Community Justice Learning (Professional Qualification in Probation)

These contracts will deliver Community Justice Learning (CJL), which forms the academic component of the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) programme - the mandatory training route for all Probation Officers employed by the Probation Service. CJL comprises a BA (Hons) Degree or Graduate Diploma in Community Justice, alongside a Level 5 Vocational Qualification in Probation Practice, which is delivered in-house by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) staff.

Under Section 10 of the Offender Management Act 2007, the Secretary of State for Justice may determine the qualifications, experience and training required to practise as a Probation Officer. Since 1 April 2016, the PQiP has been the sole statutory route to qualification. HMPPS is the only employer of Probation Officers in England and Wales, and the PQiP programme is the only route to train and qualify for this profession.

The Authority holds a CJL Course Design Framework, which defines the academic structure, outcomes and learning standards that all suppliers will be required to adopt and implement during the Mobilisation Phase. Suppliers will be required to design their academic course content in accordance with this framework and secure appropriate accreditation through the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) or Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ).

The academic elements of the PQiP to be delivered under this contract include:

• A Level 6 academic qualification forming the core programme which all learners must complete; and

• Level 4 and Level 5 components providing advanced standing onto the core programme where required, depending on each learner’s prior learning and experience.

Learning will be delivered through biannual cohorts across four standard entry routes:

1. Probation Services Officer Progression (PSOP);

2. Standard PQiP (post-graduate) – full-time;

3. Standard PQiP (post-graduate) – part-time; and

4. PQiP non-graduate route – full-time.

Course duration will vary from between 15-30 months, depending on learners' prior learning and the appropriate entry route identified.

From time to time, the Authority may commission ‘optional services’ from the suppliers, which would be related and complementary to the contracted Services but incidental and discrete in nature and could, for example, include (without limitation) specific short term academic research projects and mapping of qualifications.

The estimated annual volume is approximately 1,200 learners (not guaranteed), divided across the below-stated four regional Lots:

• Lot 1: London – estimated 22% market share

• Lot 2: North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands– estimated 28% market share

• Lot 3: North West, Greater Manchester, Wales– estimated 22% market share

• Lot 4: East of England, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, South Central, South West– estimated 27% market share

The delivery model is 100% virtual, with all learning conducted through live, synchronous online teaching (e.g. Microsoft Teams). Suppliers may offer face-to-face sessions at their own discretion and cost where they deem beneficial to learners.

The contract term is 10.5 years, anticipated to commence in September 2026, structured as follows:

• Mobilisation Phase (6 months): Development and finalisation of curriculum, securing accreditation, and readiness for delivery;

• Service Delivery Phase (6.5 years): Delivery of up to 13 learner cohorts, beginning in March 2027; and

• Teach-Out Phase (3.5 years): To allow all learners, including those who take a break in learning, enough time to complete the course before contract expiry.