13045 - HM Inspector Adult
| Posting date: | 07 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £58,511 to £70,725 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The national salary range is £58,511 - £65,329, London salary range is £63,343 - £70,725 Your salary will be dependent on your base location |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 30 January 2026 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 5 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 13045 |
Summary
HM Inspectorate of Probation
HM Inspectors – Adult programme (2 roles)
Advert and job description
HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth justice services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services.
HM Inspectorate of Probation are seeking to recruit up to two inspectors. These posts are available on two-year secondments/loans or a fixed term contract of up to two years.
When joining us on a secondment, remuneration (salary and any taxable allowances), pay progression and employment terms & conditions will be the same as currently received from the seconding employer. Due to recruitment rules, we can offer current civil servants a secondment of two years with a possibility of an extension to three years. For successful candidates who do not currently work for the civil service (for example staff working for local government/local authority) we can offer a two-year secondment. When joining on a fixed term contract the salary will be £58,511.
If applying for a secondment, you should confirm with your employer that, in principle, they are willing to second you before you apply for these posts. If you are a HMPPS employee, senior leaders have agreed that probation staff can apply on secondment for HM Inspector (HMI) roles and will be supported with these secondments if they are successful.
Successful candidates will be allocated a notional office base, as close to their home location as possible, for the purposes of travel and subsistence, but in practice we are flexible in terms of where in the country you wish to work from.
About these roles
• Are you a senior manager in the criminal justice sector?
• Are you looking for a role that is interesting, challenging and makes a difference?
• Do you want to develop your leadership skills and boost your career prospects?
HMIs will be responsible for leading inspections at Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) and regional level. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to our thematic inspections, which explore high-profile topics on a national basis.
As an HMI, you will be involved in every stage of our inspections: planning, conducting fieldwork, and drafting the final report. You will interview and hear from senior leaders, practitioners and people on probation, as well as use a wide range of data sources to form judgments. You will identify effective practice as well as areas for improvement; you will also make recommendations and contribute to final ratings. These are collaborative roles so you will work closely with the Head of Programme and other members of the inspection team, and have regular contact with the Chief Inspector of Probation. Your final report will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Justice and will help to improve practice locally and nationally.
The Inspectorate is committed to learning and development for all staff. During your first year with us, you will be required to complete and pass our internal training programme, which focuses on developing the skills and knowledge needed to undertake high quality inspection practice. You will receive ongoing feedback and support as you develop your professional skills.
About you
HMIs must:
• have worked at a senior level in a related profession and have experience of interacting with senior stakeholders.
• have experience of assessing performance against a set of established standards
• understand and/or be adept at using qualitative and quantitative analysis methods
• be able to interpret and extrapolate themes from large volumes of written and numerical data
• be able to assimilate large quantities of information from a range of sources and produce a report using a house style guide
• be confident and competent in using IT (you have experience using Word, Excel, Outlook, a reasonable amount of case management software, etc).
HMIs will be expected to travel across England and Wales and spend time away from home. We want applicants to be fully aware of this requirement and to ensure this fits with your expectations and lifestyle. It has been estimated that the Lead Inspector and Deputy Lead Inspector roles will require HMIs to be onsite approximately ten times per year, more if allocated thematic roles. In addition, you will be required to travel and spend time away from home to attend other events, for example training weeks, within the inspectorate when they are held in-person. We strongly encourage you to contact us for a discussion and to ask any questions – these conversations will be confidential and will not count towards your application (see contact details at the end of the advert).
HMIs who have completed secondments with us have gone on to take senior leadership roles. A current HMI said:
“One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to join the Inspectorate. It’s an organisation that is working so hard to improve service delivery.”
The option of part time or job-share contracts can be discussed individually.
HM Inspectors – Adult programme (2 roles)
Advert and job description
HM Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth justice services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services.
HM Inspectorate of Probation are seeking to recruit up to two inspectors. These posts are available on two-year secondments/loans or a fixed term contract of up to two years.
When joining us on a secondment, remuneration (salary and any taxable allowances), pay progression and employment terms & conditions will be the same as currently received from the seconding employer. Due to recruitment rules, we can offer current civil servants a secondment of two years with a possibility of an extension to three years. For successful candidates who do not currently work for the civil service (for example staff working for local government/local authority) we can offer a two-year secondment. When joining on a fixed term contract the salary will be £58,511.
If applying for a secondment, you should confirm with your employer that, in principle, they are willing to second you before you apply for these posts. If you are a HMPPS employee, senior leaders have agreed that probation staff can apply on secondment for HM Inspector (HMI) roles and will be supported with these secondments if they are successful.
Successful candidates will be allocated a notional office base, as close to their home location as possible, for the purposes of travel and subsistence, but in practice we are flexible in terms of where in the country you wish to work from.
About these roles
• Are you a senior manager in the criminal justice sector?
• Are you looking for a role that is interesting, challenging and makes a difference?
• Do you want to develop your leadership skills and boost your career prospects?
HMIs will be responsible for leading inspections at Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) and regional level. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to our thematic inspections, which explore high-profile topics on a national basis.
As an HMI, you will be involved in every stage of our inspections: planning, conducting fieldwork, and drafting the final report. You will interview and hear from senior leaders, practitioners and people on probation, as well as use a wide range of data sources to form judgments. You will identify effective practice as well as areas for improvement; you will also make recommendations and contribute to final ratings. These are collaborative roles so you will work closely with the Head of Programme and other members of the inspection team, and have regular contact with the Chief Inspector of Probation. Your final report will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Justice and will help to improve practice locally and nationally.
The Inspectorate is committed to learning and development for all staff. During your first year with us, you will be required to complete and pass our internal training programme, which focuses on developing the skills and knowledge needed to undertake high quality inspection practice. You will receive ongoing feedback and support as you develop your professional skills.
About you
HMIs must:
• have worked at a senior level in a related profession and have experience of interacting with senior stakeholders.
• have experience of assessing performance against a set of established standards
• understand and/or be adept at using qualitative and quantitative analysis methods
• be able to interpret and extrapolate themes from large volumes of written and numerical data
• be able to assimilate large quantities of information from a range of sources and produce a report using a house style guide
• be confident and competent in using IT (you have experience using Word, Excel, Outlook, a reasonable amount of case management software, etc).
HMIs will be expected to travel across England and Wales and spend time away from home. We want applicants to be fully aware of this requirement and to ensure this fits with your expectations and lifestyle. It has been estimated that the Lead Inspector and Deputy Lead Inspector roles will require HMIs to be onsite approximately ten times per year, more if allocated thematic roles. In addition, you will be required to travel and spend time away from home to attend other events, for example training weeks, within the inspectorate when they are held in-person. We strongly encourage you to contact us for a discussion and to ask any questions – these conversations will be confidential and will not count towards your application (see contact details at the end of the advert).
HMIs who have completed secondments with us have gone on to take senior leadership roles. A current HMI said:
“One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to join the Inspectorate. It’s an organisation that is working so hard to improve service delivery.”
The option of part time or job-share contracts can be discussed individually.