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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

We are looking for a brilliant communications professional to join the HM Prison and Probation (HMPPS) communications team in the Ministry of Justice. You will play a vital role in developing and delivering prison and probation communications strategies in Wales.

Working to the Head of HMPPS Wales Communications, this role articulates the voice of HMPPS in Wales to our staff and service-users, and to the external stakeholders and partners who are essential to the delivery of our services.

You’ll provide senior communications support to HMPPS priority projects in Wales including the expansion of female offender accommodation and COVID recovery to an audience of c. 3000 staff and 3,500 prisoners across 5 public sector prisons and several thousand people in the community across 5 probation areas.

Working closely with the HMPPS Wales senior management team, you’ll devise, plan and execute communication activities to directly deliver corporate and government priorities. This includes critical COVID health communications which are devolved within Wales. You’ll take a data led approach to all campaigns, ensuring objectives are rooted in audience insight and evaluation is built into all aspects of our comms.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and deliver a diverse range of products, communications strategies and campaigns that meet business priorities and are targeted to our diverse audiences
• Provide a full range of specialist communications support from strategic planning to execution e.g. editorial and campaign delivery, creating copy and publications and commissioning work where required (e.g. events, online, print)
• Act as strategic communications advisor, providing strategic and tactical communications recommendations and support to the HMPPS Wales business as usual and major projects e.g. national policy or major change projects which have service-wide impact.

• Responsible for management of communications spend in client’s budgets. Oversee commissioning, delivery and evaluation of all planned communications channels and products to ensure high quality, effective and efficient activities.
• Responsible for managing the HMPPS in Wales social media channels
• Ensure delivery of full communications plans including liaising with press office on media handling issues of policy or project impact
• Ensure our obligations under the HMPPS Welsh Language scheme are met by making comms products available in both English and Welsh for service users and residents across Wales and England
• Deliver high quality communications through multi-agency collaboration within Wales, including with Welsh Government, to achieve shared objectives
• Promote offender management policy in all activities and behaviours e.g. promote diversity, decency, safety and reducing re-offending agendas.
• Operate effectively across the communications, corporate services, policy team and operational staff, commissioning work appropriately from across the teams to enable planning and delivery across multiple channels and audiences.
• Work collaboratively with HMPPS and MoJ Communications colleagues - actively participating in pan-departmental and Government communication networks including reporting of activity and sharing good practice

Essential Skills, Qualifications, Accreditation & Registration

This is a senior specialist communication role. As such the postholder is required to:

• Have significant communications experience in a large or complex organisation
• Demonstrate an understanding of HMPPS and MOJ’s strategic priorities and how communication helps to deliver them, applying this knowledge to develop appropriate messages, products and channels that can demonstrably support these priorities
• Demonstrate sound communications judgement and be confident in liaising with and providing senior counsel to HMPPS Executive Directors/Agency.
• In developing strategy the postholder must be able to authoritatively reflect and advise on the handling issues which take into account the strategic political, policy, organisational and delivery impact.

Application Deadline and Interview Dates 

Competencies and Strengths

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

1. Communicating and Influencing - Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests.

2. Working Together - Encourage joined up teamwork within own team and across other groups. Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support. Invest time to develop a common focus and genuine positive team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another. Put in place support for the wellbeing of individuals within the team, including consideration of your own needs. Make it clear to all team members that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Actively seek and consider input of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

3. Managing a Quality Service- Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence. Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales. Successfully deliver high quality outcomes that meet the customers’ needs and gives value for money. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently. Involve a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and delivery partners in developing suggestions for improvements. Establish ways to find and respond to feedback from customers about the services provided.

4. Developing Self and Others

Prioritise and role-model continuous self-learning and development. Identify areas individuals and teams need to develop in order to achieve future objectives. Support colleagues to take responsibility for their own learning and development. Ensure that development opportunities are available for all individuals regardless of their background or desire to achieve promotion. Ensure individuals take full advantage of learning and development opportunities available to them, including workplace based learning. Encourage discussions within and between teams to learn from each other’s experiences and change organisational plans and processes accordingly.

Level of security checks required  

Security Clearance (SC)

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

• You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
• You were studying abroad
• You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.