-time are often available.
You would be mainly office-based, but would also spend some of your time in the courtroom.
How can I become a Court Legal Advisor?
To work as a legal adviser you must be a qualified solicitor or barrister. For this, you will first need
one of the following:
an approved law degree (at least class 2:2)
a degree in any other subject (at least class 2:2) followed by the Common Professional
Examination (CPE) or the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
Fellowship of the Institute of Legal Executives.
After achieving one of these, you must pass the Legal Practice Course (for solicitors) or Bar
Vocational Course (barristers) and complete a training contract to fully qualify. If you have passed
the LPC or BVC but not completed a training contract, some courts may employ you as a trainee
legal adviser.
Most courts will expect you to have recent legal practice experience. You will find it useful to have
previous experience as a magistrate, and to have customer service and administration skills. You
will also need to pass a CRB check.
Where can I progress to once I become a Court Legal Advisor?
With experience, you could be promoted to justices' clerk (responsible for running a number of
courts within an area) or become a district judge (a legally-qualified magistrate who works for an
annual salary). Alternatively, you could move into private practice as a solicitor or barrister, or join
the Crown Prosecution Service as a Crown Prosecutor or Crown Advocate.
4.13
Source of additional information
51
31/03/2010
Ministry of Justice career page (http://www.justice.gov.uk/jobs/current-vacancies.htm)
HM Court Service webpage (http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/working.htm)
Tribunal Service webpage:
(http://www.tribunalsservice.gov.uk/Tribunals/About/about.htm)
Civil Service Recruitment Gateway - http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/
Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) - http://www.ilex.org.uk/
4.14
Regional Information
4.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 50 Courts - 33 Magistrates Courts, 3 Crown and 14 County Courts who
employ 2,780 full time equivalent staff.
For the East Midlands, over 3,500 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 128,500
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East Midlands for Courts and Tribunals are
broadly in line with those nationally.
4.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 51 Courts - 33 Magistrates Courts, 5 Crown and 13 County Courts who
employ 1,650 full time equivalent staff.
For the East of England, over 3,000 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 162,000
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the East of England are broadly in line with
those nationally.
4.14.3 London
London has 68 Courts - 38 Magistrates Courts, 12 Crown and 18 County Courts who employ
5,450 full time equivalent staff.
For London, over 5,500 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 283,000 defendants
were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the London are broadly in line with those
nationally.
North East
The North East has 32 Courts - 22 Magistrates Courts and 10 County Courts who employ 1,270
full time equivalent staff.
For the North East, just under 6,000 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 103,700
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
52
31/03/2010
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the North East are broadly in line with those
nationally.
4.14.5 North West
The North West has 72 Courts - 42 Magistrates Courts, 4 Crown and 26 County Courts who
employ 3,340 full time equivalent staff.
For the North West, just over 7,000 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 266,700
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the North West are broadly in line with those
nationally.
4.15.6 South East
The South East has 80 Courts - 52 Magistrates Courts, 5 Crown and 13 County Courts who
employ 2,570 full time equivalent staff.
For the South East, 5,957 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 205,600
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South East are broadly in line with those
nationally.
4.14.7 South West
The South West has 63 Courts - 45 Magistrates Courts, 5 Crown and 13 County Courts who
employ 2,570 full time equivalent staff.
For the South West, just over 2,600 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over 136,900
defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the South West are broadly in line with those
nationally.
4.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 47 Courts - 30 Magistrates Courts, 3 Crown and 14 County Courts who
employ 2,300 full time equivalent staff.
For the West Midlands, just under 5,000 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and over
178,600 defendants were proceeded against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the West Midlands are broadly in line with those
nationally.
4.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The West Midlands has 41 Courts - 27 Magistrates Courts, 2 Crown and 12 County Courts who
employ 2,280 full time equivalent staff.
For Yorkshire & Humberside, just over 4,160 people were sentenced in the Crown Court and
over 159,700 defendants were proceeded53against in Magistrates’ Court in 2007-08.
31/03/2010
The skills shortages and labour market projections in Yorkshire & Humberside are broadly in line
with of the rest of England.
4.14.10
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Court Service (NICtS) is the organisation with
responsibility for providing administration and support to the courts. It was established in 1979 as
a separate civil service and is the Lord Chancellor's department in Northern Ireland and currently
xx
employs 848 staff . The purpose of the Court Service is:
To provide administrative support for the Supreme Court, county courts, magistrates’ courts,
coroners’ courts and certain tribunals;
To give effect to judgments to which the Judgments Enforcement (Northern Ireland) Order (1981)
applies;
To support the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs in discharging
their ministerial duties in Northern Ireland
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Northern Ireland are in line with the UK and England & Wales.
Skill shortages
The Northern Ireland Court Service has identified management and leadership skills and policy
skills as workforce skills issues which will need developing now and in the future.
Qualifications
Qualifications are broadly in line with that of the UK and England & Wales. Specific training is
delivered to key roles across the UK, and where formally accredited, is in line with the relevant
qualification level in that country.
4.14.11
Scotland
In Scotland, the Scottish Court Service (SCS) is the organisation with responsibility for providing
xxi
administration and support to the courts. It employs 1,400 people. It is an Executive Agency
responsible for administration of the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary and the Sheriff
Courts. SCS is responsible for the administrative staff dealing with the day to day work of the
courts and associated offices. The aim of the Agency is to help secure ready access to justice for
the people of Scotland. To achieve that aim the Agency has the following objectives:
to provide the staff and services required to meet the needs of the Judiciary and court users;
to provide court houses of appropriate size and quality;
to implement and develop the Justice Charter for Scotland and the Scottish Court Service
Statement of Charter Standards;
To secure value for money, and to manage the Agency's resources efficiently, effectively, and
with due regard to value for money.
54
31/03/2010
There are 220 people working to support the Tribunals Service in Scotland.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Scotland are in line with the UK and England & Wales.
Skill shortages
While the Scottish Court Service has headlined the following areas of their workforce which need
developing over the next three years:
Increased partnership working
Leadership and management
Keeping up with legislative change
ICT and soft skills related to communications
Recruitment process
Attracting quality and job ready recruits
Qualifications
Qualifications are broadly in line with that of the UK and England & Wales. Specific training is
delivered to key roles across the UK, and where formally accredited, is in line with the relevant
qualification level in that country.
4.14.12
Wales
In Wales, Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) is the organisation with
providing administration and support to the courts. It is an executive agency
Justice (MoJ) with responsibility for the administration of the civil, family and
England and Wales (including Crown, County and Magistrates’ Courts).
xxii
approximately 1,120 employees across in Wales. Its aim is to:
responsibility for
of the Ministry of
criminal courts in
HMCS employs
bring offenders to justice through efficient and effective partnerships between the courts and
other criminal justice agencies;
put the public at the heart of the service so victims, witnesses and jurors feel confident in the
system;
Work in partnership with the judiciary.
The Tribunal Service has 140 people working to support tribunals in Wales.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Wales are in line with the UK and England.
Skill shortages
The skills shortages in Wales are broadly in
line with that of England.
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Qualifications
Qualifications in Wales are in line with England.
56
31/03/2010
5.0
Forensic Science
5.1
Sector Description
Employment in the Forensic Science Sector has grown at an unprecedented rate over
the last ten years, due largely to advances in technology such as the National DNA
Database, and an increased reliance on forensic techniques by police forces for minor
crimes.
Forensic science organisations aid investigative and criminal justice processes across
the United Kingdom Justice sector. The majority of staff working in the UK Forensic
Science industry work within police forces.
Types of Employing Organisations in Forensic Science strand
Police Forces
Private Sector
38%
62%
Across both police forces and private sector, the forensic science industry employs over
8,947xxiii employees across the UK. The majority of staff work in England (85%).
The private forensic science sector consists of organisations which are either:

Non-departmental government bodies

Commercial providers
The non-department government bodies / executive agencies include the Forensic
Science Service Northern Ireland (FSNI) and the Scottish Police Services Authority
(SPSA) Forensic in Scotland.
The commercial element of the Forensic Science industry has two large service
providers and several smaller organisations. The 2 main commercial organisations,
based within England & Wales are:
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31/03/2010

The Forensic Science Service (sites in England & Wales)

LGC Forensics (sites in England Only)
The smaller commercial providers, whose size spans from 9 to 184 employees in size,
offer a wide variety of services and in some cases specialize in particular areas of
forensic science such as document examination, DNA, or firearms. The areas of forensic
science covered by these organisations can include the following:

Property crime - providing support in the investigation of burglary, fraud,
robbery, fire investigation, theft of vehicles and theft from vehicles offences.

Serious crime - providing support in the investigation of murder, suspicious
death, sexual offences and other serious offences against the person

Drugs - providing intelligence in the investigation of a range of drug-related
offences including supply, possession, importation and exportation, production
and cultivation

Road policing - providing support for drink and drug driving offences and
accident investigation

Organised crime - providing support to police, HM Revenue & Customs and the
National Crime Squad, including investigation of terrorism

International crime - providing support to the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, British Council and overseas law enforcement agencies

Hi-tech crime - providing support in the investigation of computer or electronic
related crime and fraud

Commercial - development and supply of DNA expert systems software,
provision of a range of evidence recovery kits and packaging, plus paternity
testing services
The services offered by either police forces or non-departmental government bodies /
commercial providers include:

