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.
HMPPS
- Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is to here to prevent victims by changing lives.
- We work with our partners to carry out the sentences given by the courts, either in custody or the community.
- We reduce reoffending by rehabilitating the people in our care through education and employment. The agency is made up of Her Majesty’s Prison Service, the Probation Service and a headquarters focussed on creating tools and learning.
- We work with many agencies, organisations and partners to provide our services including charities and social enterprises.
- We also work with independent inspectors, local councils, youth offending teams, courts, police and other enforcement agencies to meet our responsibilities and support the justice system.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service/abou
Job Profile
Subject Policy Lead / Education Skills and Work Programme / Reducing Reoffending Partnerships and Accommodation
Reports To
Programme Leads
Location & Terms of appointment
This is a permanent, full time post to start in March 2022. This is a national role and employees base can be their nearest MoJ/HMPPS office. 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
Salary and Grade
This post is Band 8 (SEO equivalent).
New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range and this is non-negotiable.
Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.
Background
The Reducing Reoffending Division has been set up to drive a step change in the whole system’s response to reoffending. It will encourage all organisations involved in the area – for example health partners, local authorities, job centres, as well as prisons and probation – to work more effectively together.
It is responsible for the implementation of the Reducing Reoffending Delivery Programme – a three-year programme which aims to enhance the support available to prison leavers. In particular, the programme aims to increase the number of people who leave prison with a home, a job and treatment for substance misuse.
The Education, Skills and Work programme is being developed to build on existing good practice and establish a prison education, skills and work offer that addresses the individual needs of offenders using a tailored plan developed from entry into prison. We want to deliver a transformed and high-quality learning and development offer that equips prisoners with the skills and qualifications they need to prepare for employment, further education or training on release, with a particular focus on improving numeracy, literacy and employability. Our ambitions for prison education, skills and work have been set out in the 2021 Prisons White Paper.
We understand the importance of providing a service that supports improved healthcare and rehabilitation to ensure a whole prison approach to reintegrating prisoners back into society to live meaningfully and reduce reoffending. Our ambitions will be encompassed in our whole prison approach where rehabilitation is exemplified through the environment, regime and provision of services, and where these aspects of prison life actively support people to maintain and improve their health and prospects to prepare for release.
Role Purpose
As part of this programme, we are recruiting eight Band 8 Subject Policy Leads to support the delivery of a high-profile and transformative programme. Subject Policy Leads will have an opportunity to work within one of the following areas:
- Education Skills and Work delivery programme
- Delivery and improvement across skills and work
- Education, Skills and Work Delivery improvements
- Education, Skills and Work Digital Innovation
- Metrics and Accountability
- Communications and Stakeholder Management
- Business Case Development
Applicants can specify a policy area preference in their application, and we will take this into consideration, but we cannot guarantee that we will meet all preferences indicated.
Subject Policy Leads will be part of a team working at pace to deliver a high-profile and transformative programme. They will be responsible for helping to develop programme strategy, ensuring the programme is on track to deliver against its commitments, as well as briefing senior officials and Ministers, pulling together high-quality submissions and supporting information documents for a range of audiences. They will be expected to work closely with the wider programme team to share information, ensure consistency and develop good practice. There may also be line management opportunities.
This is an ideal post for someone seeking to develop knowledge and skills working between policy and operational delivery.
Main Activities / Responsibilities
The job holders will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:
- Managing programme strategy and policy development
- Helping to develop the programme, working with others to think beyond what already exists whilst objectively considering evidence and its implications
- Leading on programme research, working closely with policy colleagues where required
- Supporting the programme to ensure that the delivery of outputs from the various projects meets programme requirements
- Engaging with senior policy officials and decision makers to establish clear and strategic understanding of emerging policy, scrutinizing and challenging it and the reasoning behind it
- Stakeholder management that ensures alignment of priorities and management of expectations, negotiating and problem solving where necessary to establish collaborative working relationships
- Providing high-quality briefing to senior officials and Ministers, showing excellent oral and written communication skills whilst working under pressure to tight deadlines
- Producing targeted reports for specific audiences and briefings for senior stakeholders. Where appropriate
- Creating and/or reviewing content for key documents required to establish and maintain the programme
- Where appropriate line management responsibility for a band 7s, including detailed understanding of their work and setting their direction accordingly
Person Specification:
Experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience of providing high quality briefings to senior officials and Ministers to tight deadlines
- An understanding of the importance of tailoring communications based on the audience
- Experience of providing strategic oversight and improvement to a large programme
- Experience of Stakeholder Management
- An understanding of the Justice system and the roles and responsibilities that sit within it
Desirable experience
- An understanding of the importance of a successful education offer within prisons
- A background in policy or strategy
Selection process details
How to Apply
Candidates must submit a 500-word suitability statement which describes how they meet the requirements set out in the Person Specification above and a CV.We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
- Changing and Improving
Your application will be reviewed and sifted on the statement of suitability against the person specification above by a diverse panel. Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 1 hour panel interview held via video conference.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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