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This is an exciting new role which brings together the work of the Women’s Policy Team and the line management of prisons in the Women’s Estate to more closely integrate policy and operational delivery. This will facilitate a more joined up and whole system approach to the management of women across the Criminal Justice System. The post holder will be expected to work closely with senior colleagues across HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice and across Government to improve outcomes for women both in custody and in the community. The role is a national one which will require some travel across the country and attendance at our headquarters in London.  The post holder will also be expected to engage with and build positive relationships with a range key partners and external stakeholders

 In HMPPS we work together to protect the public and help people to live law-abiding and positive lives. We believe people can change and that our efforts to reduce reoffending make the public safer. The post holder will play a key role in delivering these outcomes at a very senior level in the organisation.

Overview of the job

This is a key role in providing leadership and direction to the safe and effective management of women in the community and across the custodial estate. The postholder will also have responsibility for operational delivery of the 10 Women’s Prisons and work closely with the providers of custodial services for women in the private estate. The postholder is also the strategic lead for the commissioning of Women’s services in the community.

Summary

The postholder will represent HMPPS on all matters relating to women who are touched on by HMPPS services – particularly providing advice to sentencers, holding those remanded into custody, and delivering community and custodial sentences. They will be required to develop strong working relationships with Policy colleagues, and Ministers both within the MOJ and across government departments.

This post is responsible for leading a programme of work to define and deliver HMPPS responsibilities under the Ministry of Justice Women Offenders Strategy.

The post holder will provide strategic direction for the women’s custodial estate, and line management of Public Sector Women’s Prisons (including Mother and Baby Units and management of the central system for managing Complex and Restricted Women).

In the community the postholder will contribute directly to the design of the new unified Probation system to ensure services are gender specific in the supervision of women.  It will also be essential they collaborate with Regional Probation Directors to secure continuity of service provision in the delivery of Women’s Centres through the introduction of the Dynamic Framework.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Provide timely, accurate, politically sensitive and strategic advice to Ministers and Parliament on matters relating to Women in the Criminal Justice System.
• Provide expert input into strategic planning for HMPPS in matters relating to Women offenders.
• Deploy the MoJ Women Offenders Strategy to deliver effective outcomes for women at all stages of the criminal justice system.
• Define HMPPS responsibilities under the MoJ Women Offenders Strategy and manage projects, programmes and related work streams to deliver agreed outputs.
• Direct line management accountability for operational performance and use of resources across the public sector prisons in the Women’s estate. Ensuring that prisons are effectively delivering and driving improvement to meet the expected outcomes and holding Governors to account.
• Ensuring that prisons in the Women’s estate are responsible for meeting delivery requirements, complying with national policy and progressing strategic priorities.
• Supporting and coaching Governors to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to run safe, decent, secure and rehabilitative prisons and to manage their staff effectively; and improve staff engagement and demonstrate commitment to equality and inclusion through their leadership.
• Developing strategic relationships with key partners and stakeholders across MOJ, Government and other agencies and services, particularly relevant community partners, to ensure our business and strategic objectives are achieved.
• Manage the operation for admissions, refusals and appeals to Mother and Baby Units Manage the operation of the Restricted and Complex Case Board including a wider review of ‘restricted’ status women across the prison estate.
• Working in partnership with partners and stakeholders across and beyond the Criminal Justice System, influence wider programmes of interventions which address women offenders’ complex needs.
• Oversee/contribute to relevant policies for the Women’s estate across HMPPS.
• Ensure women’s needs are taken into account by NPS programmes of work for offenders e.g. Effective Proposal Framework (EPF) tool, offender management model and interventions.
• Working with directors and probation/prison leaders to maximise opportunities to deliver effective outcomes for women across HMPPS.
• Build and disseminate an NPS knowledge base about what works with women by influencing research and commissioning agendas and actively seeking knowledge from diverse sources to inform NPS practice.
• Horizon scan to ensure the programme of work takes into account changing political priorities and associated developments for example opportunities from developing IT and changes to court and prison systems.
• Ensure that diversity and inclusion are embedded in all projects and programmes of work.
• Providing strong and effective change leadership, ensuring in particular the effective implementation of programmes which support a rehabilitative culture and lead to improved safety in prisons.
• Working effectively in collaboration as part of the wider Prison Group structures across the Directorate, to effectively deploy resources; share best practice to ensure stability across the system and improve prisoner progression; create a learning culture; and deliver the Directorate’s objectives.
• Maintaining a broad and thorough understanding of the Agency’s business, including Ministerial priorities, with particular focus on ensuring that policy and reform are effectively delivered at local levels.
• Ensuring effective financial management to operate within the allocated budget and with financial propriety. Seeking appropriate sources of funding to support joint interest work with our strategic partners.

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.

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Ability

• Analytical Skills
• Verbal and Written Communication Skills

Experience

• A proven track record of senior operational and/or policy experience working effectively in this complex and high pressured operating environment.
• A proven record of leadership, inspiring staff, successfully engaging senior leaders, leading change and performance improvement and building capability to deliver business objectives.
• Evidence of strategic thinking and effective problem solving, developing innovative delivery options that meet strategic objectives whilst being rooted in an understanding of financial and implementation practicalities.
• Evidence of building strong and effective partnerships, across Government and with other parts of the public sector, operational partners and external stakeholders to advance business objectives.