Scene Examination

Chemistry

Biology

DNA

Drugs

Fingerprints
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
Specialist Services - toxicology, firearms, documents and handwriting analysis
Compared to the whole economy, those working in Forensic Science are more likely to be:
Female: 59 per cent are female and 41 per cent male in the sector
per cent respectively across the whole economy; and
xxiv
, compared with 54 and 46
Higher number from ethnic groups: 89 per cent are from white ethnic groups, which is higher
that the whole economy (92 per cent) and other Justice sector strands such as Policing & Law
Enforcement (5%) and Custodial Care (6%).
5.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) / Crime Scene Examiners
Police forces employ civilians as Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCOs) who work with police in the
investigation of serious crime. They are sometimes called Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) or
Crime Scene Examiners. They are usually civilians but in some police forces may be police
officers in uniform or plain clothes.
They are among the first to arrive at a crime scene and their job is to retrieve, examine and
investigate physical evidence that may help to trace and convict criminals. They determine from
the crime scene whether assistance from specialists, such as a forensic scientist, is needed.
In some police forces you will start as an assistant scenes of crime officer (or volume crime scene
examiner), and may attend a three-week basic training course at National Police Improvement
Agency, and then take a four-week conversion course to become a SOCO after gaining some
experience. There are opportunities for further study for SOCOs to progress forensic scientist or
management posts.
Assistant Forensic Scientist
While you can become an assistant forensic scientist with at least one A level/Advanced Higher
or two Highers in science subjects, you would need a good honours degree in a relevant subject
in order to become a forensic scientist and progress to senior level.
Once you are in post, you could study on a part-time or distance learning basis for a relevant
degree to work towards being a forensic scientist. The term forensic scientist usually refers to
degree holders only, so progression beyond the role of an assistant forensic scientist is not
possible without a degree or with an HND only.
The largest commercial provider, Forensic Science Service (FSS), has a promotion structure from
assistant forensic scientist to forensic scientist, and then to senior forensic scientist. Apart from
the FSS, most employers in England and Wales are small, with limited opportunities for
promotion.
Trainee Forensic Scientist / Forensic Scientist
Forensic scientists locate, examine and prepare traces of physical evidence for use in
courts of law. They use the principles of59biology, chemistry and Mathematics to obtain
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and analyse evidence from a variety of sources, including blood and other body fluids, hairs,
textile fibres, glass fragments and tyre marks.
As a forensic scientist, the main focus of your work would be looking for evidence to link a
suspect with a crime scene. However, your duties could vary depending on your specialism and
may include some or all of the following:
Blood grouping and DNA profiling
Analysing fluid and tissue samples for traces of drugs and poisons
Identifying, comparing and matching various materials
Examining splash patterns and the distribution of particles
Analysing handwriting, signatures, ink and paper (known as questioned documents)
Providing expert advice on explosives, firearms and ballistics
Researching and developing new technologies
Recovering data from computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment (known as
'electronic casework')
Attending crime scenes, such as a murder or fire
Giving impartial scientific evidence in court (if you have been trained as a 'reporting officer')
Supervising assistant forensic scientists in the lab.
Most forensic scientists enter the sector as trainees and receive on-the-job training from
experienced scientists. This would usually combine in-house courses with practical casework.
Forensic scientist could go on to take further specialist qualifications, for example the Forensic
Science Society diploma course, in an area such as crime scene investigation, document
examination, fire investigation, firearms examination and forensic imaging.
5.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
xxv
Assistant SOCO and Volume Crime Scene examiners start around £16,000
SOCOs earn around £17,000 and £26,000
Senior SOCO earn £26,000 to £30,000
Starting salaries for trainee forensic scientists typically range from £16,000 to £20,000.
With experience Forensic Scientist salaries range from £25,000 - £30,000.
Typical salaries at senior forensic scientist levels: £45,000+
5.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
Entry as an assistant forensic scientist requires A levels/H grades or the equivalent in science
subjects. However, as entry is keen, most have degrees. It is not unusual for graduates to enter
the FSS as assistant forensic scientists.
Trainee forensic scientists are likely to need an Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a biology or
chemistry-related subject. It is important to60check details with potential employers because
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not all science-based subjects provide the right level of knowledge needed for the job. You may
be in competition with candidates with postgraduate qualifications. Whilst there has been a major
increase in the number of forensic science undergraduate degree courses, not all of them provide
the skills and knowledge required to work as a forensic scientist - check details with individual
course providers.
Direct entry as a forensic scientist is with a degree in a mathematical or science subject, or an
equivalent professional qualification. A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is increasingly
desirable as competition is intense. A relevant PhD or MSc, for example in forensic science, can
be an advantage in short listing for interview.
In the Autumn of 2009 Skills for Justice produced a report into the state of Forensic Science
courses within Higher Education. See the following link:
Forensic Science HE Report.
(http://www.skillsforjustice.com/strand.asp?PageID=516)
To work with the Forensic Science Service, you will also need to be a citizen of the UK, EU, EEA
or Commonwealth, and have been resident in the UK for at least three years. See the FSS
website for more details about recruitment.
Potential candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
A persistent approach and enquiring mind;
Capacity to undertake fine, analytical, painstaking work with attention to detail;
A logical, unbiased and methodical approach to problem solving;
Ability to work well in a team, as well as independently;
Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to communicate scientific information to
lay persons.
Good colour vision is required by some labs. A criminal record or history of drink/drug problems
could result in exclusion.
Whilst employment within forensic science has increased dramatically over the last ten years,
entry remains extremely competitive.
Entry requirements for Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) vary between police forces. You may be
accepted with a minimum of three to five GCSEs (A-C) or the equivalent, preferably including
English, Mathematics and a science subject. However, forces often ask for A levels (or equivalent
qualifications) and some will expect you to have a degree in a science-related subject. You
should check with the force in the area where you want to work, see the Could You? Police
website for contact details.
All police forces will carry out a check of your background and employment history. A criminal
record may not always prevent you from being employed in the police service, but you must
declare any convictions. Applicants will need normal colour vision, and will usually need a driving
licence. Applicants would need to show that they have scientific ability, either from qualifications
or experience. Qualifications or experience in photography can also be useful, and may be
essential for some forces. It may be an61advantage when looking for work if you have
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experience of dealing with the public and working in sensitive situations.
5.5
Qualifications
The table below summaries the qualifications need to gain entry into the forensic science sector.
Scenes of Crime Officer
(SOCO)
Assistant
scientist
Trainee
Scientist
Forensic
A levels/H grades or the equivalent in science subjects. However, as
entry is keen, most have degrees
Forensic
Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a biology or chemistry-related
subject. It is important to check details with potential employers
because not all science-based subjects provide the right level of
knowledge needed for the job. You may be in competition with
candidates with postgraduate qualifications
Forensic Scientist
5.6
Entry requirements vary between police forces. You may be accepted
with a minimum of three to five GCSEs (A-C) or the equivalent,
preferably including English, Mathematics and a science subject.
However, forces often ask for A levels (or equivalent qualifications)
and some will expect you to have a degree in a science-related
subject.
Degree in a mathematical or science subject, or an equivalent
professional qualification. A postgraduate qualification is increasingly
desirable as competition is intense. A relevant PhD or MSc, for
example in forensic science, can be an advantage.
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The tight spending awards set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review are likely to
keep growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire
services) at or around 1 per cent per year for the rest of the decade. In the long term government
spending on Public Administration & Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the
economy as a whole. As a result, a very small decline is projected over the period to 2017. These
projections predict that by 2017:
Declines will be the administrative, clerical and secretarial group.
Increases for managers and professional occupations.
Women are expected to continue to slowly increase their share of total employment.
Part-time working is projected to continue to increase. This sector is a popular source of
jobs for women, particularly those looking for62part time employment as conditions are
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favourable to such working arrangements.
Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and
efficiency will be essential to the sector. A key element of the government's strategy to increase
efficiency and to direct more staff to front-line delivery of services is the efficient and effective use
of technology.
In Autumn 2009 the government announced FSS would close three of its main labs with the loss
th
of 700 jobs. See BBC website article : 'Dangers' of a free market in forensic science’ from 8
December 209: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8400097.stm
5.7
Skills shortages
Within the initial recruits, employers have stated that the following skills gaps:
A lack of depth to basic scientific knowledge
Poor basic scientific technique
Poor communication skills
Poor attitudes towards workplace professionalism
Inadequate understanding of the importance of integrity of evidence; and
Poor IT skills
5.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
Skills and knowledge needed by SOCOs include:
Methodical and patient approach
Exceptional attention to detail
Keen observational skills
Ability to record and report information accurately, both in speech and in writing
Team working skills
Ability to remain calm in unpleasant and distressing situations
An understanding of the need for confidentiality
A good level of physical fitness
Ability to use computers and scientific equipment
Once you start work as a SOCO, you may then attend the Initial Crime Scene Investigator
Training Course at the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in County Durham. This is
a residential course and lasts for nine weeks. When you have successfully completed your initial
training you will complete a one- to two-year development programme. Following this on-the-job
training period you will attend a further two-week course, covering skills and techniques in more
detail.
Once you have completed your training (or have five years’ experience as a SOCO) you
can study for the University of Durham Diploma63in Crime Scene Investigation. This is offered by
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NPIA in partnership with the University, and is studied by open learning. During your career as a
SOCO your employer will usually expect you to attend two-week NPIA courses every five years,
to review and refresh your knowledge and skills, and to keep up to date with new developments.
Skills and knowledge needed by Trainee/ Forensic Scientists include:
An enquiring mind
A logical and analytical approach
Patience and concentration
Highly-developed observational and scientific skills
Objectivity and personal integrity
High degree of accuracy and attention to detail
Confidence to justify your findings when challenged
Strong written and spoken communication skills
Ability to work alone and in a team
Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
As a trainee forensic scientist, you would receive on-the-job training from experienced scientists.
This would usually combine in-house courses with practical casework.
If you join the Forensic Science Service (FSS) as a trainee forensic scientist or reporting officer,
your training would take around 18 months and lead to a forensic scientist post.
You could go on to take further specialist qualifications, for example the Forensic Science Society
diploma course, in an area such as crime scene investigation, document examination, fire
investigation, firearms examination and forensic imaging.
5.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
Points of entry into the sector are:
Scenes of Crime Officers
Assistant Forensic Scientist
Trainee Forensic Scientist
Forensic Scientist
Competition is fierce in all points of entry therefore a minimum of an honours degree and in some
cases postgraduate qualifications are needed for entry. Additionally vacancies in the Police and
Forensic Science Service are open only to citizens of the UK, EU, EEA or Commonwealth, and
have been resident in the UK for at least three years.
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5.10
Job Profiles
Forensic
Scientist
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile595/
-
Scenes of Crime Officers
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile1060/
Crime Scene Investigator – Scene of Crime Officer:
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Forensic Computer Analyst:
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
&
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Forensic Psychologist: http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
5.11
Case studies
Senior
Forensic
Scientist
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/forensic_scientist_case_1.jsp
-
Forensic Scientist
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/forensic_scientist_case_2.jsp
Scenes of Crime Officer
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/A%20day%20in%20the%20life%20%20The%20Standard%205.pdf
& http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Digital Evidence Investigator: http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Forensic Computer Analyst: http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Forensic Drug Analyst: http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Trainee Forensic Psychologist: http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
5.12
FAQs
What subjects should I study at school if I want to become a Forensic Scientist?
It is best to study science courses if you want to be a scientist so we recommend that you take
core science courses at school; mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics are all
important. The use of statistics is also crucial in65the understanding and use of forensic science.
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What subject should I study at University if I want to become a Forensic Scientist? There
are many Universities that offer Forensic Science courses and Forensic Science as part of a
wider Science degree. Many of these courses are not accredited by a professional body or Sector
Skills Council. The best courses are those that have been recognised by Skillsmark| (the Justice
sector quality mark we have developed in partnership with Justice sector employers).
Have a look at the Skillsmark| and Forensic Science Society| websites to see what Universities
and courses are accredited by us and the Forensic Science Society. The Royal Society of
Chemistry| also accredits Forensic Science degrees.
Can I get some work experience at a Forensic Science service provider?
Unfortunately due to security implications, work placements and experience is not available at
Forensic Science service providers.
Source of additional information:
Forensic Careers: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/forensic_careers/home
Forensic Science Service - http://www.forensic.gov.uk/
LGC Forensics - http://www.lgc.co.uk/divisions/lgc_forensics.aspx
British Transport Police - http://www.btp.police.uk
National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) - http://www.npia.police.uk
Police serviceRecruitment - http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk
The Forensic Science Society - http://www.forensic-science-society.org.uk/
Skills for Justice (SSC) - http://www.skillsforjustice.com/template01.asp?pageid=589
Home Office - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/
British
Academy
of
Forensic
bin/somsid.cgi?page=index
Sciences
(BAFS)
-
http://www.bafs.org.uk/cgi-
Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) - www.crfp.org.uk/
5.14
Regional Information
xxvi
5.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 5 police forces that employ approximately 360 full time equivalent forensic
staff across five forces:
Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
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31/03/2010
Nottinghamshire
There are no commercial forensic science providers in the East Midlands. Skills shortages and
labour market projections in the region are broadly in line with those nationally.
5.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 6 police forces that employ nearly 500 full time equivalent forensic staff
across six forces:
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Essex
Hertsfordshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
Commercial providers in the area include the Forensic Science Service and Keith Borer
Consultants Ltd. Skills shortages and labour market projections in the region are broadly in line
with those nationally.
5.14.3 London
London has 2 police forces that employ over 1,000 full time equivalent forensic staff across two
forces:
City of London
Metropolitan Police Service
Commercial providers in the region include:
Forensic Science Service
LGC Forensics
Berkeley Security Bureau (Forensic) Ltd
Scientifics Ltd.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in London are broadly in line with those nationally.
5.14.4 North East
The North East has 3 police forces that employ over 200 full time equivalent forensic staff across
three forces:
Cleveland
Durham
Northumbria
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31/03/2010
Commercial providers in the region include:
Forensic Science Service
Keith Borer Consultants Ltd
Scientifics Ltd
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
5.14.5 North West
The North West has 5 police forces that employ nearly 650 full time equivalent forensic science
staff across five forces:
Cheshire
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
Merseyside
Commercial providers in the region include:
Forensic Science Service (3 locations)
LGC Forensics Ltd (2 locations)
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
5.14.6 South East
The South East has 5 police forces that employ over 600 full time equivalent forensic science
staff across five forces:
Hampshire
Kent
Surrey
Sussex
Thames Valley
Commercial providers in the region include:
LGC Forensics Ltd
Orchid Cellmark Ltd
M-Scan Ltd
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31/03/2010
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
5.14.7 South West
The South West has 5 police forces that employ nearly 400 full time equivalent forensic science
staff across five forces:
Avon & Somerset
Devon & Cornwall
Dorset
Gloucestershire
Wiltshire
Commercial providers in the region include:
Mass Spec Analytical Ltd
Scientifics Ltd (3 locations)
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
5.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 4 police forces that employ nearly 400 full time equivalent forensic
science staff across four forces:
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Mercia
Commercial providers in the region include:
Forensic Science Service (4 Locations)
LGC Forensics Ltd
Key Forensic Services Limited
Document Evidence Ltd
Scientifics Ltd
Skills shortages in this region are broadly in line with those nationally.
5.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The Yorkshire & Humberside has 4 police forces that employ nearly 600 full time equivalent
forensic science staff across four forces:
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31/03/2010
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
Humberside
West Yorkshire
Commercial providers in the region include:
Forensic Science Service (2 Locations)
LGC Forensics Ltd
Key Forensic Services Limited
Central Science Laboratory (CSL)
Scientifics Ltd (2 Locations)
The skills shortages and labour market projections in region are broadly in line with of the rest of
England.
5.14.10
Northern Ireland
Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSNI) is an Executive Agency within the Northern
Ireland Office and is the main forensic science employer in Northern Ireland. They offer a
full range of Forensic Science services to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
and to wider customers.
Approximately 225 forensic science staff are employed across Northern Ireland working for either
executive agencies or commercial providers. The number of forensic science staff working within
Police Service Northern Ireland is not known at this time.
Geographical area of
operation
Organisations
Statutory Providers

Northern Ireland

Commercial Providers
Forensic Science Northern
Ireland
Police Service Northern
Ireland (PSNI) Scientific
Support


