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This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £36,151 - £37,887, London salary range is £39,315 - £42,928. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
07-Jan-2026
Business Unit
Youth Custody Service
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
12771

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Overview of the job: 

The post involves working as part of the Youth Custody Service which is a distinct arm of HMPPS. The post holder will be responsible for the individual assessment of the risks associated with young people who have been committed to custody by the courts. They will then be placed in a risk and needs led way into the secure estate. 

The post holder will hold a remit to support the case management of young people.

Summary: 

The job holder is responsible for the placement of young people who are committed by the courts, into the YCS secure estate. They will be placed based on the YCS principles of placement and ensure that any subsequent placement activity such as transfers, placement review and transitions are completed in line with legal and legislative requirements based on the rights of the child.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties: 

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

  • Responsible for the tactical management of the secure estate population to maximize the use of available accommodation including contingency provisions. 
  • Coordinates and directs escort contractors and communicates plans to establishments. Forecast number of establishment places required to deal with number of young people held by the police on a daily basis. 
  • Maintain sufficient number of spaces in the secure estate to receive new placements to minimise travel times and impact on young people. 
  • Control and instruct Service Providers throughout the working day to tactically manage the population. Regular instruction given by telephone throughout the day and into the evening until all young people are placed. 
  • Decides most appropriate placement based on risk factors and communicates with stakeholders to that effect, ensuring that accurate records of decisions are made and stored on the YJAF system. 
  • Directs YCS escort contractors to transfer young people within the agreed contract framework or under emergency situations. 
  • Controls and manages transfers in response to establishment or stakeholder requests, prioritizing and negotiating as required ensuring that transfers are completed in the best interests of the young person. 
  • Arranges cross border transfers of young people within the UK. 
  • Provides a 24 hour service on call commitment placing young people into the secure estate and meeting the needs of stakeholders and courts. 
  • Delivers on call support to the YCS Duty Manager on placement matters when Gold Command is open or other incidents occur within the overall secure estate. 
  • Plans, negotiates and implements measures to decant and/or ramp up establishments in support of MOJ commissioning projects, maintenance, incidents or performance improvement. Support the Secure Training Centres and Secure Children’s Homes in relation to the case management and subsequent placement review of young people. 
  • Attendance at operational meetings as required throughout the secure estate. 
  • Responsible for achieving Key Performance Indicator targets and operating as required to meet YCS business plan targets. 
  • Provides operational advice and guidance to colleagues on the impact of establishment realignment, closure and commissioning initiatives.
  • Management and ownership of the centrally held Placements YJAF system to ensure a consistent and transparent system of record keeping is in place. 
  • Job holder is required to respond to incidents within establishments by arranging emergency transfers. 
  • Job holder is required to adopt a flexible approach to work and to all areas of Placement Team business as required. 

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.

Hours of work: 

37 hour week. 

Unsocial Hours Working

Definition of Unsocial Hours Working - This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays.

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 full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

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

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 TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information
MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 12771

HMPPS:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 12771

Allowance

This role requires working regular unsocial hours as part of the normal shift commitment and a 20% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 ‐ 1900hrs Monday to Friday and including working evening, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Communicating and Influencing
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Delivering at Pace
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected w/c 19 January 2026
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Delivering at Pace
Level of security checks required
DBS Enhanced

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.