Job description
Community Payback Placement Coordinator Reading (South Central) – 73848
£23,637 – £29,046
Reading
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.
Community Payback Placement Coordinators will be expected to work weekends when needed. This may be to cover for CP supervisors, or to visit CP project sites – such as schools which aren’t accessible on weekdays – to complete project risk assessments or meet beneficiaries, for example. You will be paid a higher rate for any weekend days you do work.
Please note, office bases are in Reading.
Please click here to view a day in the life of a Placement Coordinator.
Overview of the job
This is a high-profile role within Probation Services (PS) responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with a range of current and future partner organisations, customers and stakeholders. This will involve working with a range of voluntary and statutory organisations.
The post holder will ensure that sufficient work placement that meet the quality standards set out in the Community Payback Guidance are available so that the sentence of the Court can be carried out effectively.
The post holder will support the CP Manager to ensure that all Community Payback placements meet the policy objectives of the organisation and comply with relevant legislation.
Post holders may be required to undertake weekend working as part of their normal pattern of working.
Summary
The job holder will identify and establish community-based work projects that fulfil the requirements of the Community Payback Guidance Manual. This includes monitoring and review of existing projects
The post holder will conduct relevant health and safety assessments of work placements and ensure compliance with organisational policy and health and safety legislation.
The post holder will have oversite of the placement induction procedure, defining tasks and safe working practices and appropriate allocation and use of required tools and equipment.
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties
- Find and assess a wide range of suitable Community Payback placements, including those providing an opportunity for service user training and future employment and placements appropriate for people with protective characteristics
- Assess the viability of income generation opportunities within new placements, discuss with beneficiaries and manage the process to maximise this potential
- To complete a schedule of safe working practice for work and create a project file in accordance with Health and safety standards.
- Promote positive relationships with beneficiaries/ stakeholders; including meetings and site visits as required to manage customer/stakeholder relationships and promote a positive perception of the PS with community networks.
- Ensure that a safe working environment for staff, service users and beneficiaries is maintained on all Community Payback work sites in compliance with Health and Safety legislation and PS policy.
- Ensure that placements remain compliant with quality requirements and take action as required to improve or discontinue placements where quality standards cannot be met.
- Be responsible for coordinating tools, equipment, appropriate clothing and PPE and other resources used on Community Payback placements and ensure that all equipment complies with Health and Safety requirements and that users know how to safely use the equipment.
- Ensure that relevant Health and Safety Training is provided to staff both in response to ad‐hoc needs and as required by the service delivery plan
- To support investigations into Health and Safety incidents and ensure that serious incidents including near misses are reported and that lessons learnt are shared within the team.
- To support the electronic, social media and other innovative means to receive nominations for new placements from the public and promote Community Payback, within PS guidelines.
- Liaise with probation practitioners as necessary to exchange information and maintain appropriate working arrangements
- To participate in a rota planning, delivering and reviewing the service user induction.
- Recruit, support and coordinate Mentors who will encourage service user compliance, engagement and access to local support networks
- To cover the CP supervisor role where required to avoid cancellation of work placements for operational reasons.
- To contribute to training of CP supervisors and beneficiaries, as appropriate
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
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Essential Experience
- Evidence of working as part of a team, sharing good practice, knowledge of community networks and the skills to promote a strong team ethos
- Examples of maintaining positive working relationships with a range of stakeholders (beneficiary organisations) and represent the organisations at meetings and Forums.
- Experience of conducting work place reviews to make judgements about compliance with quality standards
Technical requirements
- Health and Safety Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Level 3 or Managing Safely qualified
- Full UK manual driving licence
- Qualified as an assessor for NVQ awards for service user e.g. OCN
Salary
£23,637 - £29,046
Additional Information
About the Recruitment Process
At application we will ask you to upload a CV and complete a 500 word statement of suitability. Your statement of suitability should address the essential experience criteria outlined in the job description.
If you are successful in the recruitment process and join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £23,637. The Probation Service offers the opportunity for annual pay progression. The table below shows the pay increases a Community Payback supervisor or placement coordinator could receive:
Present day
1 October 2023
1 April 2024
£23,637
£24,228
£26,475
To a maximum of £31,650 in a further 4 years.
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 are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service, plus public holidays. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis
Pension
The National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF). Please visit www.gmpf.org.uk for further information.
Please note: Any current Civil Servant who is a member of the PCSPS, by accepting an offer of employment to the National Probation Services will be opted out of the PCSPS and auto enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Eligibility
All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
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.