Level 5 Certificate in probation practice

The main objective of this qualification is to allow Probation Services Officers to develop the skills required for the role of Probation Officer. This qualification has been developed with National Probation Service (NPS), Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs), Skills for Justice and other stakeholders in Probation Practice. The qualification is included in Community Justice Learning, which replaces the Probation Qualifications Framework. The units have been produced through working group discussions, expert correspondence, consultation and reference to the units in the current Level 5 Diploma in Probation Practice. The units have been written to apply to practitioners working for NPS, as well as those working for CRCs. They are largely performance based, but also include reference to the application of knowledge and understanding in the work place. Evidence will be produced from working with offenders based in the community and/or in custody, and the units have been written to apply broadly across both these contexts. Evidence for the qualification will come from working with diverse behaviours such as domestic abuse, sex offending, extremism, violence and substance abuse; and a wide range of offenders including those with mental health and personality disorders. However, it will not be necessary to obtain evidence for working with all these groups. Performance evidence for working with victims, and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults will also need to be included for the relevant units in accordance with organisational requirements.