Are you a PSO? What do you wear?

[SqueakyRadish]

Hi all, as the title states, looking for advice on work clothes.
If anyone here is a probation support officer, what do you wear?

Links welcome 😁

What area will you be working in?

Geographically or work-wise?

Work area. Prison... court... hostels... programme delivery...case management?

Aside from prison where you may be given a uniform, most is smart casual. Like black pants and jumper, dress and blazer/cardigan.
Jeans but with blouse or smarter jacket. Not sportswear or anything with obvious logos etc.
Court... suits. Or knee length dress with tights, closed shoes and tights. In dark and plain colours... grey, black, navy.

If you are generally in the more casual case management you will still need a suit and formal wear for court/parole hearings/multi agency meetings (less so the last... but smarter).

Ah it'll be case management.
I'm good on the formal front for court etc, but wasn't sure on day to day attire!

Smart casual. I've seen people in jeans, in suits, the whole range. I wear in between

I've never seen anyone wear smarter clothes for a multi agency meeting, but that may just be my area.

You can always spot a new PSO/PO because they look smarter than the rest of the office! Think teacher wear. For women this time of year lots of dresses with flat boots, black tights, cardigans (nothing too tight, short or low cut) or trousers and tops, lots of the men wear jeans or chinos and t shirts/jumpers some of the old guard might stretch to a shirt (often checked). You will need a blazer or similar for court. We used to have an office blazer for emergency court dashes but those are vanishingly rare these days.
Which region (geographic) will you be working in?

@wizzywig same, I've seen people in MAPPA 3 in jeans and t shirt

Yep..it wouldn't occur to me to go and find fancy clothes for a MAPPA.

Just put out my clothes for tomorrow - jeans and a jumper.

Thanks so much everyone.
I'm in the South East, don't want to be too specific.

Lovely to see so many colleagues here though!