THELAWPAGES.COM

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 reoffending rate has remained broadly static at around 29% since 2010. Reoffending is costing society approximately £18bn per year and almost half of all prisoners reoffend within 12 months of release. 

• The Prisons Strategy White Paper was published in December 2021. As part of the paper, MOJ and HMPPS committed to:
  • A new Prisoner Education Service, to make sure offenders can improve their basic

literacy and numeracy, as well as acquire further vocational qualifications, like construction

and computing, making them more employable when they leave prison.

• Earlier assessments and the full range of mental health and drug

treatments, including abstinence-based methods, to support more prisoners to address

their addictions and other clinical barriers to their rehabilitation.

• Introduction of resettlement passports to bring together the essentials that offenders

need to live crime-free lives after their release – identification, a CV, and a bank account –

in one place and make sure that they are easily accessible.

• In order to drive this ambitious strategy forward, we will invest £200m per year by 2024-25 to transform our approach to rehabilitation. 

• The Accelerator Prisons Project will play a key role in delivering these commitments. The project seeks to design, implement and test new initiatives and roles across sixteen prisons, working on a range of key reducing reoffending pathways: Education; Employment; Accommodation; and Substance Misuse. Where success is demonstrated, and subject to available funding, initiatives and roles may be expanded to other prisons across the estate.  

• The project was recently nominated for an innovations and learning award. Following a successful first year, we are now looking to expand the remit and focus of the project, seeking to develop and test a whole host of new reducing reoffending initiatives and ideas, as well as exploring opportunities for how best practice can be shared with more prisons across the estate. The post holder will play a key role designing and implementing these initiatives, as well as developing systems and structures to help drive performance up across the estate. 

• This is an exciting head of policy role based in HMPPS HQ Reducing Reoffending Directorate, leading on several policy areas and / or a best practice consultancy function within the Accelerator Prisons Project. Regular contact with prison governors, senior staff, and stakeholders will be required. Post holder will also be required to build strong working relationships with counterparts in MOJ, as well as lead on briefings with Ministers and senior officials. As such this is a great opportunity for someone interested in working a role which influences, and joins up, policy direction and operational delivery. 

• The post holder will act as Deputy to Head of the Project. Helping to set the strategic direction, leading on key briefing and engagement with senior stakeholders, and driving forward work of a team of up to twelve members of staff. This is an HQ post. The postholder will be able to work remotely or from 102 Petty France. For those working remotely, regular travel to Petty France will be expected. Regular visits to prisons are also expected as part of the role. 

Overview of the job 

This is a senior manager post based in HQ, reporting directly to a Deputy Director and will be a member of the Senior Management Team

Summary 

The job holder will have experience of leading and delivering wide ranging policies and procedures to demonstrably improve outcomes for a complex organisation. This is to be delivered by providing strategic leadership to their respective team/s to support, challenge and improve the delivery of measurable improvements in outcomes.

They will lead the team ensuring that the necessary systems, processes, evidence, strategic links and relationships are in place to continually develop and introduce new and revised policies to allow effective and legitimate use of policy.

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of high quality democratic services to Parliament and Ministers – delivering accurate, timely and clear briefings. 

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties  

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

•        Provide strategic direction and leadership to the Policy Team.

•        Accountable for ensuring that existing policies remain current and to identify and address areas of weakness, ambiguity or inconsistency.

•        Assure NOMS compliance with legislation, government policy and best practice in relation to the specific policy area  

•        Engage with senior representatives of  stakeholders  Policy decision makers to identify and develop the future needs of policy 

•        Representing NOMS in meetings with outside organisations and stakeholders and Other Government Departments.

•        Develop and manage the commissioning of a research and analysis programme to policy and decision making, including leading meetings with senior research and policy staff from NOMS, MOJ, and other Government Departments to ensure research and analysis outputs inform and improve policy in order to more effectively meet operational requirements

•        Commission legal advice where necessary

•        Accountable for day-to-day advice given by others in unit on lower level issues  – ensure that staff understand the importance of accurate and timely advice and that they are not impinging on the operational decision making

•        Accountable for the various programmes of project work (initiatives) within the team

•        Accountable for identifying policy design taking into account the strategic priorities of the organisation and/or Ministerial priorities and/or identified threats.  

•        Assuring NOMS compliance with legislation, government policy and best practice in relation to policy 

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

•        Seeing the Big Picture

•        Making Effective Decisions

•        Delivering at Pace

•        Working Together

•        Communicating and Influencing 

Essential Experience

N.B. Converting job descriptions to the new Success Profile format means areas captured in experience could also be assessed as a strength.  Vacancy managers should use their own judgement to decide where best to assess these.  

•        Excellent analytical skills in understanding trends.

•        Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

Technical requirements

•        Wide knowledge of the strategic priorities of the organisation 

•        Comprehensive knowledge of procedures for working with and briefing Ministers and Parliament

•        Evidence of political awareness in sensitive areas such as dealing with young people policy, courts & judiciary and rights groups such as Liberty.

•        Wide-ranging knowledge of policy development procedures within NOMS.