This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN) for a market engagement event for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to provide details of the Level 3 Probation Service Practitioner apprenticeship for probation professionals.

Probation staff are critical to the delivery of probation services and the Probation Service is increasing recruitment of Probation Service Officers and staff working directly with people on probation and victims, to match the criminal justice system demand.

The Offender Management Act 2007 s10 sets out the Secretary of State for Justice's right to publish guidelines about qualifications, experience or training required to be a Probation Officer, and obligation to publish these guidelines in relation to those undertaking Sentence Management work.

The Probation Practitioner at Level 3 will be added to these guidelines as the recognised qualification for staff working with all individuals eligible for probation support - including people on probation, people pre-sentence and victims.

The funding band agreed by the Department for Education is £5,000 per learner.

The apprenticeship standards have been approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the standards and end point assessment can be viewed here - https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/probation-services-practitioner/?view=standard The outline of the 7 key modules will be provided to suppliers with the expectation that the provider will design and deliver this to relevant staff within probation.

The sessions will need to provide apprentices with an opportunity to practice skills and to reflect on and develop confidence in applying learning from the Authorities package of learning into practice.

The sessions are linked to the duties outlined in the apprenticeship standards and should cover all of the associated skills and behaviours.

The contract is estimated to run for 5 years, with the first 3 years permitting enrolments and the final 2 years to complete the delivery of the apprenticeship.

However, the contract term is subject to internal approvals.

This Market Engagement event is to explain the high-level requirements of delivering the Probation Service Practitioner apprenticeship across the HMPPS estate in England and Wales , receive feedback from providers and to advise providers of the next steps The Market Engagement event will take place on 18th September at 10am for all interested providers.

Further to this, the Ministry of Justice would like to invite providers to one to one meetings following this session.

Slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis between 11.30am and 4pm on 18th September and between 10am and 4pm on 19th September for a maximum of 30 minutes.