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/about
JOB PROFILE
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 April 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 7 (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 nine Band 7 Policy Leads to support the delivery of a high-profile and transformative programme. Policy Leads will have an opportunity to work on either subject policy management or strategy development within one of the following policy areas:
- Education Skills and Work delivery programme
- Delivery and improvement across skills and work
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
- Workforce development and enablement
- Neurodiversity
- Curriculum
Applicants can specify a policy/strategy area preference in their application, and we will take this into consideration, but we cannot guarantee that we will meet all preferences indicated.
Policy Leads will be part of a team working at pace to deliver a high-profile and transformative programme. They will be responsible for supporting programme leads with strategy and policy development, pulling together high-quality briefing and liaising with a range of key programme stakeholders. 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 holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:
- Supporting programme leads with strategy and policy development
- Undertaking detailed programme research, working closely with policy colleagues where required
- Creating and/or reviewing content for key documents required to establish and maintain the programme
- Seeing specific initiatives and projects from inception to completion
- Setting up projects, with appropriate governance arrangements to support the project, identifying risks and mitigating action and reporting on progress to senior managers and stakeholders
- Producing high quality briefings for senior officials and the wider team such as submissions and board papers, showing excellent oral and written communication skills whilst working under pressure to tight deadlines
- Researching, drafting and producing informative and persuasive Ministerial submissions and briefing with supporting slide packs
- Producing targeted reports for specific audiences and briefings for senior stakeholders
- Where applicable, ensuring alignment of innovation to business as usual processes and establishing roll out options
- Line management duties where required
Person Specification:
Experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience of policy research to feed into briefings and submissions
- 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
- A succinct communicator who can deliver high quality work and quality assure others work at pace
- 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, skills and work 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
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
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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