Senior Policy Adviser - Prison Capacity Policy in the Joint Strategic Policy Unit

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Prison Policy

The Prison Policy Directorate is recruiting permanently for one SEO post in the Prison Capacity Team. This campaign is open to current civil servants on level transfer and suitable candidates on promotion.

Location:

Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:

1. 102 Petty France, London

2. 5 Wellington Place, Leeds

Since 2019, the MoJ has separated its head office operations across two sites: Leeds and London. Applications from candidates wishing to be based in either location are welcome in this campaign. Successful candidates may choose equally between these two exciting environments; however, we are committed to expanding the presence of the Policy Group in our northern hub.

Our 5 Wellington Place office, located in the heart of Leeds’ legal district and close to several other government departments, provides a modern environment for our growing community of policy professionals to collaborate and engage. We have well-established relationships with prisons, probation offices and courts across the city and Yorkshire, allowing for those designing policy to remain close to the operational delivery of their work. Those working in our Leeds office are provided valuable L&D and networking opportunities to ensure they can grow their careers in the same way as their counterparts in London.

Occasional travel between the two locations may be required.  We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds)

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

• Full-time, part-time or the option to job share

• Flexible working patterns

• Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Salary

Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.  

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing over 90,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9.5 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Prison Policy Directorate

The Prison Policy Directorate is responsible for advising Ministers on all aspects of prison policy. Our key priorities include reducing the number of prisoners who reoffend on release from prison, ensuring that prisons are safe and secure, and developing a comprehensive strategy for the future of the prison estate and the recruitment and training of the prison workforce. Other important work includes the scrutiny of prison performance and developing policy that supports the effective management of Foreign National Offenders and other specific cohorts of prisoners.

Joint Strategic Policy Unit Division

The Joint Strategic Policy Unit was set up across MoJ and HMPPS to help shape the response to COVID 19. It has now been made a permanent team and takes on priority work identified by MOJ and HMPPS Senior Leadership Teams.  This unit sits in both the Prisons Policy Directorate in MoJ and the Strategy, Performance and Corporate Delivery Directorate in HMPPS. 

Our team provides advice to senior officials, Ministers, and across Government, on immediate challenges in the prison and probation system, as well as leading longer-term strategic planning and preparations. We work collaboratively across a wide range of policy and operational topics with colleagues across the MoJ, HMPPS and other government departments.

We are a friendly, enthusiastic and collaborative team with a strong emphasis on ensuring members feel happy, supported and engaged in their work. We are committed to delivering high-quality and impactful projects, working closely with partners, and supporting everyone to play their part to improve prison and probation services. We have a strong commitment to personal and career development, helping everyone to grow and fulfil their potential. 

Senior Policy Adviser, Prison Capacity Policy - Capacity Options Taskforce

HMPPS and MOJ are facing rising demand for prison spaces. While we have an ambitious plan for expanding prison supply and reducing demand through the recently announced Sentencing Review, we are facing immediate capacity pressures and structural challenges around the rate of supply and demand increase.

The Director General-led Capacity Options Taskforce (COT) was set up in September 2022 to ensure that HMPPS and MOJ have a clear and coherent plan to continue to match the supply and demand for prison places. COT continues to focus on the short-term challenge, while also looking at wider system outcomes and sustainability.

We are looking for candidate(s) to play a key role in the Prison Capacity team, working on the most significant challenge facing MoJ of high senior and Ministerial interest. It is a fast paced and often reactive role, working closely with and coordinating teams across policy, analysis, legal, finance and operations, where the post holder will be supported to drive forward a critical portfolio of high-profile work.

The postholder’s work will evolve in response to a rapidly changing situation and precise role will depend on the candidate and their place within the team, but examples of responsibilities could include:

• Leading on COT governance and co-ordination between sub-boards;

• Leading the MoJ’s response to new policies which may impact prison capacity, both from the MoJ and other Government departments, and leading on advice to the Lord Chancellor on this;

• Working across the department on developing strategic responses to address prison capacity over the next two years;

• Working to design and implement operational responses to acute crises related to prison capacity;

• Working across the team to quickly respond to requests for briefing and advice as needed and other similar reactive work;

• Working flexibly to respond to arising issues and emerging priorities;

• Contributing to making the Joint Unit a great place to work.

The role may also include line management of one HEO.

Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Behaviours

During the application process you will be asked to provide a 250-word example of how you have met each of the behaviours below (see Annex A for more information):

• Delivering at Pace (lead behaviour)

• Working Together

• Making Effective Decisions

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Delivering at Pace. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

Candidates invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.

During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and strengths-based questions to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)

During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions on the following behaviours (set out in the civil service success profiles framework).

• Delivering at Pace

• Working Together

• Making Effective Decisions

• Seeing the Big Picture

Interviews are expected to take place in late January 2025.

Contact information

Please do get in touch with tom.gibson@justice.gov.uk if you have any questions about the role.

Annex A - The STAR method

Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

• Where are you?

• Who was there with you?

• What had happened?

Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

• What was the task that you had to complete and why?

• What did you have to achieve?

Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I" rather than “we" to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.

• What results did the actions produce?

• What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?

• Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.