Eurofins Forensic Science
UK (England & Northern
Ireland)
Randox Laboratories Ltd
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Northern Ireland are in line with the UK and England & Wales.
Skill shortages
The skills shortages in Northern Ireland are broadly in line with those in the UK.
Qualifications
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31/03/2010
The qualifications in Northern Ireland are broadly in line with those in the UK. It is the norm that
those operating in Forensic Science are qualified to degree level or working towards a higher
level qualification. Some entry level positions may not require higher level qualifications but this
varies across the strand and it is best to check with individual forces and service providers.
5.14.11
Scotland
The main employer in Scotland is Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) Forensics is a nondepartmental government body, launched on 1 April 2007, which pulled together forensic and
fingerprint capability and scene examiners, integrating all the forensic science services in
Scotland. SPSA Forensics offers forensic science services from the crime scene to court for
police forces and the Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal.
Approximately 550 forensic science staff are employed across Scotland working for either nondepartmental government bodies or commercial providers. The commercial provider Scientifics
Ltd has offices in both Scotland and England.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Scotland are broadly in line with the UK.
Skill shortages
The skills shortages in Scotland are broadly in line with the UK.
Qualifications
The qualifications in Scotland are broadly in line with those in the UK. It is the norm that those
operating in Forensic Science are qualified to degree level or working towards a higher level
qualification. Some entry level positions may not require higher level qualifications but this varies
across the strand and it is best to check with individual forces and service providers.
5.14.12
Wales
Like England, forensic science services are delivered in Wales by the four police forces (259
forensic science staff) and the commercial provider, Forensic Science Service (173 full time
equivalent staff).
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Forecast and trends in Wales are in line with England.
Skill shortages
Skills shortages in Wales are in line those in England.
Qualifications
The qualifications in Wales are broadly in line with those in the UK. It is the norm that those
operating in Forensic Science are qualified to degree level or working towards a higher level
qualification. Some entry level positions may not require higher level qualifications but this
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31/03/2010
varies across the strand and it is best to check with individual forces and service providers.
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6.0
Custodial Care
6.1
Sector Description
The main functions of the custodial care strand within the United Kingdom Justice sector are:
Holding adult and young prisoners securely;
Reducing the risk of prisoners re-offending;
Providing custody and escort services;
Monitoring offenders in the community (e.g. via electronic tagging)
The majority of prisons in the UK are operated by public sector Prison Services (Her Majesty’s,
Scottish, and Northern Ireland Prison Services), although some of these services contract with
the private sector for the design, build, management and finance of private prisons.
Public sector organisations make up the majority of custodial care employers, employing over
xxvii
86% of the 77,595
strong workforce. England is the home of the majority of the workforce
(84%).
Public vs Private Sector Prison Establishments
Public sector
Private sector
27%
73%
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31/03/2010
Geographical
operation
area
of
Public Sector Organisations
Private Sector Organisations
Global Solutions Ltd
Serco Home Affairs
HM Prison Service
England & Wales
Group 4 Securicor (G4S)
Military Corrective Training
Centre
The Cares Group
Kalyx
Reliance Secure Task Management
Serco Home Affairs
Scotland
Scottish Prison Service
Kalyx
Northern Ireland
Northern
Service
Ireland
Prison
The custodial care strand is similar across the UK, with a concentration of larger organisations.
There are approximately 248 prison establishments across the UK. The different types of prison
establishments include:
Adult male prisons,
Adult female prisons,
High security prisons,
Immigration removal centres
Youth offending institutions and secure training centres.
Some establishments are split sites providing facilities for both women prisoners and young
offenders / juveniles.
Compared to the whole economy, those working in Custodial Care are more likely to be:
Male: 63 per cent are male and 37 per cent female in the sector
cent respectively across the whole economy.
From white ethnic groups: 94 per cent
whole economy (92 per cent)
6.2
xxix
xxviii
, compared with 54 and 46 per
are from white ethnic groups, which is higher that the
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
Prison officer, specialist support staff and operational support staff are three types of
roles available in the custodial setting.
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Prison Officers are called upon to build up and maintain close relationships with those in their
charge. Prison Officers are expected to undertake varied duties and tasks, such as:
Carrying out security checks and searching procedures
Supervising prisoners, keeping account of prisoners in your charge and maintaining order
Employing authorised physical control and restraint procedures where appropriate
Taking care of prisoners and their property, taking account of their rights and dignity.
Providing appropriate care and support for prisoners at risk of self harm
Promoting Anti-Bullying and suicide prevention policies
Taking an active part in rehabilitation programmes for prisoners
Assessing and advising prisoners, using your own experiences and integrity
Writing fair and perceptive reports on prisoners.
With around two years' experience, you could progress to senior prison officer (this is decided by
application, examination and interview). You could then go on to gain promotion through the
governor grades. In the HM Prison Service there is an Intensive Development Scheme for
graduates (NOMS Graduate programme), which offers early progression to senior grades.
Once appointed there are opportunities to move into more specialist roles such as physical
educational instructor or dog handler.
Specialist prison service staff roles include:
Instructional Officers
Health Care roles
Chaplaincy roles
Psychologists and Psychological assistants
Catering
Construction & technical training
ICT
Administration
Physical Education roles.
Many of these staff are required to have a qualification / training in their vocational area before
entering the prison service. There are pathways to enter into junior / trainee roles and progress
upwards to more senior and managerial roles.
Operational support roles include:
Patrolling
Ground staff
Store duties
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Drivers and navigators
Switchboard staff
Canteen staff.
There are pathways to enter into junior / trainee roles and progress upwards to more senior and
managerial roles
6.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
Administrative roles - £10,000 - £20,000
Operational manager roles - £20,000 - £30,000
Nurses - £20,000 - £30,000
Psychologist - £20,000 - £30,000
xxx
Prison Officers salaries in range from £18,135 to £28,136 . Local pay allowances may also
apply, ranging from £4,250 in central London to £1,100 in surrounding areas.
Salaries at higher levels include:
Senior officer, £29,371
Principal officer, £30,926 - £31,913
Manager (G-E), £23,434 - £43,927
Senior manager (D-A), £44,589 - £78,732
6.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
Prison Officer
Entry requirements for Her Majesty’s Prison Service as Prison Officer include.
Must be between 18 and up to 62 years of age.
You must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
If your vision is corrected it must meet Snellen 6/12 or better in each eye.
You must be a British or Commonwealth Citizen, a British Protected Person, an EU national or a
national of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. Some EU family members, who are not
themselves EU members, may also qualify. All candidates must be free from immigration control
and indefinite leave to remain in the UK. For some posts candidates may be required to have
been resident in the UK for 3 years.
You must not be a member of a group or organisation that the Prison Service considers to be
racist.
You will be required to pass a medical examination and a fitness test.
The Prison Service operates a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled people (as defined by
the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) who meet the minimum criteria for appointment.
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You will be subject to a criminal records check
The application process is as follows:
Apply online through the website http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/
If you meet the minimum eligibility requirements then you will be sent an on line Prison Officer
Selection Test (POST). You must complete this test on your own and within 7 days of receiving it.
The POST is in two parts and consists of numerical and language tests, comprising of a number
of work sample exercises. You will not require any prior knowledge of prison work in order to
undertake the self-assessment test. The numerical test will be taken first with the language test
will taken at the next stage (see below).
If successful with the on line numerical POST test stage, you will be invited to attend the
Recruitment Assessment Day (RAD) for the next stage of the selection process. The RAD is
designed to measure a number of different skills and will consist of;
4 role-play simulations, each lasting a maximum of 10 minutes. The role-play simulations are all
non-prison based, however they are similar to situations that prison officers would be expected to
deal with
An interview which will test your motivations for the role
The language POST test (see above)
A medical
A vetting check on paperwork
If you are successful at the RAD then we will start completing the vetting checks on the forms that
you have provided at the RAD centre.
Candidates who successfully pass both the RAD process and the medical will then be offered an
appointment subject to satisfactory completion of pre-appointment checks into health, identity,
nationality and character, including a criminal record check, before any appointment can be
confirmed. On average these checks will take between 6 to 8 weeks to complete.
You may have an advantage if you have experience of working in the police or armed forces, or
as a security officer or probation officer.
Specialist Support Staff
Specialist support staff employed by the prison service vary greatly; from psychologist, health
care to catering and ICT. The best route of entry is to contact Her Majesty’s Prison Service
(http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/) to discuss the opportunities available.
Qualifications and entry requirements may differ for each role.
Operational Support Grades
Basic entry requirements are:
Must be under 65 years of age.
You must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
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You must be a British or Commonwealth Citizen, a British Protected Person, an EU national or a
national of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. Some EU family members, who are not
themselves EU members, may also qualify. All candidates must be free from immigration control
and indefinite leave to remain in the UK. For some posts candidates may be required to have
been resident in the UK for 3 years.
You must not be a member of a group or organisation that the Prison Service considers to be
racist.
You will be subject to a criminal records check
Government policy requires all new appointees to certain posts in the criminal justice system to
declare whether or not they are Freemasons. This policy applies to all Prison Service posts. Any
offer of appointment will therefore be conditional upon you completing a declaration about
whether or not you are a Freemason
As with the specialist support staff roles, operational support grades are many and varied. The
best
route
of
entry
is
to
contact
Her
Majesty’s
Prison
Service
(http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/) to discuss the opportunities available.
Qualifications and entry requirement may differ for each role.
6.5
Qualifications
. Prison Officers need to be occupationally competent to perform assigned duties and establish
reliable and safe working practices. The Prison Service requires staff to demonstrate this by
achieving the Custodial Care NVQ (CCNVQ) Level 3.
All newly recruited prison officers will be required to complete CCNVQ within 12 months of
starting their employment as a prison officer.
6.6
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Prison establishments across the country face a challenge with the introduction of the National
Offender Management System (NOMS) This system was introduced to bridge the gap between
custody and community in terms of the management of offenders, and also to move towards a
model of commissioning of services to provide the highest quality correctional services and
interventions in order to protect the public and reduce re-offending.
xxxi
The prison population has leapt over the past decade to an all-time high with more than 84,000
prisoners behind bars. In a statement to the House on 27 April 2009 the Secretary of State
announced the abandonment of the Titan prison-building programme. Instead, it is proposed that
xxxii
7,500 prison places will be delivered through the building of five 1,500 place prisons.
Any predicted growth in the sector, in terms of more prisons, will have an impact on the
workforce, and this is likely to impact most on private custodial providers.
6.7
Skills shortages
The following skills shortages have been
identified:
Leadership and Management - with specific78reference to skills around managing contracts
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and competitive tendering. Prisons supply a relatively unique service within the geographical
area, but establishments will be involved in putting other services out to tender such as through
care, rehabilitation and resettlement services.
ICT - ICT skills were highlighted as a development area with the introduction of bespoke
packages such as OASys and NOMIS to communicate relevant information on individuals.
Communication skills and case preparation skills are essential as the quality of information
presented needs to be considered not simply proficiency at using programmes.
6.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
The skills and knowledge needed by Prison Officer include:
Ability to create good working relationships with people from all walks of life
An open mind, with the ability to act fairly in disputes
Patience, understanding and a commitment to helping people
Ability to work in a structured environment where rules and discipline apply
Ability to stay calm, assess a situation, and make quick decisions
Ability to cope with pressure
Good team working skills
A firm but fair approach
Ability to exercise authority with prisoners who are abusive and possibly violent.
All newly recruited prison officers undertake an 8-week training course at the beginning of their
appointment and will be required to complete CCNVQ within 12 months of starting their
employment as a prison officer. Once appointed there are opportunities to move into more
specialist roles such as physical educational instructor or dog handler
HM Prison Service previously ran an Intensive Development Scheme (IDS), a graduate and
internal fast track entry scheme to attract future managers. Successful IDS applicants could
expect to reach middle management level within three to three and a half years. This scheme had
been suspended and after a period of consultation, HMPS has launched a new fast track scheme
in Autumn 2009 called NOMS Graduate programme..
In HMPS, recruitment is carried out by individual prisons. Jobs are advertised in Jobcentres, the
local
press
and
through
the
prison
service
website:
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/
Specialist support staff and operational support grades in the prison service vary widely and there
are multiple points of entry, skills and qualifications across the gambit of jobs. By visiting
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/ one can find the variety of support jobs
available in prison service across:
6.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
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Points of entry into the sector are:
Prison Officer
Specialist Prison Service Staff
Operational Support Grades
Prisoner Officer applicants may have an advantage if they have experience of working in the
police or armed forces, or as a security officer or probation officer. Additionally graduates can
enter into a fast track scheme to senior officer / middle management level.
Regardless of whether you enter from outside the Justice sector or another Justice sector related
occupation all entrants into the above roles must go through a standard application process,
followed by on the job training ranging from a few weeks to three years.
Both specialist and operational staff jobs are numerous and varied with many different points of
entry from another sector.
6.10
Job Profiles
Prison Officer
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile175/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/prison_officer_job_description.jsp
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/
Senior Officers / Senior Managers
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile218/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/prison_governor_job_description.jsp
Administration
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/administration/
Managerial
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/managerial/
Psychologist
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/psychologist/
Healthcare
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/healthcare/
Chaplaincy
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/chaplaincy/
Operational Support
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/typeswork/operationalsupport/
6.11
Case studies
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HM Prison Service website, http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/, contains written
cases
studies
of
various
staff.
Also
Trainee
prison
service
manager
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/prison_officer_case_1.jsp
6.12
FAQs
What does being a prison officer involve?
You are responsible for security, making sure prisoners keep to the rules, calming tensions, and
dealing with difficult and challenging behaviour. But there's much more to it than that.
You'll be working to change people: to show them there's a better way of life than the one that led
them to prison. Establishing positive relationships with people like this calls for understanding,
patience and an open mind. As well as showing different sides of your character, you'll do
different types of work. Supervising and taking care of prisoners is part of every Prison Officers'
day, but there's a whole range of other responsibilities you could take on too. However your
career develops, it will always be varied and always offer you opportunities to move forward and
help prisoners improve their lives.
How do I apply to be a prison officer?
If working for the public sector, you can apply on line through the website
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs. If applying to work in the private sector,
check out the vacancy web pages of the various private organisations (see below)
6.13
Source of additional information
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/careersandjobs/ provides information on the types of jobs
available in the Prison Service and current vacancies. As well as outlining what the Prison
Service has to offer, including a detailed list of benefits, the site outlines the minimum eligibility
requirements, the role and duties of a prison officer, the process of becoming a prison officer,
how to apply and current vacancies. It has a handy job alert sign-up to receive notifications when
jobs are advertised.
Skills for Justice (SSC) - http://www.skillsforjustice.com/template01.asp?pageid=589
Prison Officers Association - http://www.poauk.org.uk/
Premier Custodial Group (private sector) - http://www.serco.com/
Reliance Custodial Services (private sector) - http://www.reliancesecurity.co.uk/
The Cares Group (private sector) - http://www.cares.co.uk/
Group 4 Securicor (private sector) - http://www.g4s.com/
UKDS (private sector) - http://www.ukds.info/
Kalyx (private sector) - http://www.kalyxservices.com/
Prison
Officer
Discussion
Board
-
http://prisonofficer.org.uk/
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6.14
Regional Information
6.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 15 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 4,730 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP North Sea Camp (Boston),
HMP Foston Hall (Derby),
HMP Sudbury (Derbyshire),
HMP YOI Glen Parva (Leicester)
HMP Leicester (Leicester)
HMP Morton Hall (Lincoln)
HMP Lincoln (Lincoln)
HMP Gartree (Market Harborough)
HMP Lowdham Grange (Nottingham)
HMP Whatton (Nottingham)
HMP Nottingham (Nottingham)
HMP Ranby (Retford),
HMP Onley (Rugby),
HMP Ashwell (Rutland)
HMP Stocken (Rutland)
HMP Wellingborough (Wellingborough).
In addition there is one private prison, HMP Lowdham Grange (Nottingham) operated by Serco
Home Affairs. Skills shortages and labour market projections in the region are broadly in line with
those nationally.
6.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 13 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 4,440 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Bedford
HMP Blundeston (Lowestoft, Suffolk)
HMP & YOI Bullwood Hall (Hockley, Essex)
HMP & YOI Chelmsford
HMP Edmunds Hill (Suffolk)
HMP Highpoint (Suffolk)
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HMP Hollsley Bay (Suffolk)
HMP Littlehey (Cambridgeshire)
HMP & YOI Norwich
HMP YOI The Mount
HMP YOI Warren Hill (Suffolk)
HMP Wayland (Norfolk)
HMP Whitemoor (Cambridgeshire)
In addition there are 3 privately operated prisons:
Peterborough (Peterborough) - Kalyx
Yarl’s Wood Immigration Detention Centre – Serco Home Affairs
Oakington Immigration Detention Centre (Cambridgeshire) - Global Solutions Ltd
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
6.14.3 London
London has 7 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ approximately
6,040 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Belmarsh
HMP Brixton
HMP & YOI Feltham
HMP & YOI Holloway
HMP Latchmere House
HMP Wandsworth
HMP Wormwood Scrubs
In addition there are 3 privately operated prisons:
Bronzefield - Kalyx
Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre - Kalyx
Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre – Serco Home Affairs
Skills shortages and labour market projections in London are broadly in line with those nationally.
6.14.4 North East
The North East has 8 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 3,490 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Acklington (Morpeth)
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HM YOI Deerbolt (Barnard Castle)
HMP & YOI Castington (Morpeth)
HMP Durham
HMP Frankland (Durham)
HMP Holme House (Stockton-on-Tees)
HMP Kirklevington Grange (Yarm)
HMP & YOI Low Newton (Durham)
Hassockfield STC in County Durham is managed by Secro Home Affairs. Skills shortages and
labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those nationally.
6.14.5 North West
The North West has 14 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 5,920 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Buckley Hall (Rochdale)
HMP Garth (Preston)
HMP & YOI (Forest Bank)
HMP Haverigg (Millom)
HMP Hindley (Wigan)
HMP Kennet
HMP Kirkham (Preston)
HMP Lancaster Castle (Lancaster)
HMP Lancaster Farms (Lancaster)
HMP Liverpool (Liverpool)
HMP Manchester (Manchester)
HMP Preston (Preston)
HMP Risley (Cheshire)
HMP Styal (Cheshire)
HM YOI Thorn Cross (Cheshire)
HMP Wymott (Preston)
In addition there is one privately operated prison, HMP& YOI Altcourse (Liverpool), managed by
Group 4 Securicor. Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in
line with those nationally.
6.15.6 South East
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The South East has 28 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 7,600 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Albany (Isle of Wight)
HMP Arundel (Ford)
HMP & YOI Aylesbury (Aylesbury)
Blantyre House (Goudhurst)
Bullingdon (Bicester)
Grendon (Buckinghamshire)
Canterbury (Canterbury)
Camp Hill (Isle of Wight)
Coldingley (Woking)
HMP & YOI Cookham Wood (Rochester)
HMP & YOI Dover Immigration Removal Centre (Dover)
HMP Downview (Sutton)
HMP East Sutton Park (Maidstone)
HMP Elmley (Sheerness)
HMP Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (Gosport)
HMP Highdown (Sutton)
HMP Huntercombe (Henley-on-Thames)
HMP Kingston (Portsmouth)
HMP Lewes (Lewes)
HMP Maidstone (Maidstone)
HMP Parkhurst (Isle of Wight)
HMP & YOI Rochester (Rochester)
HMP Send (Woking)
HMP Spring Hill (Nr. Aylesbury)
HMP Standford Hill (Sheerness)
HMP Swaleside (Isle of Sheppey)
HMP Winchester (Winchester)
HMP Woodhill (Milton Keynes)
In addition there is one private prison, Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre (Gatwick)
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31/03/2010
operated by Global Solutions, Ltd. Skills shortages in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
6.14.7 South West
The South West has 14 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 3,500 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP Bristol
HMP Channings Wood (Devon)
HMP Dartmoor
HMP Dorchester
HMP Eastwood park
HMP Erlestoke (Wiltshire)
HMP Exeter
HMP Gloucester
HMP & YOI Guys Marsh
HMP Leyhill (Gloucestershire)
HMP & YOI Portland
HMP Shepton Mallet (Somerset)
HMP Verne
In addition there is one private prison, HMP & YOI Ashfield (Bristol) operated by Secro Home
Affairs. Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
6.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 13 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 5,260 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP & YOI Birmingham (Birmingham)
HM YOI Brinsford (Wolverhampton)
HMP & YOI Drake Hall (Eccleshall)
HMP Featherstone (Wolverhampton)
HMP Hewell (Redditch)
HMP Long Lartin (Evesham)
HMP Shrewsbury (Shrewsbury)
HMP Stafford (Stafford)
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HMP Stoke Heath (Shropshire)
HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall (Lichfield)
HMP Werrington (Stoke on Trent)
In addition three are 2 privately operated prisons:
HMP & YOI Rye Hill (Nr Rugby) – Global Solutions Ltd
HMP Dovegate (Uttoxeter) – Secro Home Affairs
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
6.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
Yorkshire & Humberside has 13 prisons operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service which employ
approximately 5,520 full time equivalent staff across the following establishments:
HMP & YOI Askham Grange (York)
HMP Everthorpe (Brough)
HMP Full Sutton (York)
HMP Hull (Hull)
HMP Leeds (Leeds)
HMP Lindholme (Doncaster, split Immigration Removal Centre)
HMP Moorland Closed (Doncaster)
HMP Moorland Open (Doncaster)
HMP & YOI New Hall (Wakefield)
HMP & YOI Northallerton (Northallerton)
HMP Wakefield (Wakefield)
HMP Wealstun (Wetherby)
HMP & YOI Wetherby (Wetherby)
In addition there are two private prisons:
HMP Wolds (Brough) - Global Solutions Ltd,
HMP Doncaster (Doncaster) – Secro Home Affairs
The skills shortages and labour market projections in region are broadly in line with of the rest of
England.
6.14.10
Northern Ireland
The main functions of the custodial care strand in Northern Ireland are:
Holding adult and young prisoners securely;
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31/03/2010
Reducing the risk of prisoners re-offending;
Providing custody and escort services;
Monitoring offenders in the community (e.g. via electronic tagging).
This activity is delivered by the 2,145
prisons:
xxxiii
staff of the Northern Ireland Prison Service across three
Maghaberry - high security prison holding adult males
Magilligan - medium security prison holding adult males ()
Hyde Bank Wood - young offenders centre and prison catering for 17-21 yr olds and female
offenders.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The Northern Ireland Prison Service has introduced two new grades; Prison Custody Officers and
Officer Support Grades. Otherwise, there is not expected to be any real change in skills needs.
New people will join the service as a result of the new grades, which will possibly be
accommodated by natural wastage or voluntary redundancy. There may be a maximum of 200
people entering the new grades. There is no large-scale ‘bulge’ of retirements pending.
The establishment of a Justice Department is not expected to affect the NIPS, other than in terms
of whom they report to. However, the Sentencing Framework Review could potentially have major
skills needs implications, depending upon its eventual outcomes.
Skill shortages
Basic skills gaps are an underlying issue, like literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.
Qualifications
Unlike Scotland, England and Wales, there is at present no formal qualification route either preentry or during probation periods. All staff receive specific and technical training relevant to their
role but this not formally accredited at present nor does it lead to a recognised national
qualification.
6.14.11
Scotland
The main functions of the custodial care strand in Scotland are:
Holding adult and young prisoners securely;
Reducing the risk of prisoners re-offending;
Providing custody and escort services;
Monitoring offenders in the community (e.g. via electronic tagging).
This activity is delivered by the 4,869 staff employed across both the private and public sector. All
of the prisons in Scotland, with the exception of two that are privately run, are operated by the
Scottish Prison Service. A few of the prisons are split site offering both adult and young
offender institution (YOI) facilities. There is one88maximum security prison which also provides
31/03/2010
both a national induction centre facility for those offenders serving sentences of 8 years plus and
a National ‘Top End’ Facility for those offenders requiring lower supervision. The prisons are:
HMP Addiewell – operated by Kalyx
HMP Aberdeen
HMP Barlinnie
HMP Castle Huntley and Noranside (make up HMP Open Estate in Scotland)
HMP & YOI Corton Vale (female and YOI)
HMP Dumfries
HMP Edinburgh
HMP Glenochil
HMP Greenock
HMP Inverness
HMP & YOI Kilmarnock – operated by Serco
HMP & YOI Perth
HMP Peterhead
HM YOI Polmont
HMP Shotts (maximum)
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Employment and labour market trends in Scotland are broadly in line with the UK.
Skill shortages
Headline areas for future workforce development in the Scottish Prison Service include:
Increased partnership working and partnership working skills
Keeping up with legislative change
ICT and soft skills relating to communications
Qualifications
To be a prison officer in Scotland you need five S grades (1-3) including English and Mathematics
(or equivalent), or three years' experience of working with people in education or in the
community for example. Following a successful application, you will attend an assessment day,
including an interview and tests of your verbal reasoning and number skills.
As a new prison officer in Scotland, you will spend a week in your chosen prison followed by six
weeks' training at the Scottish Prison Service College near Falkirk. Within your first two years of
service, you will also be expected to achieve SVQ Level 3 in Custodial Care.
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Entry level requirements and qualifications vary for support roles.
6.14.12
Wales
The majority of prisons within Wales are operated by HM Prison Service (HMPS), although the
Office of Contracted Prisons (within the Home Office) contracts with the private sector for the
design, build, management and finance of private prisons. Privately managed prisons were
introduced in England and Wales in the 1990s. The different types of prison establishments
include:
Adult male prisons
Adult female prisons
High security prisons
Immigration removal centres
Young offender institutions (YOI) and juvenile centres.
Some establishments are split sites providing facilities for both women prisoners and young
offenders / juveniles. In Wales there are a total of 5 prisons, one of which is privately managed,
while the rest are operated by HM Prison Service:
HMP Cardiff
HMP & YOI Park (YOI and managed by Group 4 Securicor)
HM YOI Frescoed
HMP Swansea
HMP Us
Her Majesty’s Prison Service employs 1,230 staff in Wales. The skills shortages in Wales are
broadly in line with that of England.
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts
Employment and labour market trends in Wales are in line with England.
Skill shortages
Skills shortages in Wales are in line those in England.
Qualifications
Qualifications in Wales are broadly in line with England.
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7.0
Community Justice
7.1
Sector Description
The community justice sector can be divided into the following five main areas of activity or career
pathways:
Working with Offending Behaviour
The broad remit of agencies that work with offending behaviour is to protect the public, operate
and enforce court orders and prison licences, and rehabilitate offenders to law abiding and
constructive lives.
This is achieved by preparing reports, supervision and resettlement of offenders, delivering
accredited programmes, and mediating.
Mix of public sector and third sector organisations.
Third sector organisations work in partnerships with statutory agencies to deliver services in both
the custodial environment and the community. The key focus of their services is working with
offenders and young people at risk to help them progress towards employment, further training or
education opportunities.
There are approximately 33,025 people working in this pathway, mostly in England & Wales.
Working with Victims Survivors and Witnesses
Organisations in this pathway, which are mainly third sector, provide support to the victims,
survivors and witnesses of crime in general (Victim Support) or some organisation might
specialise in a particular area of crime such as domestic violence or rape (Rape Crisis UK).
This strand employees approximately 11,500 people of whom the majority work for Victim
Support in England.
One particular area of work within this strand focuses on the victims and survivors of domestic
violence and sexual abuse. It is estimated there are approximately 1,300 working solely in this
area. This is an underestimate of the field though as the nature of the work requires them to
protect the victims/survivors they support meaning many organisations tend not to provide open
access to the details of their locations and those working within them. It is also an occupational
area reliant upon high numbers of volunteers.
Community Safety
Community safety activities aim to reduce offending behaviour, and the harms experienced by
individuals and communities because of crime and disorder, but they also seek to improve
people’s quality of life through efforts to change the wider physical and social environment.
Throughout the UK it has been recognised that crime reduction and community safety cannot be
successfully delivered by the police alone - broadly-based partnerships are vital. To achieve this
partnership working at a local level, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CRDPs) have
been established in England, whilst Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been
established in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There are 374 CDRPs / CSPs covering every91Local Authority (LA) area in England and
31/03/2010
Wales; 32 CSPs in Scotland and 26 CSPs in Northern Ireland.
Key participants in these partnerships are the police, fire and local authorities, primary care trusts
/ NHS health boards and third sector organisations.
CDRPs & CSPs generally employ anywhere from 1 – 5 core staff who coordinate and lead the
partnership’s strategy though partnership working. Assuming the average size is 3 employees in
England, Wales and Scotland, these partnerships employ 1,300 people. Additionally there are
2,054 wardens making a total of approximately 3,350 people working in the community safety
field.
Substance Misuse
Community-based substance misuse organisations (whether statutory or third sector) work to
improve availability, capability and effectiveness of advice, support and treatment for drug
misuse.
Within the context of the Justice Sector, such organisations work specifically with the
Government, Health Service, Police, Probation and Prison Service to improve the availability and
quality of treatment for offenders. The emphasis is on developing integrated care.
Drug action teams (DATs) in England and Substance Misuse Action Teams (SMATs) in Wales
are responsible for ensuring that the national drugs strategy is delivered at a local level. There
are 150 English DATs and 22 Welsh SMATs which take strategic decisions on expenditure and
service delivery within the four aims of the National Drugs Strategy: treatment, young people,
communities and supply.
Their work involves: commissioning services, including supporting structures; monitoring and
reporting on performance; communicating plans, activities and performance to stakeholders.
They ensure that the work of local agencies is brought together effectively and that cross-agency
projects are co-ordinated successfully.
Like most of the Community Justice strand, substance misuse organisations are predominately
small third sector organisations with a handful of larger charities employing approximately 500 or
more staff (Addaction - 800 Employees, Turning Point England & Wales - 2,000 employees, and
Turning Point Scotland - 1,125 employees). Approximately 5,000 people work within this third
sector of substance misuse. We currently do not have accurate figures to reflect those who work
for public sector substance misuse organisations.
Youth Justice
The youth justice strand is similar to Working with Offending Behaviour but instead of focusing on
adult offenders this pathway focuses on young offenders and young people.
The key focus of the services employed by organisations in this pathway is to work with young
people at risk to help them progress towards employment, further training or education
opportunities.
In England and Wales, the Youth Justice system comprises of Youth Offending Teams (YOTs).
There is a YOT in every LA in England and Wales. They are made up of representatives from the
Police, Probation Service, Social Services, Health, Education, Drugs and Alcohol Misuse,
and Housing Officers.
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The YOT identifies the needs of each young offender by assessing them. It identifies the specific
problems that make the young person offend as well as measuring the risk they pose to others.
This enables the YOT to identify suitable programmes to address the needs of the young person
with the intention of preventing further offending.
The YOT workforce has grown significantly and there are over 10,000 staff across England and
Wales who are supported by a Volunteer workforce that may equal that number.
Unlike other areas of the Justice sector, Community Justice contains a mix of:
Large national statutory, or public sector organisations
Large national / UK – wide voluntary, not for profit charitable bodies (more commonly known as
third sector organisations)
Many small third sector organisations (high concentration of these organisations)
The most prevalent employers in this sector are mapped in the table below.
Pathway
Working
with
Offending
Behaviour
Public Sector
Third Sector
National Probation Service (NPS) –
England & Wales
NACRO (England & Wales)
National Offender Management Service
(NOMS) – England & Wales
Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) –
Scotland
Sova (England & Wales)
SACRO (Scotland)
Apex Scotland
NIACRO (Northern Ireland)
Probation Board Northern Ireland (PBNI)
– Northern Ireland
Victim Support (UK wide)
Rape Crisis (England & Wales)
Rape Crisis Scotland
Working
with
Victims,
Survivors
&
Witnesses
Women’s
England
Aid
Federation
of
Welsh Women’s Aid
Scottish Women’s Aid
Northern Ireland
Federation
Women’s
Aid
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Pathway
Public Sector
Third Sector
Crime
Reduction
&
Disorder
Partnerships (CRDPs) – (England)
Crime Concern
Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) –
Wales
Community
Safety
Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) –
Scotland
Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) –
Northern Ireland
Community Safety
Northern Ireland
Substance
Misuse
Unit
(CSU)
–
Drug Action Teams (DATs) - England
Turning Point (GB)
Substance Misuse
(SMATs) – Wales
Addaction (England & Scotland)
Action
Teams
Alcohol & Drug Action Teams (ADATs) –
Scotland
Drug & Alcohol Coordination Teams
(DACTs) – Northern Ireland
Phoenix
Scotland
Futures
(England
&
Compass (England)
Rapt (England)
Prism (Wales)
ASCERT (Northern Ireland)
Youth Justice Board (YJB) – England &
Wales
Youth Offending
England & Wales
Teams
(YOT)
–
Scottish
Children’s
Reporters
Administration (SCRA) - Scotland
Youth Justice
NACRO (England & Wales)
Sova (England & Wales)
YMCA (England & Wales)
SACRO (Scotland)
Apex Scotland
Local
Authority
Social
Services
(Children & Families, Youth Justice and
Criminal Justice Social Services) Scotland
Includem (Scotland)
Youth Justice Agency (primarily their
Community & Youth Conferencing
Services) – Northern Ireland
Include Youth (Northern Ireland)
NCH Scotland
NIACRO (Northern Ireland)
Approximately 70% of the 73,000 strong Community Justice workforce are employed by
the public sector. Local authorities play a role94in hosting or directly employing people in Crime
31/03/2010
and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) / Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs), Youth
Offending Teams (YOTs) and Drug / or Alcohol & Drug Action Teams (DATs). Agencies like the
National Treatment Agency (NTA), Youth Justice Board (YJB), Scottish Government and
Northern Ireland Executive provide direction and advice to these organisations.
There is also a less visible side to the Community Justice workforce in the large number of small
charities and voluntary organisations that provide services to the Justice sector. These small
agencies still remain hard to access therefore they are hard to quantify. Because of this, the
majority of information is restricted to the public sector organisations and larger charities / third
sector agencies.
Compared to the whole economy, those working in Community Justice are more likely to be:
Female: 66 per cent are female and 34 per cent male in the sector, compared with 54 and 46 per
cent respectively across the whole economy. The Courts sector has the highest female workforce
percentages across the Justice sector.
Higher number from ethnic groups: 85 per cent are from white ethnic groups, which is higher
that the whole economy (92 per cent) and other Justice sector strands such as Policing & Law
Enforcement (5%) and Custodial Care (6%).
7.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
Occupations from each pathway of Community Justice are listed below, those in bold indicate
key occupations / emerging jobs.
Pathway
Key Occupations
Probation Services Officer
Trainee Probation Officer
Probation Officer
Supervisor
Working
with
Behaviour
Offending
Psychologist
Senior Practitioner
Treatment Manager
Operational Support Staff
Project Workers
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Pathway
Key Occupations
Managers
Victim Care Officers
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate
Working
with
Victims,
Survivors & Witnesses
Senior practitioners
Counsellor/Therapist
Helpline workers
Volunteers
Community Safety Managers
Community Safety Officers
Community Safety
Neighbourhood Wardens / Community Wardens
Community Safety Team Leader
DAT / SMAT Co-ordinator
Project worker
Substance Misuse
Substance Misuse Worker
Practice nurse
Administrative worker
Youth Workers
YOT Manager
Senior Practitioner
Youth Justice
Practitioner
Administrative Assistants
Volunteers
Working with Offending Behaviour
The key careers available in working with offending behaviour are:
Probation Officer (including trainee and senior posts)
Probation Services Officer
As a probation officer, you would assess the risk an offender may pose to the community, and
how that risk may be limited. You would work with offenders before, during and after they are
sentenced. You would often work in a 'field team', preparing court reports and supervising
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offenders in the community. You could also work in other settings such as prisons or probation
hostels. In this job you would work closely with a range of other agencies such as the police,
social services, substance misuse services and Youth Offending Teams.
At present, to qualify as a probation officer in England or Wales, you must first join a probation
service as a trainee probation officer. However, the recruitment and training process for probation
officers is under review, so this may change once the new process is finalised (expected to be in
2010).
The Probation Qualifications Framework Review was published on 15 September 2009:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/docs/probation-qualification-consultation-response.pdf
You should check with your local probation service
http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page8.asp.
for
the
latest
information
-
Around half of successful applicants to trainee positions have a background in probation-related
work, in jobs such as Probation Service Officer (PSO), community supervisor or hostel worker.
As a qualified probation officer, you will be encouraged to continue your professional and
personal development throughout your career. With experience, you could specialise in areas
