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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.

Overview of the job

The job holder will lead the management and assessment of selected low to medium risk prisoners and prepare, implement, review and evaluate their sentence plans with them. The job holder will build effective, appropriate and supportive relationships with prisoners, with the aim of reducing re-offending.

The job holder will act in a supportive role only to probation officers in the case management of high risk prisoners. The job holder will have undergone selection and additional training to carry out this specialist delivery job as a Prison Offender Manager to prisoners.

This is a non-operational job with no line management responsibilities. Will have regular prisoner facing activities/duties.

Summary

Typical tasks associated with this role include:

• Supervise, Manage, Signpost and advise prisoners decently, safely and securely while carrying out all activities.
• Understand, apply and conform to national and local policies.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners and staff.
• Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
• Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification/quality checking purposes.
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
• To assess and manage the risk posed by offenders to protect victims of crime and the general public by:

o Providing information and advice to other criminal justice agencies and partner organisations.
o Supervise offenders during custodial sentences.
o Contribute to the management of risk.
o Work with other agencies and groups to prevent reoffending and meet the needs of victims and offenders.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

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

• To undertake the full range of offender management tasks with low to medium risk cases.
• No ownership of high risk cases will be held, but support to probation officers in the case management of high risk prisoners will be given when required.
• As Prison Offender Manager, be involved in all relevant processes in the prison such as ACCT and violence reduction/anti-bullying for those within your case load, if this is applicable.
• Act as the ACCT Case Manager for individuals if appropriate (Prison Offender Managers should not routinely be used as ACCT Case Managers, only when appropriate to do so).
• Interview prisoners within prescribed timescales of their arrival. Set and review targets with prisoners and update case management notes on PNOMIS or relevant IT systems.
• Use the Offender Assessment System (OASys) to identify risks and manage offenders appropriately.
• Obtain further information if required from outside agencies to complete a comprehensive OASys report.
• Lead the sentence planning meeting in order to prepare and review appropriate plans.
• Coordinate the activities within the sentence plan through liaison with prisoners and other departments and agencies, including gathering and exchanging information and understanding/investigating conflicting opinions on prisoner progress.
• Encourage and support prisoner to participate in education, interventions and workshops as defined within the sentence plan. Develop strategies to assist prisoners to overcome reluctance to attend.
• To provide professional advice and assessment, including written reports to criminal justice agencies and partner organisations.
• Liaise with the Community Offender Managers regarding Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and Home Detention Curfew (HDC). Make recommendations to the Governor on suitability for early release. Inform relevant agencies of release dates and address of prisoners considered a risk on release.
• Support Community Offender Managers with the delivery of plans to enable recalled prisoners to be re-released.
• Complete all paperwork for the cases, including lifer and ISP specific paperwork in line with relevant policies, standards and set timescales.
• Highlight any prisoner who gives significant concerns by their behaviour to the Heads of Offender Management or Orderly Officer. Concerns may be for a variety of issues, for example, any prisoner who has presented in the past risk of suicide or self harm, or if there are any outstanding concerns with regards to victims or further offences and racial harassment.
• Contribute to and attend Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Boards and work with all relevant external agencies to protect the public when releasing prisoners under MAPPA.
• Liaise with the Foreign National Department or UK Border Agency regarding foreign national prisoners, as appropriate.
• Instigate public protection child contact checks and share relevant safeguarding information with authorities.
• Undertake the role of the resettlement advisor for prisoners in the specific caseload. Forge, develop and maintain the links between the programmes, the progress, or otherwise, made by the participants and the prisoner’s ongoing path through their sentence.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues and maintain effective team relationships, in particular with Key Workers.
• Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes.
• To use computer based systems to produce, update and maintain records and other documentation within agreed timescales.
• To work within the aims and values of HMPPS.

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.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Behaviours

Ability

• Ability to analyse complex information in order to make assessments and decisions.
• Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing with offenders, professionals, and at hearings such as Parole Boards.
• Ability to empathise constructively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• The ability to complete all mandatory training as required to support the job role.

Experience

• Experience of working with a diverse range of people who have experienced a range of social/personal difficulties, and of using tact and discretion when dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.
• Understanding of factors related to offending, e.g. substance misuse, accommodation issues.
• Understanding of and commitment to the principles of case management.
• Knowledge and understanding of risk management/risk assessment pertaining to offenders and the impact on victims of crime.
• Experience in planning and coordinating work.
• Experience of working with groups or individuals in order to motivate and change behaviour.
• Experience of working with diverse communities including promoting equality and valuing diversity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the work of the criminal justice system.
• Experience of working with people who have committed offences.
• Have received Women Awareness Staff Training (WASP) if working in a female establishment.
• Have received Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme (JASP) and child protection training if working in a Juvenile establishment.
• A working knowledge of relevant legislation and National Standards.
• Knowledge of Evidence Based Practice and risk/needs assessment tools.

Technical

Desirable – Higher level academic qualification(s).

Salary

£28,477

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate’s Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

• The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

• You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

• The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

• After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

• There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

• All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

Eligibility

• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

• All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail [email protected]);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team ([email protected]);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

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.