LJMU to train 800 Probation Officers

The Criminal Justice team in the School of Justice Studies made a successful bid to train applicants from the north west and Greater Manchester.

It is the first time in more than 20 years that the Ministry of Justice has encouraged a new provider into the market and follows moves from the Probation Service to accelerate trainee recruitment to meet demand in the criminal justice system.

Head of Criminal Justice at LJMU Professor Michelle McManus said: “We’re very proud and honoured to be awarded this MoJ contract. This is a huge new area of professional training for the School and a very worthy one indeed given the reported manpower pressures in the service.”

The team will work with HM Prison & Probation Service to co-design and develop a new Professional Qualification for Probation Officers - the mandatory training route for all officers that are employed by the service.

Contract to 2026

LJMU will start delivering the new qualifications in March 2023 and the contract runs for three years.

Like jobs in the police and other public services, the trainees will first be employed by the service and undertake the educational element of their training with LJMU.

Janet Jameson, Director of the School of Justice Studies, said: “We are already training more than 1,000 professionals for the police and this fits perfectly with our plans to strengthening our position as a regional provider of professional graduates in Policing and Criminal Justice.”

The Criminal Justice team have longstanding local relationships with the Probation Service, engaging in various research and evaluation work that has had both local and national impact on operational and strategic workings of the Probation Service.

Passion and experience

Added Professor McManus: “Our team have such passion and experience working with various funded projects collaboratively exploring the rebuilding of identity, culture and legitimacy within the reformed Probation Service, working with the Probation Institute to examine current provision for veterans within CJS, embedding trauma-informed approaches, and the understanding of wider risk within serious offending and safeguarding practice to help keep our communities safe.

“We cannot wait to open our doors to our local Probation Officers and support them on their journey to qualification.”