such as hostel or prison work, or progress into management.
Unlike probation officers, Probation Service Officers (PSOs) supervise only low risk offenders.
Their duties are to protect the public, promote community safety and prevent crime. Duties vary
depending on where they work, but can include:
providing pre-sentence court and bail information reports
overseeing unpaid community work programmes for offenders
dealing with referrals for things like substance misuse, health or work issues
delivering programmes to help change offenders' behaviour
Providing support to crime victims and their families.
Experienced PSOs can progress to supervisory roles. They can also apply to the probation officer
trainee programme, although internal applicants must still successfully gain the Diploma in
Probation Studies (DipPS).
Working with Victims, Survivors & Witnesses
Key job roles are:
Victim Care Officer
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate
Victim Care Officers contact victims by telephone in order to carry out a needs assessment and
commission a range of services to support the identified needs. Where necessary they will refer
on to other agencies and contact approved service providers to deliver services to victims, in
order to ensure that the identified needs of the victim are met satisfactorily. Victim Care Officers
can progress to Senior Care Officers and Team Leaders.
An Independent Domestic Violence Advocate97(IDVAs) primary role will be to ensure the
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provision of support and advocacy services to all clients who are experiencing domestic violence.
This involves:
Risk assessment and risk management
Safety planning
Attending court with victims
Advising on housing and legal options
Service planning.
They work directly with survivors to provide advice and support to help them make safety plans
and understand the options they have. They also assist in accessing the full range of legal and
non-legal services and resources and engage proactively in multi-agency work to keep
survivors and their children safe. Generally those who have experience in providing advocacy,
advice and support related fields such as welfare or housing are entrants to this occupation as
the skills can be transferable between these fields and domestic violence.
Community Safety
The key careers available in working with offending behaviour are:
Community Safety Manager
Community Safety Officer
Community safety officers are normally based in council offices and typical duties may include:
Attending meetings of community groups – which may be held in the evenings.
Building links and encouraging closer cooperation with people in the community and with other
departments and organisations such as the Probation Service, schools, the police, local health
trusts and the youth service.
Liaise with voluntary groups
tenants’/residents’ associations.
such
as
Neighbourhood
Watch,
Victim
Support
and
Develop new initiatives. For example, the partnership organisations might decide to target
housing estates with higher than average crime rates, and introduce measures.
Work with young people.
A small council might employ two or three community safety officers. In a large council there
might be several teams of officers, each responsible for a number of initiatives. There may be
possibilities to progress to team or service manager roles. There may also be opportunities within
anti-social behaviour or youth offending teams.
Community Safety Managers have a huge variety of tasks – some may deal directly with the
public, others have a much more strategic role. Basically they are the council’s lead officer on
community safety matters, with the expectation that they will provide all necessary management
and guidance on community safety matters as required
Some of the main job activities for this post are
as follows:
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Preparation of strategic documents, Action Plans and consultation bids for external funding
Liaising with external bodies and working closely with the Council's partners
Providing day to day management support for the Community Safety Team
Undertaking financial management of the Council's budgets in relation to the Crime and Disorder
Reduction Partnership.
Substance Misuse
Drug & Alcohol / Substance misuse workers work in a variety of roles, supporting both adults and
young people with drug and alcohol dependency problems. Working in healthcare, social care
and criminal justice teams, they may:
Conduct drug and alcohol tests
Assess the needs of individual clients, referring them to other specialist support or rehabilitation
Provide education, advice and guidance
Deliver one-to-one or group counselling among other support interventions
Administer medication, monitoring and overseeing clients' rehabilitation.
Tasks can vary widely, depending on where they work. However, all share the common goal of
winning clients' trust and giving constructive support.
Many people transfer into this field from other professions including nursing, teaching, youth
work, prison or probation services. Some experienced workers move into management positions,
supervising workers, and some may choose to specialise, for example working with young people
or adults.
Most organisations will give you on-the-job training whether you are volunteering or in paid
employment. It is important to continually develop your skills throughout your career. If you want
to progress in this career, you may have to take higher-level qualifications. You can find details
about professional certification on the Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals (FDAP)
website.
Youth Justice
Youth workers usually work with young people aged between 13 and 19 years (or in some cases,
from 11 to 25 years). The job may involve tasks such as:
Organising enjoyable activities, such as sports, art or drama
Supporting young people to develop ideas and make changes in their lives
Organising outings and breaks to places like outward bound and activity centres
Supporting young people in organising their own activities and projects
Raising awareness about issues such as health and politics
Supporting young people in developing skills such as literacy and numeracy
Working with specific groups such as young
people who are homeless.
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Youth workers are employed by local authorities, the Connexions service, youth offending teams,
voluntary organisations, faith groups and schools.
Youth work skills are in demand, and opportunities are increasing. Newly-qualified youth workers
train on the job with the support of experienced colleagues. Qualified youth workers may move
into managerial posts or specialist work, for example working with young offenders.
7.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
Probation Service Officers - £19,076 to £25,375
Trainee Probation Officers - £17,191 - £18,406
Probation Officers - £26,229 - £34,239
Victim Care Officers - £14,000 - £17,000
Independent Domestic / Sexual Violence Advocate - £19,000 - £25,000
Community Safety Officer - £23,000 - £27,000
Community Safety Manager - £35,000 - £40,000
Substance Misuse Worker – starting £15,000 - £20,000 with experience £21,000 to £28,000,
team leaders and service managers can earn £24,000 - £35,000
Youth Worker - £19,000 for qualified staff rising to £35,000 for senior staff
7.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
Trainee Probation Officer / Probation Officer
Probation service employers value any previous experience of paid or volunteer work with
offenders or other vulnerable groups. Life experience is also highly valued, and many people
enter this profession as a second career.
At present, to qualify as a probation officer in England or Wales, you must first join a probation
service as a trainee probation officer. You need the following qualifications to apply:
if you are under 21 – three GCSEs (A-C) and two A levels, or one GCSE (A-C) and three A levels
over 21 but under 25 – five GCSEs (A-C)
over 25 – you may be accepted without formal qualifications
The selection process includes a written exercise to test your ability to study at degree level, and
you would also need to pass a CRB check.
However, the recruitment and training process for probation officers is under review, so this may
change once the new process is finalised (expected to be in 2010). You should check with your
local probation service for the latest information.
Around half of successful applicants to trainee positions have a background in probation-related
work, in jobs such as Probation Service Officer (PSO), community supervisor or hostel worker.
However, this is not essential if you can show
a good understanding of the issues involved.
Volunteering with services such as local100probation hostels, youth offending services,
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prison visiting or victim support services can give you valuable insight into the work. Visit doit.org.uk or contact your local probation service to find out about local volunteering opportunities.
Probation Service Officer
Entry is usually with at least five GCSEs (A*-C) or equivalent, including English and Mathematics.
Many applicants have A levels, and some have a degree. A probation officer qualification is not
required for the PSO role. Many PSO jobs require some relevant work experience. The Advanced
Apprenticeship in Community Justice or Youth Justice is an alternative route in. Adult entry is
common. Applications should be made through your local probation service http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page8.asp.
Victim Care Officers
In general there are no qualifications are needed for victim care officers but experience is needed
in delivering a service in statutory, voluntary, community or private sector setting and working with
a range of people. Knowledge and understanding in the following is essential:
Relevant local agencies and resources
Importance of confidentiality and safe working practice
Diversity issues and principles
How people can respond to stress and trauma
These
posts
are
advertised
by
charities
such
as
Victim
Support
(http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/vs_england_wales/about_us/jobs/index.php), local authorities,
police forces and other public sector organisations.
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate
Independent Domestic Violence Advocates are employed by both small and large charities e.g.
Survived, Victim Support, or local authorities. Most applicants will be required to have:
Experience of work in providing advocacy, advice and support in a related field such as welfare,
housing or domestic violence,
Extensive experience of planning and delivering caseloads, with strong crisis management skills
Knowledge of criminal justice issues.
NVQ level 4 (or equivalent) and an understanding of the causes and effects of domestic violence.
Driving licence and access to a vehicle essential in certain organisation.
Because of the prevalence of domestic violence effecting women, some advocate posts are for
female applicants only and applicants will be subject to a CRB check.
Community Safety Officer / Manager
Community safety officers have varied backgrounds with no upper age limit for entry to this work.
Entry requirements vary between employers:
Some employers ask for a degree. Degree101subjects
such
as
community
studies,
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community justice, criminology and sociology may be helpful.
Some employers look for experience in a project management role that has involved
communication and negotiation with different departments.
Some local authorities may ask for a degree, or equivalent, and experience in a related area,
such as probation, social or youth work.
Some councils require degree level or equivalent qualifications and experience in related jobs
such as probation, social or youth work. You may also need some knowledge of crime and
disorder legislation.
Community Safety Officer vacancies can be found in the following places:
LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
Local council websites
Local newspapers
It may be possible to become a junior community safety support worker by following the
Advanced Apprenticeship in Community Justice. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. No
particular qualifications are needed for entry.
Community Safety Managers will be expected to be educated to degree standard or with
equivalent experience, they should relish the challenge of leading a team dedicated to making a
difference in the community. Previous experience within a similar role and knowledge of Crime
and Disorder methodologies/ project delivery essential. Community Safety Manager positions will
be advertised in the same place as Officer vacancies
Drug & Alcohol / Substance Misuse Worker
Some job roles may require applicants to have the relevant professional qualifications from a
health, social care or criminal justice setting. Few organisations employ substance misuse
workers under the age of 21. The Advanced Apprenticeship in Community Justice (Drug and
Alcohol Pathway) for those over 18 may be a route in.
Volunteering for an organisation such as a drug, alcohol or housing charity is an excellent way to
build skills and experience, and would help when you come to apply for paid work.
Previous experience in criminal justice, social care, youth work or counselling may give you an
advantage when looking for paid work.
If you have personal experience of addiction or dependency you could also apply for outreach
work, as applications are usually welcome from people who have successfully come through
treatment.
Part-time college courses in substance misuse are available, for instance the NCFE Certificate in
Drug Awareness, which might help you to gain an understanding of some of the issues. Check
with your local college for details.
Most jobs would also need you to pass an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check.
This job involves a lot of travel around the
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community, so a driving licence and access to
31/03/2010
a vehicle could be helpful, although this is not always essential.
You can find contacts for substance misuse organisations in your local telephone directory or by
visiting Talktofrank, where you can search for organisations by postcode or town. For more
information about working in this field, see the websites for the Federation of Drug & Alcohol
Professionals (FDAP), DrugScope and Alcohol Concern.
Youth Worker
To become a professional youth worker, you will need to gain a youth and community work
qualification that is recognised by the National Youth Agency (NYA). Recognised youth work
qualifications can be:
Dip HE (two years full-time, or part-time equivalent, some are employment based)
Foundation Degree (two years full-time, or part time equivalent, most are employment based)
BA Honours degree (three years full-time, or part-time equivalent)
postgraduate certificate, diploma or MA (one year full-time, or part-time equivalent)
As from September 2010, all new professional qualifications in youth work will be at Honours
degree level or higher. Course entry requirements can vary, so you should check with each
university or college. You may be accepted without formal qualifications if you have relevant work
experience and the potential to succeed on the course.
It is important for you to get experience of working with young people. This can be paid or
voluntary. You will often need at least one or two years' experience to apply for professional youth
work courses and jobs. You can contact your local youth service or volunteer agencies to arrange
voluntary or part-time sessional work.
You could also start as a part-time or volunteer youth support worker (assistant) without any
qualifications. You could then take work-based qualifications in youth support work, and go on to
complete professional training part-time, or by distance-learning.
See the NYA website for a list of recognised professional courses and information on youth
support worker qualifications. When you apply to work with young people, you must also pass a
CRB check.
Most opportunities for youth workers are with local authority youth services and the Connexions
Service. You could also work for youth offending teams, government-funded projects, faith
groups, community groups and voluntary organisations. Jobs are advertised in the local and
national press, specialist recruitment agencies and local authority websites.
7.5
Qualifications
The table below summarises the qualification gained upon entry into the various pathways of the
Community Justice strand. It is important to note that some of these qualifications can only be
undertaken once a person is recruited into the organisation.
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Entry is usually with at least five GCSEs (A*-C) or equivalent,
including English and Mathematics. Many applicants have A levels,
and some have a degree.
Probation Service Officer
The Advanced Apprenticeship in Community Justice or Youth Justice
is an alternative route in.
At present, to qualify as a probation officer in England or Wales, you
must first join a probation service as a trainee probation officer which
need the following qualifications:
if you are under 21 – three GCSEs (A-C) and two A levels, or one
GCSE (A-C) and three A levels
over 21 but under 25 – five GCSEs (A-C)
over 25 – you may be accepted without formal qualifications.
Trainee
Officer
Probation
As a trainee probation officer in England or Wales you will study for
the Diploma in Probation Studies (DipPS) through your regional
training consortium. The DipPS is a two-year programme, which
includes on-the-job training and study towards both of the following
qualifications:
NVQ Level 4 in Community Justice
a degree in Community Justice (Probation Studies).
However, the training process for probation officers is under review,
and a revised qualification should replace the DipPS in 2010.
Must be qualified by completing the Diploma in Probation
Probation Officer
Studies (DipPS) which includes completing the NVQ Level 4 in
Community Justice and a degree in Community Justice (Probation
Studies). [This can only be completed through entry as a trainee
probation officer]
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Independent
Violence
(DVA)
Community
Officer
Domestic
Advocate
Safety
An NVQ Level 4 equivalent, counselling diploma is preferred by some
employers as well as the completion of Co-ordination Action Against
Domestic Abuse (CAADA) Advocate training
Some employers ask for a degree. Degree subjects such as
community studies, community justice, criminology and sociology may
be helpful
You may have an advantage for some jobs if you have professional
qualifications. The exact requirements will depend on the role you are
interested in, but relevant qualifications may include:
Drug
&
Substance
Worker
Alcohol
/
Misuse
Diploma in counselling
Degree or diploma social work
Degree or diploma in nursing
Teaching qualifications (PGCE, Cert Ed or adult teaching certificate).
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Youth workers need to have one of the following qualifications
recognised by National Youth Agency (NYA):
Dip HE (two years full-time, or part-time equivalent, some are
employment based)
Youth Worker
Foundation Degree (two years full-time, or part time equivalent, most
are employment based)
BA Honours degree (three years full-time, or part-time equivalent)
Postgraduate certificate, diploma or MA (one year full-time, or parttime equivalent)
As from September 2010, all new professional qualifications in youth
work will be at Honours degree level or higher.
7.6
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The tight spending awards set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review are likely to
keep growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire
services) at or around 1 per cent per year for the rest of the decade. In the long term government
spending on Public Administration & Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the
economy as a whole. As a result, a very small decline is projected over the period to 2017. These
projections predict that by 2017:
Declines will be the administrative, clerical and secretarial group.
Increases for managers and professional occupations.
Women are expected to continue to slowly increase their share of total employment.
Part-time working is projected to continue to increase. This sector is a popular source of jobs for
women, particularly those looking for part time employment as conditions are favourable to such
working arrangements.
Pressures to restrain government expenditure and cut costs mean increased productivity and
efficiency will be essential to the sector.
The issue of offender learning is also increasing its impact on the Community Justice strand.
Whilst initiatives under the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) do not directly affect
employees in the sector, the key aim of OLASS has a clear impact on staff employed across
Community Justice: "that offenders, in prisons and supervised in the community, according to
need, should have access to learning and skills, which enables them to gain the skills and
qualifications they need to hold down a job
and have a positive role in society”. The ability
of employees in the Community Justice strand106to signpost and assist offenders is an area for
31/03/2010
consideration.
7.7
Skills shortages
Multi agency working - This is a key skill for employees of the agencies in this sector strand.
Information sharing - Information sharing has specific relation in the Community Justice pathways
due to the nature of the Justice cycle. Community services will deal with offenders on release
from a custodial sentence and will need to have the best information on their offence and any
issues arising from the period of their sentence. Quality information is key to accurate risk
assessment in all aspects of community justice and is therefore an important area for work.
ICT - The issue of information sharing also relates to ICT provision. There is currently an initial
assessment of ICT and other Skills for Life on entry to the Probation service as part of the entry
programme for Probation officers but it is unclear as to what other provision or assessment of ICT
skills is undertaken for others entering the service.
Leadership and Management – Due to the emphasis on commissioning services there is a
heightened focus on the key management skills of change, procurement, contracting, and
tendering.
7.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
The below table illustrates the skills and knowledge an applicant will need for the following key
community justice occupations.
Key Jobs
What skills and knowledge will I need?
Unbiased in their judgment of offenders
Accurate in the recording of information
Probation
Officer
Service
Communicate effectively with all people, from offenders to court
personnel
Good at writing reports and presenting information
Literate and numerate
Interested in supporting people to realise the effect of crime.
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Key Jobs
What skills and knowledge will I need?
Ability to relate to a wide range of people
Confident spoken communication skills
