Note: The customer here is currently a teacher of post-secondary students. He had background in energy and environmental management up to Master’s level before proceeding to study education which now allows him to teach young adults. He also teaches Sunday school in his local church. He is applying for professional qualification in probation (to become a probation officer). He is faced with the competent questions below. Successful answering of the questions with relevant examples/cases will help him proceed in the application process. The information above and a visit to the link below might help the writer answer the questions well:
http://www.traintobeaprobationofficer.com/about-the-training/
Competency Based Questions
As an applicant for Professional Qualifications in Probation PQiP You are asked to complete a section of competency-based questions on the form. These give you the opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the National Probation Service. The examples you provide and the way you communicate them will be used to help us decide who will be taken forward to the next stage – so it’s worth spending some time thinking about which examples you’ll use and how they’ll give you an advantage.
- Do your research – find out about the service and familiarise yourself with our work, purpose and structure
- Pay particular attention to the job’s purpose and the skills needed – you’ll need to show how you match what we’re looking for, so be sure that the role fits your abilities
- Tailor your answers to meet the particular requirements outlined in the competency question, rather than cutting and pasting from another application
- Highlight relevant experience and think about your achievements in the roles you’re writing about – such as overcoming particular problems or meeting certain targets
This particular section is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have the skills, attitudes and experience we require in those who want to train to be Probation Officers. You will be asked to describe situations in the past where you have displayed the relevant qualities. The examples you provide, and the way you communicate these experiences, will be used to help decide who is invited to the next stage of the assessment process. As such, it is worth spending some time thinking about the examples you will use and how you will communicate them.
If you have applied to an earlier campaign please do not copy and paste your previous answers into your new application form. Scoring mechanisms are reviewed for each Intake. Therefore answers that may have previously enabled your application to progress to the next stage may not necessarily do so on this occasion. We want you to submit a strong application with the best examples that demonstrate your skills and experience.
TIPS: In each of the following four areas, we would like you to tell us;
What the situation was – this should be a brief summary of the context and situation so that we know what the issue was and where you fitted in to it.
What you did – explain not only what you did but also why you made the decisions you made and took the actions you took.
Who else was involved – this might be people who gave you advice or instruction, people you got to help you or it could be others who made the situation more difficult. One of the key things we want to know is what YOU did; what decisions YOU made and what actions YOU took. Make sure that your answer does not only talk about the team or only refer to ‘we’ – your personal input must be clear.
What the outcome was – tell us what happened as a result of your involvement. In Probation work we deal with difficult situations and we don’t always get the results we want, so don’t feel you have to choose examples where everything turned out perfectly, though we do want to see where your involvement has had some positive impact.
These descriptions don’t have to come from work situations, they might relate to voluntary work, your time in education or amongst your family, social group or community.
Make sure that your description is clear and keep it brief; no more than 450 words for each of the four answers. When you have written a draft of your answer, read it back and ask yourself;
– Is it clear what MY role in it was?
– Is it clear WHY I did what I did?
– Have I demonstrated my skills and attitudes to the assessors?
Communicating clearly is an essential skill for Probation Officers so you will be marked for how well you communicate your answers as well as for the content of them.
You may find that one of your answers covers more than one of the questions below e.g. it might show how you worked with challenging people but also how you influenced someone. However, please make sure you answer all four questions and that you use a different situation for each one.
Question 1 – Persuading & Influencing
A key part of the Probation Officers’ role is to influence others. Often this may involve challenging the person’s current way of acting or thinking, and persuading them to change. This doesn’t only apply to the offenders that you would work with, but also to the many other people you will have contact with on a day-to-day basis including probation colleagues, the police, legal professionals, social workers and those working in a wide range of voluntary and community organisations.
Please give an example of a situation where you had to challenge someone else’s way of thinking or acting in order to achieve some change in them.
In 450 words or less, describe the context, the situation, the approach you used and what the outcome was. Remember to report what role you had in this, as well as the involvement of others.
Answer:
Question 2 – Delivering at Pace
The Probation Office’s role can be very demanding as you are often dealing with complex people and situations. You will have to regularly review these situations and set challenging goals, alongside having time and patience to achieve the outcomes you are seeking. There will often be set backs and obstacles. You will often be the key person in these situations and will have to take responsibility for ensuring that problems are overcome and a positive result is achieved.
Please give an example of a situation where you faced a setback, obstacle or failure and explain how you dealt with this.
In 450 words or less, describe the context, the situation, the approach you used and what the outcome was. Remember to report what particular role you had in this.
Answer:
Question 3 – Collaborating & Partnering
Probation Officers work with a wide range of people, both on a one-to-one basis but also in teams. These people, who may include offenders, probation colleagues and external individuals and organisations such as charitable bodies or the police, can vary greatly in their views, background and goals. Sometimes the relationships can be challenging, but you will need to work co-operatively with these diverse groups.
Please give an example of a situation where you had to work co-operatively with someone who had very different perspectives, attitudes or goals to you.
In 450 words or less, describe the context, the situation, the approach you used and what the outcome was. Remember to report what particular role you had in this.
Answer:
Question 4 – Making Effective Decisions
Probation Officers have to make important and impactful decisions, often in a relatively short period of time. Some of the information that these decisions are based on may be factual, though some of it will be based on others’ subjective judgements or experience. The information on which you base your decisions may vary in its quality and reliability and there may be differences in opinion and perspective in the advice you are given.
Please give an example of a situation where you had to make a difficult decision, the range of information you used to make the decision and how you evaluated the value of the information.
In 450 words or less, describe the context, the situation, the approach you used and what the outcome was. Remember to report what role you had in this, as well as the involvement of others.
Please provide any additional information in support of your application.
We are interested in hearing about any relevant experience which you have gained either from work with offenders or with other individuals exhibiting challenging behaviour and/or whose lives are in crisis.
You may have gained this experience in a variety of settings both within and outside the Community Justice Sector through an unpaid or voluntary capacity.
In 450 words or less, please provide details of any experience and/or training you have gained below.
Answer:
