We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
Overview of the job
The job holder will contribute to and lead the management and assessment of selected low to medium risk prisoners and prepare, implement, review and evaluate their sentence plans with them. The job holder will build effective, appropriate and supportive relationships with prisoners, with the aim of reducing re-offending.
The job holder will act in a supportive role only to probation officers in the case management of medium to high risk prisoners. The job holder will have undergone selection and additional training to carry out this specialist delivery job as a Prison Offender Manager to prisoners. This is an operational job with no line management responsibilities but with supervisory responsibilities when required.
Will have regular prisoner facing activities/duties.
Summary
Typical tasks associated with this role include:
- Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, safely and securely whilst carrying out all activities.
- Understand, apply and conform to national and local policies.
- Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners and staff.
- Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
- Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification/quality checking purposes.
- Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
- Exercise the powers of a Constable.
- Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required.
- Undertakes 'first on scene' incident response.
To assess and manage the risk posed by offenders to protect victims of crime and the general public by:
- Providing information and advice to other criminal justice agencies and partner organisations.
- Supervise offenders during custodial sentences.
- Contribute to the management of risk.
- Work with other agencies and groups to prevent reoffending and meet the needs of victims and offenders.
Responsibilities, Activities and Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- To undertake the full range of offender management tasks with low to medium risk cases.
- No ownership of high risk cases will be held, but support to probation officers in the case management of high risk prisoners will be given when required.
- As Prison Offender Manager, be involved in all relevant processes in the prison such as ACCT and violence reduction/anti-bullying for those within your case load, if this is applicable.
- Act as the ACCT Case Manager for individuals if appropriate (Prison Offender Managers should not routinely be used as ACCT Case Managers, only when appropriate to do so).
- Interview prisoners within prescribed timescales of their arrival. Set and review targets with prisoners and update case management notes on PNOMIS or relevant IT systems.
- Use the Offender Assessment System (OASys) to identify risks and manage offenders appropriately.
- Obtain further information if required from outside agencies to complete a comprehensive OASys report.
- Lead the sentence planning meeting in order to prepare and review appropriate plans.
- Coordinate the activities within the sentence plan through liaison with prisoners and other departments and agencies, including gathering and exchanging information and understanding/investigating conflicting opinions on prisoner progress.
- Encourage and support prisoner to participate in education, interventions and workshops as defined within the sentence plan. Develop strategies to assist prisoners to overcome reluctance to attend.
- To provide professional advice and assessment, including written reports to criminal justice agencies and partner organisations.
- Liaise with the Community Offender Managers regarding Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and Home Detention Curfew (HDC). Make recommendations to the Governor on suitability for early release. Inform relevant agencies of release dates and address of prisoners considered a risk on release.
- Support Community Offender Managers with the delivery of plans to enable recalled prisoners to be re-released.
- Complete all paperwork for the cases, including lifer and ISP specific paperwork in line with relevant policies, standards and set timescales.
- Highlight any prisoner who gives significant concerns by their behaviour to the Heads of Offender Management or Orderly Officer. Concerns may be for a variety of issues, for example, any prisoner who has presented in the past risk of suicide or self-harm, or if there are any outstanding concerns with regards to victims or further offences and racial harassment.
- Contribute to and attend Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Boards and work with all relevant external agencies to protect the public when releasing prisoners under MAPPA.
- Liaise with the Foreign National Department or UK Border Agency regarding foreign national prisoners, as appropriate.
- Instigate public protection child contact checks and share relevant safeguarding information with authorities.
- Undertake the role of the resettlement advisor for prisoners in the specific caseload. Forge, develop and maintain the links between the programmes, the progress, or otherwise, made by the participants and the prisoner's ongoing path through their sentence.
- To work collaboratively with colleagues and maintain effective team relationships, in particular with Key Workers.
- Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro- social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes.
- To use computer based systems to produce, update and maintain records and other documentation within agreed timescales.
- To work within the aims and values of HMPPS.
Undertake other tasks including:
- Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, lawfully, safely and securely whilst carrying out all activities.
- Exercise the powers of a Constable.
- Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required.
- Undertake external escorts.
- Undertakes 'first on scene' incident response.
- Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
- Prepare relevant documentation for managers for verification/quality checking purposes.
- Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
- Complete and update Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
- Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners and staff.
- Understand and comply with national/local policies and legislation.
When required act as a Supervising Officer (SO) as per the following job descriptions:
- SO : Safe, Decent and Secure
- SO : Operations
- SO : Special Unit
- SO : Category A Escorts
- SO : Regime
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
Behaviours
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Essential Experience
- Must be competent in custodial procedures, including dynamic risk assessments.
- Experience of working with a diverse range of people who have experienced a range of social/personal difficulties, and of using tact and discretion when dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.
- Understanding of factors related to offending, e.g. substance misuse, accommodation issues.
- Understanding of and commitment to the principles of case management.
- Knowledge and understanding of risk management/risk assessment pertaining to offenders and the impact on victims of crime.
- Experience in planning and coordinating work.
- Experience of working with groups or individuals in order to motivate and change behaviour.
- Experience of working with diverse communities including promoting equality and valuing diversity.
- Knowledge and understanding of the work of the criminal justice system.
- Experience of working with people who have committed offences.
- Have received Women Awareness Staff Training (WASP) if working in a female establishment.
- Have received Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme (JASP) and child protection training if working in a Juvenile establishment.
- A working knowledge of relevant legislation and National Standards.
- Knowledge of Evidence Based Practice and risk/needs assessment tools.
Technical Requirements
- Successful completion of POELT and probation period
- Must have Custodial Care National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3
- Must be trained in restraint techniques
- Desirable - Higher level academic qualification(s).
- Staff newly promoted into Band 4 Offender Supervisors or Specialist Officer roles within establishments will be expected to undertake the Diploma in Team Leading if they are covering or carrying out the role of Supervising Officer on a 'regular' basis. Staff working in establishments who were mapped to a Band 4 Supervising Officer or Facilities and Services Supervisor role as part of the F&S restructuring process and staff who have re-graded to Band 4 from a higher grade are not required to complete the qualification as they have previously worked at an equivalent level (or higher).
- When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job holder will be required to successfully undertake an assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young People.
Ability
- Ability to analyse complex information in order to make assessments and decisions.
- Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing with offenders, professionals, and at hearings such as Parole Boards.
- Ability to empathise constructively with people from diverse backgrounds.
- The ability to complete all mandatory training as required to support the job role.
Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances
37 hour working week (standard).
HMPPS staff on closed pay structures only: Additional Conditioned Hours Pensionable (ACHP)
Staff moving from a closed 39 hour pay structure will be eligible for the two protected pensionable additional committed hours (ACHP). They will work a 39 hour week consisting of the standard 37 hour week and a further 2 additional hours (ACHP) paid at plain time pensionable rate.
Unsocial Hours Working
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays.
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