A fair, objective and non-judgmental approach
a mature and responsible attitude
Trainee
Officer
Officer
/
Probation
Probation
Ability to gain people's trust and confidence
Ability to cope with stressful situations
Report writing skills
Good organisational skills, with the ability to plan your own workload
Ability to work well as part of team and also on your own initiative
Problem-solving ability
Motivation and commitment
Communicate effectively verbally and in writing
Have excellent telephone skills
Maintain a strong customer focus
Victim Care Officer
Demonstrate empathy and control own emotions.
Good knowledge of how people can respond to stress and trauma
Understand the importance of confidentiality
Multi-agency working skills with a range of statutory and voluntary
organisations.
Good interpersonal and communication skills.
Independent Domestic
Violence
Advocate
(DVA)
A commitment to equal opportunities
Ability to work in partnership with criminal justice system agencies and
relevant statutory and voluntary groups.
Counselling skills
A good working knowledge and experience of relevant legislation in
providing effective domestic violence support.
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Key Jobs
What skills and knowledge will I need?
Excellent communicator
Good written skills for report writing,
Be diplomatic,
Be enthusiastic,
Community
Officer
Safety
Be good negotiators,
Be able to motivate other people,
Be resilient – able to cope if they feel that some people are being
uncooperative,
Good organisational and project management skills.
Empathy and a calm, caring approach
An understanding of substance misuse issues and their impact on
people
Drug & Alcohol /
Substance
Misuse
Worker
Non-judgmental attitude
Ability to build trusting relationships
Ability to work on your own initiative and as part of a team
Excellent communication and listening skills
Ability to work closely with a range of different organisations
Respect for confidentiality
Ability to build good relationships and earn trust and respect
Excellent communication and listening skills
Ability to relate to people from all backgrounds
Tact and sensitivity
Patience and resilience
Youth Worker
Non-judgmental attitude
Initiative, enthusiasm and motivation
Good organisational skills
Commitment to equal opportunities
Interest or skills in areas that may interest young people, such as
sports or the arts.
109
31/03/2010
7.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
Points of entry into the sector are:
Trainee Probation Officer
Probation Service Officer
Victim Care Officer
Community Safety Officer
Drug & Alcohol / Substance Misuse Worker
Youth Worker
Experience in service delivery is an essential element entrants into the Community Justice sector
need to demonstrate. There is much cross over from hostel / housing, welfare, advocacy, youth
services, community services, victim services, custodial setting and law enforcement into the
Community Justice sector.
Volunteering with services such as local probation hostels, youth offending services, prison
visiting or victim support services can give you valuable insight into the work of a Probation
Service Officer, helping you gain an advantage to entry.
Around half of successful applicants to trainee probation positions have a background in
probation-related work, in jobs such as Probation Service Officer (PSO), community supervisor or
hostel worker. A Visit do-it.org.uk or contact your local probation service to find out about local
volunteering opportunities.
In general there are no qualifications are needed for victim care officers but experience is needed
in delivering a service in statutory, voluntary, community or private sector setting and working with
a range of people. Many victim care officers, start as out volunteers within Victim Support and
progress into paid employment as victim care officers.
Most councils require degree level or equivalent qualifications for Community Safety Officers
alongside experience in related jobs such as probation, social or youth work. Additionally
applicants may also need some knowledge of crime and disorder legislation which comes along
from volunteering / working within other strands of the Justice sector. Some police forces run
Community Safety Accreditation Schemes for non-judicial staff. The aim is to develop closer
working partnerships, enhancing community safety and tackling anti-social behaviour as a team.
Accreditations are issued by chief constables. Accredited Persons (APs) can be identified by a
nationally standardised badge, which they must wear at all times.
Alcohol & Drug / Substance Misuse Worker, volunteering for an organisation such as a drug,
alcohol or housing charity is an excellent way to build skills and experience, and would help when
you come to apply for paid work. Previous experience in criminal justice, social care, youth work
or counselling is advantageous. Drug charities strongly recommend that you check that any
academic training includes work-based placements to gain practical experience in this field.
It is important for Youth Worker applicants to
get experience of working with young people.
110
This can be paid or voluntary. You will often
need at least one or two years' experience to
31/03/2010
apply for professional youth work courses and jobs. You can contact your local youth service or
volunteer agencies to arrange voluntary or part-time sessional work.
Additionally most community justice posts will require applicants to pass Criminal Records
Bureau check.
7.10
Job Profiles
Probation Services Officer
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4U/index.cfm?pid=63&catalogueContentID=2168
Trainee Probation Officer / Probation Officer
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile295/
Victim Care Officers
http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/vs_england_wales/about_us/jobs/j2009_03_23.php
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate
http://www.caada.org.uk/cat_training.htm
Community Safety Officer
http://www.lgcareers.com/career-descriptions/protecting-your-community/community-safetyofficer/
http://www.connexions-direct.com/JOBS4U/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=748
Drug & Alcohol / Substance Misuse Worker
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile1454/
http://www.connexions-direct.com/JOBS4U/index.cfm?pid=63&catalogueContentID=2169
Youth Worker
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile300/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/youth_worker_job_description.jsp
7.11
Case studies
Probation Officer
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/probation_officer_case_1.jsp
http://www.eeptdc.co.uk/working/troy.htm
http://www.eeptdc.co.uk/tpo/testimonials.htm
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/Case%20study%20-%20Michelle%20Young(1).pdf
Victim Care Officer
111
31/03/2010
http://lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/Cambridgeshire/1739.html
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/Day%20in%20the%20life%20%20The%20Standard%206.pdf
Community Safety Officer
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/JOBS4U/index.cfm?pid=65&catalogueContentID=1057&parent=748
Drug & Alcohol / Substance Misuse Worker
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_job_sectors/Social_care/case_s
tudies/p!emkpib
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/JOBS4U/index.cfm?pid=86&catalogueContentID=2482&parent=2169
Youth Worker
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/youth_worker_case_1.jsp
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/youth_worker_case_2.jsp
http://lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/Cambridgeshire/1424.html
Community Justice Panel Volunteer
A day in the life... of a Community Justice Panel Volunteer
7.12
FAQs
Who needs a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Check?
If you’re applying for a job or voluntary position that involves working with young people or
vulnerable adults then you could be asked to apply for a CRB check. Note: If you are unsure why
you need to be CRB checked ask the person who asked you to apply to explain. A full list of the
professions, offices, employments, work and occupations that can be CRB checked can be found
at www.crb.gov.uk/dip in the ‘Disclosure Access Category codes’.
Why is volunteering important?
Volunteering is an excellent way to gain relevant experience, make contacts and eventually find
paid work. It not only gives the employer a chance to see your skills and motivation, but it allows
you to decide whether this is the career for you.
What is the new recruitment process for trainee probation officer?
The recruitment and training process for
probation officers is under review, so this may
change once the new process is finalised112(expected to be in 2010)You should check with
31/03/2010
your local probation service for the latest information.
When do they recruit for trainee probation officers?
Trainee probation officer jobs have traditionally been advertised in the local press in March each
year. However, some probation areas may not recruit every year. You should always check with
your local probation consortium for the latest recruitment information
7.13
Source of additional information
Skills for Justice (SSC) - http://www.skillsforjustice.com/template01.asp?pageid=589
National Probation Service - http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp
Drug Scope - http://www.drugscope.org.uk
Alcohol Concern - http://www.alcoholconcern.
Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals http://www.fdap.org.uk
LG Jobs - http://www.lgjobs.com/
NHS Jobs - http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/
Jobs 4 Youth Work - http://www.jobs4youthwork.co.uk/
Youth Justice Board - http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en-gb/
Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse - http://www.caada.org.uk/cat_training.htm
Victim Support England & Wales - http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/vs_england_wales/index.php
National
Community
Safety
www.communitysafetyjobs.co.uk
Network
(NCSN)
www.community-safety.net
and
Clinks - supporting voluntary organisations that work with offenders and
their families: http://www.clinks.org/index.aspx
7.14
Regional Information
xxxiv
7.14.1 East Midlands
The types of employers and number of establishments in the East Midlands Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Pathway
Number
establishments
of
Details
113
31/03/2010
9
Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire,
Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire, Rutland
Probation
5
Derbyshire,
Leicestershire
&
Rutland,
Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire
Youth
Teams
8
Derby
City,
Derbyshire,
Leicester
City,
Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire,
Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire
Drug
Teams
Action
Offending
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
7.14.2 East of England
The types of employers and number of establishments in the East of England Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Pathway
Number
establishments
Drug
Teams
Action
Probation
Youth
Teams
Offending
of
Details
10
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire,
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend, Thurrock &
Dagenham, Peterborough, Luton
6
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire,
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex
10
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire,
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend, Thurrock &
Dagenham, Peterborough, Luton
Cambridgeshire,
Skills shortages and labour market projections in the region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
7.14.3 London
The types of employers and number of establishments in London Community Justice sector is
illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Number
establishments
of
Details
114
31/03/2010
Strand
Number
establishments
Drug
Teams
Action
of
Details
Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,
Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon,
Ealing,
Enfield,
Greenwich,
Hackney,
Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow,
Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow,, Islington,
Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,
33
Lambeth,
Lewisham,
Merton,
Newham,
Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark,
Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest,
Wandsworth, and Westminster.
Probation
Youth
Teams
London Probation
boroughs
1
Offending
covers
the
33
London
Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,
Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield,
Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham,
Haringey,
Harrow,
Havering,
Hillingdon,
Hounslow,, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea,
Kingston upon Thames,
32
Lambeth,
Lewisham,
Merton,
Newham,
Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark,
Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest,
Wandsworth, and Westminster.
Skills shortages and labour market projections in London are broadly in line with those nationally.
7.14.4 North East
The types of employers and number of establishments in the North East Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Drug
Teams
Number
establishments
Action
12
of
Details
Darlington,
Durham,
Gateshead,
Hartlepool,
Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North
Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland,
South Tyneside, Stockton, Sunderland
115
31/03/2010
Probation
Youth Offending
Teams
4
Durham, Humberside, Northumbria, Teesside
11
Darlington,
Durham,
Gateshead,
Hartlepool,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
North
Tyneside,
Northumberland, South Tees, South Tyneside,
Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
7.14.5 North West
The types of employers and number of establishments in the North West Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Drug
Teams
Number
establishments
Action
of
Details
Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury
Cheshire, Cumbria, Halton, Knowsley, Lancashire,
Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham
22
Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St. Helens, Stockport,
Tameside, Trafford, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral
Probation
Cumbria,
Cheshire,
Lancashire, Merseyside
5
Greater
Manchester,
Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Cheshire
Youth Offending
Teams
Cumbria, Halton/Warrington, Knowsley, Lancashire,
Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham
15
Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St Helens, Stockport
Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Wirral
Skills shortages in this region are broadly in line with those nationally.
7.15.6 South East
The types of employers and number of establishments in the South East Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Number
establishments
of
Details
116
31/03/2010
Drug
Teams
Action
Probation
Youth
Teams
Offending
19
Bracknell
Forest,
Brighton
and
Hove,
Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle
of Wight, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes,
Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough,
Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West
Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
5
Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley
15
Bracknell
Forest,
Brighton
&
Hove,
Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, Medway,
Milton
Keynes, Oxfordshire, Reading
&
Wokingham, Slough, Surrey, Wessex, West
Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor & Maidenhead
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
7.14.7 South West
The types of employers and number of establishments in the South West Community Justice
sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Drug
Teams
Number
Establishments
Action
Probation
Youth Offending
Teams
of
Details
15
Bath and NE Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol,
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset,
Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Plymouth, Poole,
Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon,
Torbay, Wiltshire
5
Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset,
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire
14
Bath and NE Somerset, Bournemouth and Poole,
Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon,
Dorset,
Gloucestershire,
North
Somerset,
Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire,
Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
7.14.8 West Midlands
The types of employers and number of117establishments
in
the
West
Midlands
31/03/2010
Community Justice sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Number
establishments
Drug
Teams
Action
Probation
Youth
Teams
Offending
of
Details
14
Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire,
Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire,
Stoke on Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall,
Warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire
4
Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia, West
Midlands
12
Birmingham, Coventry,
Dudley,
Sandwell,
Shropshire
&
Telford/Wrekin,
Solihull,
Staffordshire,
Stoke
on
Trent,
Walsall,
Warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire &
Herefordshire
Skills shortages and labour market projections in this region are broadly in line with those
nationally.
6.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The types of employers and number of establishments in the Yorkshire & Humberside
Community Justice sector is illustrated in the below table.
Strand
Number
establishments
of
Details
Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, East
Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull
Drug
Teams
Action
15
Kirklees, Leeds, North East Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Rotherham
Sheffield, Wakefield, York
Probation
Youth Offending
Teams
3
Yorkshire North, Yorkshire South, Yorkshire West
15
Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, East
Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North
East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North
Yorkshire, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield, York
The skills shortages and labour market projections in region are broadly in line with of the rest of
England.
118
31/03/2010
7.14.10
Northern Ireland
The community justice sector can be divided by way of its work into the following five main areas
of activity or career pathways:
Working with Offending Behaviour
The broad remit of agencies that work with offending behaviour is to protect the public, operate
and enforce court orders and prison licences, and rehabilitate offenders to law abiding and
constructive lives.
There are approximately 1019 people working in this pathway
Working with Victims Survivors and Witnesses
Organisations in this pathway, which are mainly third sector, provide support to the victims,
survivors and witnesses of crime in general (Victim Support) or some organisation might
specialise in a particular area of crime such as domestic violence or rape (Rape Crisis UK).
Community Safety
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been established in Northern Ireland alongside the
Community Safety Unit.
There are 26 CSPs covering every Local Authority (LA) area in Northern Ireland.
CSPs generally employ anywhere from 1 – 5 core staff who coordinate and lead the partnership’s
strategy though partnership working. Assuming the average size is 3 employees these
partnerships employ approximately 80 people.
Substance Misuse
Drug and Alcohol Co-ordination Teams (DACTs) are multi agency, cross-sectoral partnerships
set up to implement the NI Drug Strategy at a local level. There are currently four DACTs in
Northern Ireland.
Like most of the Community Justice strand, substance misuse organisations are predominately
small third sector organisations with a handful of larger charities employing approximately 500 or
more staff. We currently do not have accurate figures to reflect those who work for public sector
substance misuse organisations.
Youth Justice
The Youth Justice Agency for Northern Ireland (YJA) oversees the Youth Justice system in
Northern Ireland. The YJA delivers a range of services, often in partnership with others, to help
children address their offending behaviour, divert them from crime, assist their integration into the
community, and to meet the needs of victims of crime.
There are 423 people delivering youth justice services in Northern Ireland.
The most prevalent employers in Community
Justice in Northern Ireland are mapped below.
119
31/03/2010
Pathway
Working with
Behaviour
Offending
Public Sector
Third Sector
Probation Board Northern
Ireland (PBNI)
NIACRO
Extern
Victim Support (UK wide)
Working
with
Victims,
Survivors & Witnesses
Northern Ireland
Federation
Community
Partnerships (CSP)
Safety
Women’s
Aid
Crime Concern
Community Safety
Community
(CSU)
Safety
Unit
Substance Misuse
Drug & Alcohol Coordination
Teams (DACTs)
ASCERT
NIACRO Include Youth
Youth Justice
Youth
Justice
Agency
(primarily their Community &
Youth
Conferencing
Services)
Qualifications
Most qualifications needed in the Community Justice sector in Northern Ireland are broadly in line
with England and Wales with the exception of the qualifications needed to be a probation officer
in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland you must be a qualified social worker. Contact the
Probation Board for Northern Ireland for more information.
Skills Shortages
Some key skill shortages in the Community Justice workforce in Northern Ireland include:
Risk assessment and management
Challenges of working in partnership and in competition
Working with high risk offenders
Team leading in youth justice
Multi agency working with reference to young people
Competitive bidding
Employment and labour market forecasts
Employment and labour market trends and
forecasts for Northern Ireland are broadly in
line with the UK.
120
31/03/2010
7.14.11
Scotland
The community justice sector can be divided by way of its work into the following five main areas
of activity or career pathways:
Working with Offending Behaviour
The broad remit of agencies that work with offending behaviour is to protect the public, operate
and enforce court orders and prison licences, and rehabilitate offenders to law abiding and
constructive lives.
There are approximately 2,588 people working in this pathway
Working with Victims Survivors and Witnesses
Organisations in this pathway, which are mainly third sector, provide support to the victims,
survivors and witnesses of crime in general (Victim Support) or some organisation might
specialise in a particular area of crime such as domestic violence or rape (Rape Crisis UK).
Community Safety
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been established in Scotland. There are 26 CSPs
covering every Local Government Area (LGA) area.
Key participants in these partnerships are the police, fire and local authorities, primary care trusts
/ NHS health boards and third sector organisations.
CSPs generally employ anywhere from 1 – 5 core staff who coordinate and lead the partnership’s
strategy though partnership working. Assuming the average size is 3 employees these
partnerships employ approximately 78 people.
