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Overview of the job
This is a functional management job in an establishment.
Summary
The job holder provides a strategic focus on education, learning, skills and qualifications in all areas of activity within the establishment, with an emphasis on employability, maximising offenders’ opportunities to access employment, education and training whilst in custody and on release
This is a non-operational job.
Responsibilities, Activities and Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Accountable for educational outcomes.
- Accountable for planning, implementation, quality assurance and development of all learning, skills and employability provision within the establishment.
- Accountable for the contract management of all providers of services for Learning, Skills & Employment activities, ensuring that quality assurance meet the standards of Ofsted and are agreed with the SFA, Education provider and Advice and Guidance Agency.
- Accountable for the integration and sequencing of all education, learning, skills and employment provision across establishment and that it is aligned within Offender Management arrangements.
- Responsible for ensuring all offenders receive comprehensive advice and guidance. This will form the basis of the learning plan to inform sentence planning and sequencing activity (services can be procured).
- Work in partnership with prison industries, gym and local private enterprise to make the prison places of meaningful work and learning and ensure workshops provide prisoners with the learning and skills required to compete for and achieve employment within the local labour market.
- Responsible for the delivery of industries vocational training ensuring the screening assessment and referral processes that determine suitability of prisoners to access learning material and tutor to deliver required skills to achieve target qualification.
- Work with other resettlement services, the risk management unit and other functions, to encourage offenders to continue their learning on release – ensuring that appropriate Offenders Pathways are arranged / notified prior to release.
- Responsible for monitoring the Service Level Agreements (SLA) for education, library services and training providers operating within the establishment, to ensure that quality standards are achieved.
- Accountable for ensuring that commercial activities (procurement of services) are underpinned by effective financial business rationale.
- Accountable for establishing a culture which encourages continuous quality improvement, flexibility and entrepreneurship to embrace change improvement and exploit new opportunities for interventions and work e.g. Learning and Skills Council.
- Accountable for drawing in resources at establishment level including voluntary projects and funds to provide a range of appropriate activities to complement educational delivery for the benefit of learners to maximise employment activity for offenders.
- Responsible for leading on the curriculum planning and development for all learning and skills activities and learning outcomes, taking into account Local Management Information and local labour market trends within the release pattern of the prison as well as the personal and social needs of the of the population to maximise employability and integrate with the rehabilitation model.
- Establish and maintain networks and relationships with Public, Private and third sector organisations to build strategic partnerships that support delivery and resettlement opportunities. E.g. Jobcentres, Careers Service, colleges & universities.
- Liaise with awarding bodies (i.e. QCA etc.) on development and implementation of appropriate qualifications.
- Responsible for the delivery of a meeting structure that drives and agenda of continuous improvement, including chairing the Quality Improvement Group and Partnership/Stakeholder meetings.
- Responsible for oversight at distance learning, further education and external providers.
- Improve literacy levels across the establishment.
- Develop and implement systems which recognise and cater to individual’s learning disabilities and difficulties.
- Lead on Purposeful Activity, including the preparation of material for internal and OFSTED/HMIP requirements and act as OFSTED nominee for the establishment.
- Contribute to prisoner reports including Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork (ACCT) reports and parole reports.
Undertake other management tasks including :
- Promotes Prison Service policy in all activities and behaviours e.g. promotes diversity, decency, safety and reducing re-offending agendas.
- Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial procedures outlined in the budget delegation.
- Ensure that the function produces and analyses audit and establishment performance management information identifying variances and areas requiring improvements.
- Accountable for all local and national policies relating to function, and ensure procedures implemented are compliant, including development of new policies.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of the medium-to-long term strategic and business plan for the establishment, with overall responsibility for implementation within their function.
- Attend relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute either as chair or team member.
- Work collaboratively and provide constructive challenge to colleagues to ensure that their own and other functions are joined up and together contribute towards the overall delivery of the establishments performance.
- Carries out investigations and administration in relation to incidents of potential discrimination and reports on findings.
- Contribute to the establishment’s overall achievement of (SDIs) and standards and be accountable for the performance and delivery of targets relating to the Function.
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
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Essential Experience
Significant experience at management level in educational setting.
Technical Requirements
Qualifications: Level 2 English and Maths.
Educated to minimum level 5 or equivalent.
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.
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