Probation Board for Northern Ireland Deputy Chair appointment

. BIOGRAPHY – Bria Mongan OBE has extensive experience working across the Health and Social Care (HSC) sector in Northern Ireland, serving as Executive Director of Social Work and Children’s services and previously as Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Prisoner Healthcare, working closely with justice agencies developing HSC services for people in detention.  Bria brings extensive experience of managing a wide portfolio of HSC services across community and hospital services, which includes corporate governance, organisational development, professional leadership and significant financial management gained as Executive Director and Board member in a large complex Public Sector organisation.  Bria holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and held responsibility for all issues relating to Social Work policy, workforce, professional standards and ensuring the effective discharge of Delegated Statutory Functions as Executive Director of Social Work and Director of Children’s services in an HSC Trust.  Bria was awarded an OBE in recognition for services to Social Work and healthcare for prisoners. Bria is currently an Associate Consultant at the HSC Leadership centre and is a trustee and non-executive director of the Caring Breaks charity (Unremunerated). 

2.  The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) is an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) established by the Probation Board (NI) Order 1982.  The Board is tasked with providing an adequate and efficient probation service and is responsible for determining its policy within the broad parameters set by Government and for monitoring the service’s performance against objectives.

3.  The main activities of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland are: the supply of information to the courts through pre-sentence reports; the supervision of offenders made subject to community disposals; and the provision of social welfare services in prisons.  The Board also funds community initiatives aimed at supporting the statutory supervision of offenders in the community.

4.  Appointments to the Board are made by the Minister of Justice in accordance with Schedule 1 of the 1982 Order.  Statutorily, the Board must consist of a Chair, Deputy Chair and not less than 10 nor more than 18 other members.  The remuneration for the post of Chair is £33,010 per annum and for a Board Member, it’s £5,050 per annum.  The Deputy Chair role does not attract any additional remuneration over an above that of an ordinary Board Member.

5.  This appointment has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Northern Ireland Code of Practice.  All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process, however, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Political activity: none.

6.  Details of the Board of the Probation Board membership, with effect from 1st March 2025 is as follows:

• Glenn Houston (Chair)
• Bria Mongan OBE (Deputy Chair)
• Kerry Anthony MBE
• David Bowden
• Maureen Brunt
• Ken Cameron
• Denise Hunt
• Brian Ingram
• Jackie Johnston CBE
• Maynard Mawhinney
• Gemma McKeown
• Eileen Patterson
• Brian Payne

7. Media enquiries to the Department of Justice Press Office email  or phone: 028 9052 6444.

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