Substance Misuse
Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs) are multi agency, cross-sectoral partnerships set up to
implement national drug strategy. There are currently 22 ADATs in Scotland.
Like most of the Community Justice strand, substance misuse organisations are predominately
small third sector organisations with a handful of larger charities employing approximately 500 or
more staff. We currently do not have accurate figures to reflect those who work for public sector
substance misuse organisations.
Youth Justice
When a young person offends, they may be referred to the Youth Justice Reporter, unless the
offence is particularly serious, in which case they may be referred to the procurator fiscal and
dealt with under the adult justice system. The Youth Justice Reporter is an official within the
Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA). The SCRA is a national body focused on
children most at risk.
On referral to him/her, the Youth Justice Reporter may decide to take no further action, refer the
case to Sacro’s Youth Justice Service; refer the case for ‘voluntary measures; this means that the
young offender will be referred to the local authority to work voluntarily; call a Children’s Hearing
If the Youth Justice Reporter decides to call a
Children’s Hearing, it will be in order to decide
whether ‘compulsory measures’ (as opposed121to the voluntary measures) are required.
31/03/2010
If it is decided that compulsory guidance or support is necessary then a supervision requirement
will be made. A supervision requirement requires the local authority, primarily through its youth
justice team or criminal justice social services, to work with the young offender and their family
and can involve a number of different options.
There are 822 people delivering youth justice services in Scotland
The most prevalent employers in Community Justice in Scotland are mapped below.
Pathway
Working with
Behaviour
Offending
Public Sector
Third Sector
Criminal Justice Social Work
(CJSW)
SACRO
Apex Scotland
Victim Support (UK wide)
Working
with
Victims,
Survivors & Witnesses
Rape Crisis Scotland
Scottish Women’s Aid
Community Safety
Community
Partnerships (CSP)
Safety
Crime Concern
Alcohol & Drug
Teams (ADATs)
Action
Turning Point (GB)
Substance Misuse
Addaction (England & Scotland)
Phoenix
Scotland
Scottish
Reporters
(SCRA)
Youth Justice
Children’s
Administration
Local
Authority
Social
Services
(Children
&
Families, Youth Justice and
Criminal
Justice
Social
Services)
Futures
(England
&
SACRO
Apex Scotland
Includem
NCH Scotland
Qualifications
Most qualifications needed in the community justice sector in Scotland are broadly in line with the
UK except for Criminal Justice Social Workers. In Scotland, the minimum qualification for social
work (including criminal justice social worker) has been raised to a four-year honours degree
course, replacing the old Diploma in Social Work.
Skills Shortages
122
31/03/2010
Skills shortages in Scotland for Community Justice include:
Keeping up with policy and legislative change
Partnership working skills
Financial management – securing funding
ICT skills
Attracting appropriately skilled staff
Employment and Labour Market Trends
Employment labour market trends and forecasts are also broadly in line with the UK.
7.14.12
Wales
The community justice sector can be divided by way of its work into the following five main areas
of activity or career pathways:
Working with Offending Behaviour
The broad remit of agencies that work with offending behaviour is to protect the public, operate
and enforce court orders and prison licences, and rehabilitate offenders to law abiding and
constructive lives.
There are approximately 1,450 people working in this pathway in Wales
Working with Victims Survivors and Witnesses
Organisations in this pathway, which are mainly third sector, provide support to the victims,
survivors and witnesses of crime in general (Victim Support) or some organisation might
specialise in a particular area of crime such as domestic violence or rape (Rape Crisis UK).
This strand employs approximately 8,705 people across the UK of whom the majority work for
Victim Support in England.
Community Safety
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) have been established in Wales.
There are 22 CSPs covering every Local Authority (LA) area in Wales.
CSPs generally employ anywhere from 1 – 5 core staff who coordinate and lead the partnership’s
strategy though partnership working. Assuming the average size is 3 employees, these
partnerships employ 66 people.
Substance Misuse
Substance Misuse Action Teams (SMATs) in Wales are responsible for ensuring that the national
drugs strategy is delivered at a local level. There are 22 Welsh SMATs which take strategic
decisions on expenditure and service delivery within the four aims of the National Drugs Strategy:
treatment, young people, communities and
supply.
123
Like most of the Community Justice strand,
substance
misuse
organisations
are
31/03/2010
predominately small third sector organisations with a handful of larger charities employing
approximately 500 or more staff (Addaction England & Wales – 800 employees Turning Point
England & Wales - 2,000 employees). Approximately 5,000 people work within the UK third
sector of substance misuse. We currently do not have accurate figures to reflect those who work
for public sector substance misuse organisations.
Youth Justice
In Wales, the Youth Justice system comprises of Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). There is a YOT
in every LA in Wales. They are made up of representatives from the Police, Probation Service,
Social Services, Health, Education, Drugs and Alcohol Misuse, and Housing Officers.
The YOT workforce has grown significantly and there are over 10,000 staff across England and
Wales who are supported by a Volunteer workforce that may equal that number. Data Source
unknown.
The most prevalent employers in Community Justice in Wales are mapped in the below.
Pathway
Working with Offending
Behaviour
Public Sector
Third Sector
National Probation Service (NPS) –
England & Wales
NACRO (England & Wales)
Sova (England & Wales)
National Offender Management
Service (NOMS) – England &
Wales
Victim Support (UK wide)
Working with Victims,
Survivors & Witnesses
Rape Crisis (England & Wales)
Welsh Women’s Aid
Community Safety
Substance Misuse
Community Safety
(CSP) – Wales
Partnerships
Substance Misuse Action Teams
(SMATs) – Wales
Crime Concern
Turning Point (GB)
Addaction (England & Wales)
Prism (Wales)
Youth Justice Board
England & Wales
(YJB)
–
Youth Justice
Youth Offending Teams (YOT) –
England & Wales
NACRO (England & Wales)
Sova (England & Wales)
YMCA (England & Wales)
124
31/03/2010
Employment and labour market trends and forecasts, skills shortages and qualifications in Wales
are broadly in line with England.
125
31/03/2010
8.0
Fire & Rescue Services
8.1
Sector Description
xxxv
The Fire and Rescue Service is the operational fire fighting body and employees 74,228
people across the UK. Fire services in England, Wales and Scotland are based around local
structures, and in Northern Ireland there is one single service. The sector is divided into four sub
strands or occupational groupings:
Local authority Fire and Rescue Services (71,428
Civil Airport Fire Services (approximately 870
xxxvii
xxxvi
employees)
employees)
Ministry of Defence Fire Service (approximately 1,750
xxxviii
employees)
Occupational brigades provided by and to protect private companies, such as those in the nuclear
and petroleum industries
xxxix
There are currently 63
local authority services across the UK, the Fire and Rescue Service in
xl
England has 42,324 fire fighters. These services have a duty to provide the following services:
Community Fire Safety – this covers a range of initiatives that are aimed at reducing the number
of fires and the number of deaths and injuries caused by fire.
Fire and Rescue Emergency Response: this is a service that responds to incidents and makes
sure that the risk of injury, loss of life and damage to property is minimised.
Emergency Planning – services that plan and prepare for large scale emergencies, for example,
large rail crashes, coastal pollution and severe floods.
Most services provide special services that respond to other types of incident, e.g. vehicle
accidents, trapped people and animals, storms and floods.
At Fire and Rescue Service level, services are also further subdivided:
Command: Large brigades such as the London Fire Brigade are divided into three commands:
Area: A service can able to be divided into areas – e.g. London used to be divided into five
geographical areas
Divisional: A smaller geographical area, decided locally, - e.g. until 1986 London was divided into
eleven divisions
Borough: Services are now aligned with local councils – e.g. due to the size of London, its three
commands also overlap with London Boroughs, so each borough is a small division. It now has
borough teams.
Most statutory fire fighting bodies consist of a fire authority and a fire service, with the authority
responsible for the political and administrative aspects of service provision, and the service for
delivering that provision. Local authorities in the UK have many other responsibilities as well as
provision of a fire brigade. In addition the armed forces, private fire brigades and airports all have
their own fire fighting provision. Some of the specialised and private Fire and Rescue Services in
the UK include:
British Airports Authority Fire Service – airport126fire services in the UK are responsible for the
31/03/2010
protection of airports and aerodromes, and are usually referred to as Rescue and Fire fighting
Services. One of the largest of these services is operated by the British Airports Authority. Non
BAA airports also provide their own fire services in order to comply with legislation, such as
London City Airport. The number and type of appliances at an airport is determined by the
category of airport, from 1 to 9, with category 9 airports dealing with the largest aircraft.
Defence Fire and Rescue Sector – the Ministry of Defence operates its own fire and rescue
service, which in 2004 was formed into the Defence Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS). It is a
combination of civilian, armed forces and private contractors. It is the largest non geographical
or local authority Fire and Rescue Service in the UK with training, rank structure and equipment
similar to local authority counterparts.
Private and industrial Fire and Rescue Services – in some instances large factories operate
private industrial fire services to protect their interests and provide on site instant response until
local authority crews arrive. Key examples of this are Ford and Pfizer.
Nuclear sites – British Nuclear Fuels and other power station operators have their own on site fire
services.
Ports – several large ports, such as Felixstowe, operate their own fire services.
Event fire safety services – private event fire safety units operate across the UK at large events
e.g. air shows, regattas, concerts and film sets. Occasionally they use the services of off duty fire
fighters and other emergency personnel. This cover normally consists of the provision of one or
two appliances and sometimes a rapid response or control vehicle.
Crow n Dependencies
Fire services protectingNorthern
royal Ireland
properties –1%some state properties, including the royal residences
3%
Other
and the Palace of Westminster, are protected by specialist
private fire services, with the intention
2%
Scotland
of protecting sites of heritage
and
royal
importance.
13%
Wales
6%
Figure 1 below shows the breakdown of the workforce by country.
xli
England
75%
England Workforce Characteristics (as of 31 March 2008) xlii
Total number of whole time fire fighters is 30,580. Since 2004 whole time staff in post have
decreased by 3.9 per cent.
Retained duty system fire fighters (in 24-hour units of cover) decreased by 116 to 11,744 in 2008
– a decrease of 0.8 per cent on the previous year.
Fire control staff increased by 2.0 per cent compared to the same time last year, raising the total
to 1,522.
Non-uniformed staff numbered 7,800 – an increase of 5.26 per cent compared to last year.
8.2
Information on careers available and new emerging jobs, transferability of skills, career
paths and opportunities for progression
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Staff within the Fire and Rescue Authorities in England (and similarly across the UK) are either:
Operational staff (whole time and retained duty system firefighters) who spend most of their
career as active operational staff in prevention and intervention roles.
Fire and Rescue Service staff in a variety of other roles (managerial, technical, administrative).
Operational staff can be either a:
Firefighter (employed full time) or
Retained duty firefighter who are contracted to be available for agreed periods of time for firefighting purposes, but who could have alternative fulltime employment.
Generally applicants have experience in other uniformed services or as a part-time firefighter
which can be advantageous, although this is not essential.
Promotion options would include crew manager, then watch manager and possibly on to station,
group, area and brigade management. If you reach senior officer rank, you would be responsible
for writing detailed reports of incidents and carrying out management and policy work.
The main types of fire & rescue service staff are:
Fire control operators
General service staff
Fire control operators are uniformed personnel who are employed to work in fire and rescue
service control centres to answer emergency calls and deal with mobilising, communications and
related activities. On a daily basis their work will entail liaising with police, ambulance, motoring
organisations, lifeboat teams and other authorities.
In addition, operators will have to ensure that all statistical information is collated and processed
from each incident attended and undertake other general administrative work. There is also an
important public relations aspect to the job. Operators will be expected to attend exhibitions,
county shows, Fire Station open days, careers conventions and receive visits from dignitaries,
local groups and other members of the public. Vocational training and courses to advance career
prospects and improve individual skills are encouraged. Through statutory examination boards
and promotion interviews, operators have the opportunity to apply for promotion through the rank
structure. There are posts as Group, Senior and Leading Fire Control Operators.
Additionally there general fire and rescue staff who are employed in a variety of other roles such
as administration, stores, mechanics, IT and radio technicians, cooks, cleaners and driving staff.
Promotion and related skills are numerous and varied given the wide variety of job opportunities
in these roles.
Fire Safety Inspectors and other authorised enforcement officers (can include firefighters) also
have statutory powers in order to carry out routine inspections, investigate fire safety related
offences and prohibit or restrict the use of un-safe buildings.
Career Progression
Career progression routes vary between
sections of the sector. Within the Fire &
Rescue Services, the main routes for128progression are through interview and
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Assessment and Development Centres (ADCs). ADCs are used to identify individuals with
potential to make the step between firefighter and supervisory manager (crew manager), first line
manager and middle manager (station manager) and middle and strategic manager (area
manager). Individuals successful at ADC are provided with targeted development to enable them
to realise their potential at the next role. Finally, interviews are used to recruit individuals to
specific posts and to progress within each management banding (e.g. from crew to watch
manager. Further detail on this process is available via the Integrated Personal Development
System (IPDS) website ( www.skillsforjustice-ipds.com ).
8.3
Information on pay scales in the sector
xliii
Firefighters - £21,157 - 28,199
Crew managers – £29,971 - 31,263
Station Managers - £36,365 – 40,109
Retained duty firefighters are paid a fee, which can be around £2,500 a year. They also receive
additional payments, according to their rank, for each incident they attend and for any extra duties
they carry out.
Fire control operator - £18,019 rising toward £22,524 with experience
Leading Fire Control Operator – £24,121
Senior Fire Control Operator – £24,741 - £25,678
8.4
Information on entry requirements, application process
Firefighters
To be considered for selection you must be:
At least 18 years old;
Able to pass the statutory physical fitness test;
Able to pass the stringent medical and eye examination.
You may also be required to hold a full driving licence.
Positions as firefighters are open to graduates in all subjects, but a degree or formal further
education qualifications are not essential and entry without a degree or HND is common.
Personal qualities and physical attributes are more important than academic qualifications,
though a good general education is required, and GCSE or equivalent passes in English,
Mathematics and a science subject are particularly useful.
All candidates must pass a series of medical, physical fitness and job-related tests in addition to
being interviewed. Good, unaided vision and hearing are essential.
Some colleges work with local fire brigades to offer a Fire Service Pre-Recruitment Access
Course, which could be a good way to prepare
for the selection tests. Contact your local
college to find out if this course is available in129your area.
31/03/2010
Each fire service recruits independently following national fire service recruitment procedures and
you should initially contact the personnel or recruitment department of the fire and rescue service
to which you intend to apply. They will be able to supply you with detailed information on entry
requirements, the fitness test, making applications, selection, training and career profiles. Most
fire and rescue services also display vacancy information on their own website. Details of local
fire services are available from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and http://www.fireservice.co.uk/.
Fire control operator
As with being a Firefighter you also need to be at least 18 years old to apply. It is essential that
you have a sound education, including at least GCSE English Grade C, keyboard skills and
proven experience of working and coping with stress.
During a two-year probationary period, training and development follows a programme at NVQ
level 3. This will require some private study. Fire Control Operator vacancies are generally
advertised in the following places: LGjobs.com and Local council websites.
General fire and rescue staff
General fire and rescue staff are employed in a variety of other roles such as administration,
stores, mechanics, IT and radio technicians, cooks, cleaners and driving staff. Application
process and requirements are dependent on the particular role. Visit your local fire brigade
through either the UK Fire Services Resource web page (http://www.fireservice.co.uk/) or Local
council websites.
Some Fire and Rescue Services also operate direct entry recruitment processes to managerial
operational roles. (this is particularly the case in England & Wales)
8.5
Qualifications
Firefighters posts do require a general standard of education (some brigades will prefer you to
have GCSEs or equivalent)
After entering the service recruits work towards a qualification such as the NVQ Level 3 in
Emergency Fire Services or Level 2 in Fire Safety
Recruits may also be encouraged to work towards a specialist qualification such as a Large
Goods Vehicle (LGV) license for driving fire engines
If you are involved in fire safety and prevention work, individuals can take professional
qualifications leading to membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers and study subjects such
as fire risk engineering, fire safety, and fire safety management at degree level
Fire control operators are required to have a sound education including at least GCSE English
Grade C
During a two-year probationary period, training and development follows a programme at NVQ
level 3.
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As previously mentioned the variety of fire and rescue staff roles, qualifications are solely
dependent on the role. Visit your local fire brigade to find the qualifications associated the job.
Initial Training and Development
All staff in operational and control roles undertake structured development, an assessment of
competency and systematic maintenance of skills. This training and development is based on the
National Occupational Standards for the sector and specific operating requirements and
guidance, such as the National Fire Service Manuals, standard operating procedures and
statutory requirements (e.g. those set by the HSE). There is variation in the delivery and
assessment of training and development across the different segments of the sector, although
they are assessed against common standards and qualifications are used extensively at key
parts of the development process.
8.6
Data on employment and labour market trends and forecasts
The tight spending awards set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review are likely to
keep growth in the public administration (this includes the judicial activities and police and fire
services) at or around 1 per cent per year for the rest of the decade. In the long term government
spending on Public Administration & Defence is expected to increase at a lower rate than the
economy as a whole. As a result, a very small decline is projected over the period to 2017.
Competition is fierce with an average of about 150 applicants for each post, although this varies
considerably from service to service. Over the year 2007/08 there were 45,378 applications to
join the Fire Service in England, with an estimated 7 per cent (i.e. 3,176) of these successful. In
2007/08, 19 FRSs did not recruit wholetime duty system firefighters, eleven did not recruit
retained duty system staff, 12 did not recruit fire control staff and 6 did not recruit non-uniformed
xliv
staff for the year . On the whole, there is a very low staff turnover.
Full time and retained duty firefighters are mostly male and white. At March 2008 males in
England accounted for 96.7% of operational personnel. Over the last five years, the proportion of
xlv
women firefighters has increased from 2.4 per cent in 2004 to 3.3 per cent in 2008 . However,
the Home Office target from 2000 was to increase the percentage of women amongst uniformed
operational staff to 15% by 2009. Recruitment difficulties are mainly centred on the attracting of
diverse applicants to the Fire and Rescue Services across the UK, with targets in place to drive
up the representation of women and ethnic minorities.
8.7
Skills shortages
There is frequently a shortage of operational skills in the form of 'retained' (part-time) firefighters,
especially in small towns and rural areas. Additionally there are challenges with recruiting and
retaining applicants from a BME backgrounds.
8.8
Information on opportunities for adults changing career direction
Key skills and attributes needed by firefighters
