18886 - Community Payback Co-Ordinator - Reading (South Central)

**Please note: Candidates must hold a full UK Manual Driving Licence when applying for this role, this is a mandatory technical requirement in order to carry out this role. We cannot accept candidates who hold an automatic Driving Licence only.**

A career in community payback gives you the power to make a positive impact on the lives of People on Probation as well as your community. People come from all walks of life to form one team in the Probation Service.

It's all about supporting People on Probation on their journey and making your community a better place. Whether that's building benches or cleaning the streets, you're there because you genuinely want to help.

The post holder will support the CP Manager to ensure that all Community Payback placements meet the policy objectives of the organisation and comply with relevant legislation.

It's all about supporting People on Probation on their journey and making your community a better place.

If this sounds like you, apply now.

If you are successful in the recruitment process to join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £28,064

Please note: Community Payback Placement Coordinators will be expected to work weekends when needed. This may be to cover for CP supervisors, or to visit CP project sites – such as schools which aren’t accessible on weekdays – to complete project risk assessments or meet beneficiaries, for example. You will be paid a higher rate for any weekend days you do work.

Post holders may be required to undertake weekend working as part of their normal pattern of working

The Probation Service offers the opportunity for annual pay progression through a Competency Based Framework (CBF), which if eligible, will see your pay increase. CBF is designed to enable you to move up through the pay band range as your competence grows.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Probation Service also increase their pay band ranges annually in line with Civil Service Pay guidance, which will also apply an increase to band pay ranges where applicable.

Overview of the job

This is a high-profile role within PS responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with a range of current and future partner organisations, customers and stakeholders. This will involve working with a range of voluntary and statutory organisations.

The post holder will ensure that sufficient work placement that meet the quality standards set out in the Community Payback Guidance are available so that the sentence of the Court can be carried out effectively.

The post holder will support the CP Manager to ensure that all Community Payback placements meet the policy objectives of the organisation and comply with relevant legislation.

Post holders may be required to undertake weekend working as part of their normal pattern of working.

For further information on the summary, responsibilities, activities, duties of the role and the Civil Service Success Profile Criteria which will be used in the assessment process, please refer to the full Job Description Attachment.

Right to work in the UK

You must have the right to work in the UK and Civil Service (

Skilled Worker visa changes from 22 July 2025

In accordance with current immigration rules, this role is not eligible for a new Skilled Worker visa.

From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the eligibility criteria for Skilled Worker visas. As a result:

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot consider sponsoring you to work as a community payback co-ordinator unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes.

If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your pre-employment checks and your eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.

If you apply to be a community payback co-ordinator and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to 22 July 2025, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes.

If your application is successful, you will need to ensure that you have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

HMPPS will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.

Civil Service recruitment: nationality rules

Civil Service

This guide is intended to assist departments with managing their responsibilities on nationality rules related to Civil Service recruitment.

You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here (

About us:

The work is varied, challenging and meaningful and comes with job security, great benefits and career progression opportunities - not to mention the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives and our communities.

About the Recruitment Process

To apply to this role you will be required to complete a short application form and detail responses to two Civil Service Behaviour and one Experience based questions.

Your application will be sifted once the application deadline has closed. You will then receive further instruction on the progress and outcome of your application.

If in the event we receive a high volume of applications, we may only assess candidates against the lead behaviour. There is also no guarantee that you will progress to the next stages of the recruitment process; however, we will keep you informed at each stage.