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 Prison Policy Directorate is recruiting permanently for a number of SEO role(s) within the Future Prisons Policy Division. For current civil servants, this campaign is open to those on level transfer and suitable candidates on promotion.
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)
Since 2019, the MoJ has separated its head office operations across two sites: Leeds and London. Applications from candidates wishing to be based in either location are welcome in this campaign. Successful candidates may choose equally between these two exciting environments; however, we are committed to expanding the presence of the Policy Group in our northern hub.
Our 5 Wellington Place office, located in the heart of Leeds’ legal district and close to several other government departments, provides a modern environment for our growing community of policy professionals to collaborate and engage. We have well-established relationships with prisons, probation offices and courts across the city and Yorkshire, allowing for those designing policy to remain close to the operational delivery of their work. Those working in our Leeds office are provided valuable L&D and networking opportunities to ensure they can grow their careers in the same way as their counterparts in London.
Where appropriate, policy professionals based in either office are supported in travelling to work with colleagues in the other head office location. Our commitment to hybrid working continues to ensure that the geographical dispersion of talent drives exceptional policymaking.
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.
At the moment the majority of our staff are currently working from home due to Covid-19
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.
Job Description overview
We are recruiting for a number of SEO roles to join the Future Prison Policy Division. The roles provide excellent opportunities to work in a fast-paced policy environment, in an area of significant Ministerial interest, and collaborate with colleagues responsible for operational delivery in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and across Government.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 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.
What we do
Prison Policy Directorate
The Prison Policy Directorate is responsible for advising Ministers on all aspects of prison policy. Our key priorities include reducing the number of prisoners who reoffend on release from prison, ensuring that prisons are safe and secure, and developing a comprehensive strategy for the future of the prison estate and the recruitment and training of the prison workforce. Other important work includes the scrutiny of prison performance and developing policy that supports the effective management of Foreign National Offenders and other specific cohorts of prisoners.
Future Prisons Policy (FPP) Division
The Future Prisons Policy Division has a central role in the Directorate, leading policy development to shape the future estate and meet demand for prison places; the future of the prison workforce; the use of digital technology in prisons and other innovations; and a range of projects that span the Directorate including SR and fiscal events. Vacancies in this division are available in the following teams:
Future Prisons and Digital policy:
- The Future Prisons and Digital team lead on building a strategic vision across prison policy including:
- The postholder will work closely with a range of stakeholders in and outside the department to shape our strategic vision and will also lead on key priority projects (including scoping new ones) such as developing a long term strategy for the prison estate.
Prison Capacity and Women's Estate policy:
- Prison capacity is a high-profile area, central to delivering the government’s ambitions on protecting the public. Ensuring we maintain sufficient space in the prison estate is a top priority for the department and Ministers. The post holder will work closely with HMPPS and operational experts, analysts, strategy and financial colleagues to drive forward efforts to increase the supply of prison places in line with increasing demand in the coming years. You will work closely with HMPPS to support delivery of the government’s flagship £3.8bn programme of investment to deliver 20,000 prison places alongside working with strategy, sentencing and release policy teams to understand the level of prisoners coming through the system
- The postholder will also lead on many aspects of women’s estate policy. This is another high-profile area, given the complex nature and dynamics that contribute to women’s offending. We have set an ambition of having a more trauma-informed and gender responsive environment in the women’s estate and the postholder will work closely with operational, property and estates colleagues to develop a long-term, strategic plan for the women’s estate. The role will also involve designing and piloting new forms of accommodation to meet this aim and best support resettlement into the community
Prison Workforce & Pay policy:
- The prison workforce function within FPP works across the Department and with other Government departments on a range of workforce policy including: resource funding and forecasts, recruitment and retention of prison staff, professionalisation, leadership, diversity and prison officer training. The role will also interact closely with members of the team leading on Prison Workforce Pay, which is a high-profile policy area with Ministerial and cross government interest, and will require working across the department with finance, operational and HR experts; as well as with the Treasury and No.10
- The postholder will work across policy, HMPPS and People Group teams to set and facilitate the delivery of this programme, leading on developing key areas of the workforce and developing a long term workforce strategy.
Duties for all roles may include:
- Developing evidence-based policy, providing research and written input into both published and internal pieces of work.
- Building good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders – particularly HMPPS and Other Government Departments.
- Being familiar with the internal and external governance and project management arrangements for key projects, including attending meetings and/or Boards on behalf of the team, developing papers, co-ordinating and supporting effective project management and otherwise feeding in as appropriate.
- Communicating regularly with senior leaders and stakeholders, presenting ideas and feeding back from these meetings to the team.
- Leading on developing briefing for Ministers, including working closely with colleagues to meet tight Ministerial deadlines and requests.
- Input to short term problem-solving on urgent issues.
- Leading on drafting Parliamentary Questions, FOIs, correspondence, and similar pieces of work.
- Potential line management of one HEO
- Corporate responsibilities to support and advance corporate objectives across the directorate and the wider organisation
Skills and Experience
Essential:
- Excellent briefing skills, written and oral
- Effective stakeholder management
- Effective project management
- Confident at using data and evidence
- Ability to confidently and proactively shape the direction of work
Desirable:
- An understanding of the criminal justice system
Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework
You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Behaviours
Please provide examples of how you have met each one of the behaviours listed below (see Annex A for more information):
- Delivering at pace (lead behaviour)
- Working together
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Making effective decisions
Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade (Level 3 – Grade HEO-SEO or equivalent):
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour Delivering at pace. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.
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.
Interviews are expected to take place September 2022
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.
Contact information
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about the roles or what it is like working in our team.
Blaise Boulton, blaise.boulton1@justice.gov.uk Or Sean Gater, sean.gater1@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.
TOP