include:
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31/03/2010
Stamina and a high level of physical fitness
Ability to react quickly and remain calm in hazardous situations
High level of self-discipline
Ability to follow instructions and regulations
Excellent communication and team working skills
Ability to inspire confidence when dealing with members of the public
Initiative to deal with rapidly changing conditions
Good practical skills to operate a range of tools and equipment
Assertive approach to deal with possible obstacles to rescue work
Ability to write accurate incident reports which may be used by accident investigators and
insurance companies.
Firefighters could work full-time or as a part-time (retained) firefighter. If you are full-time, you will
usually work 42 hours a week, which includes day and night shifts to cover a 24-hour service. As
a retained firefighter, you would usually be based in rural areas or smaller towns. You may have
another job but you would make yourself available in emergency situations.
This job can be stressful and physically demanding and you will often work in very uncomfortable
situations, for example at heights or in enclosed spaces. All-weather work and exposure to
danger from collapsing buildings, vehicle fumes and explosions are all part of the job. Additionally
you would wear protective clothing, and sometimes breathing apparatus, when responding to callouts, and you may have to carry heavy and awkward equipment.
As a new recruit, you will take part in a full-time induction training programme, which will
introduce fire safety standards and protective measures, fire prevention and safety education
work. This lasts between 12 and 16 weeks (18 weeks in Northern Ireland).
To prepare for the practical side of firefighting, you will train in areas such as:
Fire behaviour and firefighting
Basic rescue techniques and entering smoke-filled rooms
Fitting protective clothing and using breathing apparatus
Handling foam and other types of fire extinguishers
Using ladders, hoses, knots and other equipment
First aid, and health and safety.
When you have successfully completed your induction training, you will join a fire station for a
probationary period of up to two years. During this time you will work alongside, and learn from,
experienced firefighters. Your performance will be continually assessed.
Fire control operators need the following skills and attributes:
Excellent communication and interpersonal
skills
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31/03/2010
Ability to cope with repetitive work
Ability to respond to changing demands quickly
Common sense
No hearing defects
Good health
Stamina
Ability to concentrate and not be distracted
Capacity to cope with stressful situations and work under pressure
Self discipline
Clear speech.
Because this is a post that involves dealing with matters of life or death, you would also need to
be tactful, calm, polite, alert, patient, confident, methodical, responsible and reliable.
8.9
Information on opportunities on point of entry or transfer into a sector from another area
or sector
Points of entry into the sector are:
Firefighter
Fire control operator
Competition is fierce with an average of about 150 applicants for each post, although this varies
considerably from service to service. Over the year 2007/08 there were 45,378 applications to
join the Fire Service in England, with an estimated 7 per cent (i.e. 3,176) of these successful. In
2007/08, 19 FRSs did not recruit wholetime duty system firefighters, eleven did not recruit
retained duty system staff, 12 did not recruit fire control staff and 6 did not recruit non-uniformed
xlvi
staff for the year . On the whole, there is a very low staff turnover.
Personal qualities and physical attributes are more important than academic qualifications,
though a good general education is required, and GCSE or equivalent passes in English,
Mathematics and a science subject are particularly useful. Some colleges work with local fire
brigades to offer a Fire Service Pre-Recruitment Access Course, which could be a good way to
prepare for the selection tests. Contact your local college to find out if this course is available in
your area. Generally applicants have experience in other uniformed services or as a part-time
firefighter which can be advantageous, although this is not essential.
8.10
Job Profiles
Firefighter
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile186/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/firefighter_job_description.jsp
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Firefighter/Firefighting Manager
http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=62&catalogueContentID=633
Fire control operators
http://www.lgcareers.com/career-descriptions/protecting-your-community/fire-control-operator/
8.11
Case studies
Firefighter
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/firefighter_case_1.jsp
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=85&catalogueContentID=2735&parent=633
8.12
FAQs
What is a retained duty firefighter?
Retained firefighters are an essential part of the Fire & Rescue Service. They serve rural
communities, responding to pagers when an emergency call is received. A retained firefighter
must live or work within five minutes of the fire station. Flexibility is key and you will need to be
either self-employed or have an employer who is supportive and willing for you to leave work at a
moments notice to attend an emergency. If you are interested in becoming a retained firefighter,
contact your nearest retained station and speak to the Station Commander to discuss your
availability and to determine your suitability.
What are the stages of the firefighter application process like?
If you wish to join the Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter, you will need to complete and
pass the following stages:
Initial application - provides the Fire and Rescue Service with your personal details such as work
history or qualification and asks you questions about your suitability for the role of a firefighter.
Psychological Tests – Applicant takes two tests in this stage, the psychological test and National
Firefighter Questionnaire. The National Firefighter Questionnaire is used to assess the applicant’s
attitude and motivation in relation to the seven key Fire Service Personal Qualities and Attributes
(PQA). The assessment contains 127 questions. The psychological test covers three areas,
Working with numbers 32 questions covering six different scenarios which require the applicant to
perform combinations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as estimations of
numerical data.
Understanding information involves the applicant reading and understanding a variety of written
information. Applicants will need to extract the relevant information from these to answer 25
questions covering six different scenarios.
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31/03/2010
Situational Awareness and Problem Solving - The test requires applicant's to read descriptions of
situations or scenarios that they are likely to face when working as a firefighter. There are 30
questions that each require the applicant to choose one of four available answers that most
closely describe what they would do in that situation.
Physical Test - Candidates will be asked to complete a Medical Screening Form prior to
undertaking any of these tests, this is to ensure that individuals are fit enough to undertake them.
There are currently six tests:
Enclosed Space
Ladder Climb
Casualty Evacuation
Ladder Lift
Equipment Assembly
Equipment Carry
Interview
Medical and References
When does the Fire and Rescue Services recruit for firefighters?
The Fire and Rescue Service recruit at different times of the year. Sometimes it can be several
years before a campaign is launched. There is no hard and fast rule on when they will recruit, it
depends on the funds available to recruit new firefighters, and also on how many firefighters are
expected to retire or leave the service.
What are the eyesight standards for firefighters?
xlvii
The eyesight standards are as follows:
Uncorrected distance vision no worse than 6/18 in the better eye, and 6/24 in the worse eye.
Corrected distance acuity should be at least 6/9 with both eyes open and reach 6/12 in the
weaker eye.
Near vision - should be able to read N12 at 30 cm with both eyes open unaided.
Have normal binocular field of vision.
Have an appropriate level of colour perception. Individuals with either normal colour vision or
slightly abnormal green colour vision are suitable for appointment to the fire service. The
recommended test procedure uses the Ishihara test as the initial screen, with two additional tests
if the applicant fails the screening, to determine the severity and type of colour vision deficiency.
8.13
Fire
Source of additional information
Brigades
Union
(FBU)
-
http://www.fbu.org.uk/
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31/03/2010
UK Fire Service Resource: http://www.fireservice.co.uk/.
LGjobs.com
Local
council
council/find.htm
websites
-
http://www.lgcareers.com/meet-the-employers/find-your-local-
British
Airports
Authority
http://www.baa.com/portal/site/baa/menuitem.4cc07e5c2e691c7935ebbee59328c1a0/
-
Defence Fire Service - http://www.fireservicesassociation.net/
Skills for Justice – http://www.skillsforjustice.com
8.14
Regional Information
xlviii
8.14.1 East Midlands
The East Midlands has 5 fire and rescue services. The five services are:
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service
Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service
Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the East Midlands are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.2 East of England
The East of England has 6 fire and rescue services. The six services are:
Bedfordshire & Luton Fire & Rescue Service
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service
Hertsfordshire Fire & Rescue Service
Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service
Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the East Midlands are broadly in line with
those nationally.
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the East of England are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.3 London
London has one fire and rescue service, the
London Fire Brigade. Skills shortages, future
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31/03/2010
forecasts and qualifications for London are broadly in line with those nationally.
8.14.4 North East
The North East has 4 fire and rescue services. The four services are:
Cleveland Fire & Rescue Service
County Durham and Darlington Fire & Rescue Service
Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service
Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the North East are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.5 North West
The North West has 5 fire and rescue services. The five forces are:
Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service
Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service
Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the North West are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.6 South East
The South East has 9 fire and rescue services. The ten services are:
Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service
Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service
Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service
Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service
Kent Fire & Rescue Service
Surrey Fire & Rescue Service
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the South East are broadly in line with
those nationally.
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8.14.7 South West
The South West has 6 fire and rescue services. The six services are:
Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Cornwall County Fire & Rescue Service
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service
Dorset Fire & Rescue Service
Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service
Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the South West are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.8 West Midlands
The West Midlands has 5 fire and rescue services. The four services are:
Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service
Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service
Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service
West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the West Midlands are broadly in line with
those nationally.
8.14.9 Yorkshire & Humberside
The Yorkshire & Humberside has 4 fire and rescue services. The four services are:
Humberside Fire & Rescue Service
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
Skills shortages, future forecasts and qualifications for the Yorkshire & Humberside are broadly in
line with those nationally.
8.14.10
Northern Irelandxlix
The Fire and Rescue Service in Northern Ireland is divided into 4 main areas – Northern,
Southern Western, and Eastern - and covers an area of over 5,500 square miles and a population
of 1.7 million. The four area commands are supported by 14 Districts, placed across the country
and providing a community focus for NIFRS
activity. There are 68 fire stations across
Northern Ireland. Current workforce figures for138NIFRS are:
31/03/2010
901 full fire fighters
980 retained fire fighters
12 volunteer fire fighters
59 regional control staff
218 non uniformed support staff
53 part time caretakers
Similarly to the rest of the UK, the NIFRS has a gender imbalance in the makeup of the force,
with a strong bias towards male employment. There is a gender outreach programme in place
which is seeking to actively address this issue and in 2006-07 received 14% of its applications
from women for retained recruitment. Skills shortages and qualifications are broadly in line with
that of the UK.
8.14.11
Scotland
Currently, Scotland has eight fire and rescue services only two of which remain under unitary
control, the other six coming under joint boards of between three to 12 constituent councils
depending on the size of the area concerned. The 8 fire and rescue services vary widely in size
and structure, reflecting the nature of their different areas. Each fire and rescue service covers a
unique mixture of urban and rural communities, with population densities ranging from over 3,000
per km 2 in the cities to 2 per km 2 in the remote highlands.
Diversity Profile of Scottish Fire and Rescue Services by Sector 2007-08
Male White
Female White
Total
l
Male Ethnic
Female Ethnic
Minority
Minority
Wholetime
3470
116
3586
28
1
Retained
2368
146
2514
6
2
Volunteer
284
42
326
1
1
Control Room
23
182
205
1
0
Support
363
544
907
3
8
Total
6508
1030
7538
39
12
As with the Fire Service across the UK there are challenges around attracting diverse groups to
enter the service. Effort has been made to remedy this but limited impact is showing so far. The
Scottish Government, in collaboration with the
services, is considering a range of good
139
practice initiatives to improve this situation.
Additionally, as with many public services, the
31/03/2010
impact of any spending reviews is likely to impact on matching funding to resources and
continuing to deliver to target.
Skills shortages and qualifications in Scotland are broadly in line with England.
8.14.12
Wales
The three Welsh Fire and Rescue Service Authority areas in Wales are as follows:
Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service – covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port
Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea
North Wales Fire & Rescue Service - Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd,
Wrexham
South Wales Fire & Rescue Service - Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr
Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan.
Skills shortages and qualifications in Wales are broadly in line with England.
There were 1,956 applications received in Wales in 2006-07.
During 2006-07 women accounted for 19 per cent of all successful applications whilst people
from ethnic minority backgrounds accounted for 1.8 per cent.
Gender of Fire and Rescue Service Personnel – Wales: 2008-9
Male
Female
Total
Wholetime
1620 (97%)
51 (3%)
1671
Retained
1907 (96%)
71 (4%)
1978
Fire Control
23 (18%)
105 (82%)
128
Non-operational
269 (42%)
376 (58%)
645
Total
3819 (86%)
603 (14%)
4,422
li
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31/03/2010
9.0 Third Sector
To increase our understanding of the issues facing our third sector employers, we commissioned
BMG Research to undertake a survey of organisations across the UK. The survey asked
questions about the third sector justice workforce – paid and volunteer – and looked at workforce
development, skills gaps and shortages and future skills demands.
9.1 Justice Third Sector Organisations and their Workforce
Third sector organisations are crucial to the delivery of justice across the UK. They provide a wide
range of services, including advice, help and support to victims, survivors and witnesses of crime,
and to the families of offenders. They work with adults and young people at risk of committing
crime, and with offenders and ex-offenders, supporting community safety, supervision, skills,
employability and rehabilitation.
The skills and commitment of the third sector workforce – paid and unpaid – are central to the
prevention of crime and to bringing offenders to justice. They are key to helping all those whose
lives have been affected by crime.
Our survey drew on responses from 506 telephone interviews at establishment level, painting a
picture of the situation across the UK
most organisations deliver services in more than one area of the Justice sector
two fifths of establishments are part of larger organisations
a quarter of all organisations operate across the UK
most establishments are small – two thirds have less than 10 staff
most of the workforce - volunteer and paid - is female (over two thirds) and white (over three
quarters)
there are more black and minority ethnic staff, and people with disabilities amongst both paid staff
and volunteers than there are in the UK economy as a whole and in the wider justice sector.
9.2 Key Findings from the Survey
Volunteers are vital to service delivery
Volunteers make up two thirds of the justice third sector workforce
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to a large extent, do the same sorts of jobs as paid workers - advice/counselling, direct support
and administration
are dedicated – almost two thirds volunteer on a weekly basis
are committed – at 19% volunteer turnover is only marginally higher than for the paid workforce
form a pool for paid recruitment – one in five of all paid staff were previously volunteers.
However, third sector organisations in justice can find it difficult to recruit volunteers – perhaps in
part (as the Neuberger report suggests1) because of the nature of the business. Half of all
establishments had vacancies for volunteers, compared to a fifth with vacancies for paid staff.
Despite the fact that third sector employers are so reliant on volunteers (and around half of
establishments expect to recruit more over the next twelve months) the survey suggests that
approaches to attracting and supporting them are mostly informal.
the usual method of recruitment is through word of mouth
there is a relatively low level of investment in training for volunteers compared to paid staff, and
training is more likely to be informal and on the job
there seems to be limited emphasis on management of volunteers – only 2% of the paid
workforce is identified as having the role of volunteer manager, despite the large number of
volunteers.
These approaches may well be effective – for example word of mouth can be a powerful way to
attract interest – but it is possible that employers and volunteers could benefit from a more
structured.
There is a commitment to training and development
Justice third sector employers take training and development seriously
the majority (76%) formally assess skills needs and back this up with a training plan (69%) and a
training budget (73%)
62% also have a training plan that is specific to their volunteers
over the past 12 months 84% of establishments have trained paid staff and 63% have trained
volunteers (mostly informally).
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Despite their commitment to training, third sector organisations find it difficult to address skills
deficiencies, due to
lack of funding for training
lack of time
lack of appropriate provision either external or internal.
There are skills gaps, but fewer than in the wider third sector
Most third sector employers in the sector feel that their paid and unpaid staff have the right skills,
while acknowledging the need to build on what they have.
Problem areas are
management and leadership skills, which 12% of establishments saw as a gap for paid staff, and
19% for volunteers
specialist skills, such as human resources, fund raising and legal knowledge are most likely to be
identified as areas that need improving across the workforce
1
Volunteering Across the Criminal Justice System March 2009
for volunteers, the key skills gap reported was in skills in working with particular service user
groups
volunteers were generally reported as having lower levels of skills, across all roles, than the paid
workforce.
There is a high awareness of training initiatives, but low take up
The survey suggests that third sector justice employers have a high awareness of national skills
initiatives, and of national occupational standards, but that take up is relatively low
88% are aware of Investors in People, but only 31% have been involved with it
82% are aware of Apprenticeships, but only 10% are involved
69% are aware of Train to Gain, but only 32% have taken it up (England only).
Almost half of employers surveyed used National Occupational Standards for all or some of their
workforce, but a similar number does not use
them at all.
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9.3 Next steps
We will use these findings to inform our work with third sector employers. In particular, over the
next few months they will act as the basis for a discussion with employers to learn more.
This is the first time we have asked survey questions about the paid and unpaid workforce, and
we want to deepen our understanding of volunteers and their skills needs.
We also want to look harder at the how our third sector employers see the future (three quarters
expect challenges over the next 12 months) and how we can work with them to develop the skills
of their people in the hard times ahead.
We want to gain a better understanding of what lies behind the issues, and of what we can do to
support employers in meeting their training and development needs.
We aim to develop a strategy for working with the third sector, in partnership with our employers
and in consultation with third sector skills bodies across the UK. We will look to publish this early
in 2010.
The
full
survey
report
and
an
Executive
Summary
can
be
found
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/Third%20Sector%20Skills%20Survey%20%20full%20report%20-%20October%2009.pdf
at
And
http://www.skillsforjustice.com/websitefiles/Third%20Sector%20Skills%20Survey%20%20Executive%20Summary%20-%20October%2009.pdf
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