HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 5
Directorate: Youth Custody Service
Job Description: Senior Placement Officer
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2470 Senior Placement Officer v4.0
Document Type
Management
Version
4.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
17 August 2020
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2470 Senior Placement Officer v4.0
HQ Job Description
Job Title
Senior Placement Officer
Directorate
Youth Custody Service
Band
5
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,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities & Duties
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.
HQ-JES-2470 Senior Placement Officer v4.0
? 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.
Behaviours
? Communicating and Influencing
? Making Effective Decisions
? Working Together
? Delivering at Pace
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
? Build relationships including communicating with senior stakeholder
managers to identify commissioning gaps, ensuring tailored and appropriate
case management to children and young people.
? An understanding or experience of working within youth work/children’s
services or youth justice sector.
? Able to work numerically and good understanding of IT systems.
Technical
Requirements
Ability
? Ability to collate and analyse information, write clear evidence reports and
summaries and communicate effectively throughout.
? Willingness and ability to develop and promote new ideas and approaches to
service delivery.
Minimum 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 HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour week.
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
Unsocial Hours Working to be confirmed by Recruiting Manager
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.
HQ-JES-2470 Senior Placement Officer v4.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Communicating and Influencing
Ability to collate and
Build relationships including
analyse information,
communicating with senior
write clear evidence
stakeholder managers to identify
reports and summaries
commissioning gaps, ensuring
and communicate
tailored and appropriate case
effectively throughout.
management to children and young
people.
Making Effective Decisions
Willingness and ability to An understanding or experience of
develop and promote
working within youth
new ideas and
work/children’s services or youth
approaches to service
justice sector.
delivery.
Working Together
Able to work numerically and good
understanding of IT systems.
Delivering at Pace
HQ-JES-2470 Senior Placement Officer v4.0