Skip to content

General Information

Salary
£31,995
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Location
Milton Keynes
Region
South East
Closing Date
06-Jan-2025
Business Unit
Woodhill
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
EO
Number of jobs available
1
Job ID
1317

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Overview of the job

This is a prisoner-facing job in an establishment.

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for co-ordinating creative arts classes, events and activities for prisoners by building effective, appropriate and supportive relationships through managing them in a proactive manner and promoting the decency agenda. Contributes to sentence planning and reducing reoffending. Applies safer custody practices and complies with national and local security standards. Responsible for high level of security, productivity, good order and hygiene within workshops areas.

This is a non-operational job with no line management or supervisory responsibilities. This role is non-rotational.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties 

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

• Promote and facilitate delivery of the creative arts (writing, reading, literacy, visual art, drama, music, and other creative projects) to prisoners, staff and management.

• Prepare and deliver creative writing workshops.

• Prepare and facilitate/chair book group(s) and coordinate with national providers.

• Plan and coordinate production of in-house magazine and promotional literature and ensure its timely and regular publication.

• Plan and deliver arts events, talks, competitions and exhibitions.

• Point of contact for external arts-based providers, arts organisations and funders: build contacts, links and relationships with such.

• Point of contact for external arts volunteers, build contacts, liaise with and coordinate such.

• Point of contact for external local community for arts events and activities.

• Plan and coordinate prisoner mentors/orderlies to promote and deliver arts-based activities to prisoners, including production of in-house magazine.

• Participate in the selection process of suitable prisoner arts mentors/orderlies, ensuring they have suitable qualities.

• Provide training to mentors/orderlies and arrange follow up sessions if required.

• Liaise with mentors/orderlies on a weekly basis to check progress. 

• Provide support for mentors/orderlies and learners where required, encouraging them in their learning.

• Arrange one-to-one meetings with mentors/orderlies and learners if required to challenge inappropriate behaviour and discuss any problems or concerns.

• Arrange and chair mentor meetings.

• Assess learners’ needs and match with suitable mentors/orderlies, events and activities.

• Provide support and advice on career opportunities and relevant support organisations for respective arts practices and areas.

• Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners receiving training, education or work experience. Responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners.

• Open and complete Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports.

• Log attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages.

• Carry out fabric checks of classroom and maintain security of lock, bolts and bars used in the classroom.

• Contribute to prisoner reports including parole, sentence planning and Individual Learning Plan (ILP).

• Complete regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records.

• Order materials and estimate usage in order to meet work learning targets.

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.

Please see Job Description for more information.

Additional Information

Applying to Work at HMP Woodhill (Please Read)

You will need to undergo and clear pre-employment checks. This will include His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service Enhanced Level 2 vetting, and due to the security status of HMP Woodhill Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC vetting) is also required. 

Proof that you have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years is needed to complete the CTC vetting process. The residency requirements refer to the period immediately before an application is made, and not any other three-year period, or any other accumulation of time spent in the UK. If you cannot provide proof of 3 years residency, you are not eligible to apply for this role.

However If you have been out of the country for a significant period of time (usually up to one year) and maintained your UK residency you may still be considered for vetting clearance. For example:

 ■ spent a significant period of time overseas without returning to the UK, but intend   to return in the future

■ taken a gap year before or following university

■ travelled for a year

■ spent time overseas visiting family

 This is not an exhaustive list.

Candidates must be able to provide correct and up to date documentation when requested during the application process. 

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 SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

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.

Contact Information
If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com.

Please quote job reference: 1317.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
500
Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
Managing a Quality Service
Working Together
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
Managing a Quality Service
Working Together
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
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.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?
Presentation