The Organisational Structure of the Probation Service

There are over 400 staff in offices in more than 40 locations nationwide, comprised of the following offices.

The Director of the Probation Service is responsible for planning and management of the Probation Service as well as overall day-to-day administration.

The Director is supported by 3 Deputy Directors who are each responsible for one of the following directorates:

• Corporate Affairs Directorate
• Operations Directorate
• Business Support and Development Directorate

Each Deputy Director reports directly to the Director.

The role of the Corporate Services/Human Resources Directorate is to:

• Provide effective and efficient financial management of the Probation Service,

• Provide accurate and high quality information,

• Provide a safe and accessible environment for staff and Service users,

• Integrate and co-ordinate with all directorates to achieve the Probation Service goal of reducing re-offending.

The Deputy Director for Corporate Services/Human Resources has overall responsibility for the day-to-day administration, planning and management of this directorate and reports regularly to the Director of the Probation Service.

Structure of the Directorate

The directorate is comprised of three units, each with distinct functions and responsibilities:

• Corporate Services Unit

• Finance Unit

• Human Resources Unit

The aim of the Operations Directorate is to reduce the risk of re-offending through quality assessments and effective supervision and re-integration of offenders. To achieve this, staff provide probation work and related services to the courts, prisons and places of detention.

The work involves:

• Preparing pre-sanction assessments for the courts,

• Supervising offenders in the community who are referred by the court,

• Supervising offenders released conditionally from custody.

Structure of the Directorate

The directorate is comprised of the following posts:

• Deputy Director

• Assistant Director

• Assistant Principal Probation Officers/Regional Managers

• Assistant Principal

• Senior Probation Officers

• Probation Officers

• Probation Service Assistants

• Community Service Supervisors

The Deputy Director for Operations has overall responsibility for the day-to-day administration, planning and management of this directorate and reports regularly to the Director of the Probation Service.

The Assistant Directors report to the Deputy Director for Operations and have responsibility for Young Persons Probation and Community Service & Service Funded Projects. Delivery of the service at local level is organised on a team basis using a regional structure. There are 7 Operational Regions. Two of these,

• Young Persons Probation and

• Prisoners, Risk and Resettlement

are organised nationally. The other 5 regions, as follows, are the responsibility of an Assistant Principal Probation Officer (or Regional Manager);

• Dublin North & North East

• Dublin South & Wicklow

• Midlands & South East

• South West

• West/North-West & Westmeath

The Research, Training & Development Directorate is responsible for the following:

• Monitoring emerging research,

• Planning and undertaking programme effectiveness research,

• Critically reviewing current legislative base,

• Developing and articulating proposals for new legislation,

• Updating and expanding practice and procedure guidelines,

• Bringing an enhanced victim focus into day-to-day probation practice,

• Encouraging interest by the Service in restorative justice,

• Planning and delivery of training programmes,

• Leading to the implementation of the integrated model of PMDS,

• Strengthening management skill and capacity,

• Updating staff on new developments, legislation and guidelines,

• Co-ordinating external training opportunities,

• Contributing to training in other bodies,

• Support and training for training staff.

Structure of the Directorate

The Research, Training & Development Directorate comprises the following posts:

• Deputy Director of Research, Training & Development

• Assistant Principal Probation Officer

• Senior Probation Officer

• Probation Officers

The Deputy Director for Research, Training & Development has overall responsibility for the day-to-day administration, planning and management of this directorate and reports regularly to the Director of the Probation Service.

Administrative support for the Research, Training and Development Directorate is provided by staff of the Corporate Services Directorate.