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.
The Prisoner Cohorts Team is recruiting permanently for an SEO policy adviser. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.
Location:
Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:
- 102 Petty France, London
- 5 Wellington Place, Leeds (occasional travel between Leeds and London may be required post Covid-19)
In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs and for us to continue to progress towards our pre-pandemic levels of attendance, all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.
Ways of Working
At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:
- Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
- Flexible working patterns
- Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing over 80,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
The Work of the Prisons Policy Directorate
Prisons policy is one of the most interesting and challenging areas of public policy. It operates at the sharp end of a range of wider social policy issues, with those who end up in prison disproportionately likely to have endured adverse childhood experiences, to come from BAME communities, to have substance misuse or mental health issues, and to live in poverty. Their time in prison is an opportunity to support these individuals to transform their lives by desisting from crime, and we work with operational colleagues and across government to improve prisons’ ability to do this.
Prisoner cohorts policy adviser
We are recruiting an SEO policy adviser to work in the Ministry of Justice’s Prison Policy Directorate, which advises ministers on all aspects of prison policy. This will be based within the prisoner cohorts team, which focuses on ensuring that our services are tailored to the needs of different groups of prisoners.
Prisoner cohorts
Prisons contain a range of different cohorts of individuals with hugely varying circumstances and needs. Our aim is to improve our understanding of the needs and characteristics of these cohorts and use this understanding to ensure we’re providing rehabilitative services which help transform their lives.
This will be a flexible projects-based role, which responds to need across the team and wider division, and we are keen to shape its scope around your skills and areas of interest. The role will likely cover work on some of the team’s existing priorities, which include older prisoners, transgender prisoners and veterans in custody, emerging priorities, such as prisoners with experience of the care system and young adults (aged 18-25) in the prison system, and work across the wider division, which manages policy relating to reducing reoffending, including prisoner education, employment and accommodation.
The role will be to undertake 3–12-month policy projects on 2-3 areas, helping you to develop a diverse portfolio of examples for future career progression. It will require the ability to quickly develop an understanding of social policy problems, to build relationships with colleagues to develop solutions to these problems, and to align your work to the broader political context.
Skills and Experience
We are looking for people who:
- are interested in criminal justice issues, and ambitious about improving outcomes for prisoners
- enjoy working autonomously, and take pride in producing high-quality work
- enjoy thinking strategically and taking a solution-focused approach to analysing problems
- understand the broader political context for their work, and work within this context to achieve positive change
- enjoy working with and influencing stakeholders
- communicate compellingly, both in writing and orally
Experience of working in policy is helpful but not essential, and we do not require prior civil service experience. Colleagues in MoJ policy teams have a wide range of experiences; some who are new to the MoJ have come from other parts of the public sector, the third sector and private sector.
Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.
Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.
Experience
You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.
Candidates invited to Interview
Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.
During the interview, we will be assessing you on Behaviours and Strengths from the success Profiles framework. The behaviours will be as follows:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
Seeing the Big Picture will be assessed via a 5-minute presentation, the title of which will be provided to candidates successful at the application stage. The remaining behaviours will be assessed via behaviour questions, following by questions on strengths.
You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Interviews are expected to take place late October and early November.
Contact information
If you would like further information about the role, please contact Rory McErlean (rory.mcerlean@justice.gov.uk).
Annex A - The STAR method
Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.
Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.
- Where are you?
- Who was there with you?
- What had happened?
Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.
- What was the task that you had to complete and why?
- What did you have to achieve?
Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.
Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.
- What results did the actions produce?
- What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
- Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?
Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.
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