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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £38,272 - £42,099, London salary range is £41,169 - £46,946. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
07-Jan-2025
Business Unit
Youth Custody Service
Post Type
Fixed Term
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Job ID
1354

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Background

The Youth Custody Service (YCS), as part of His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Services (HMPPS), exists to protect the public by providing safe and secure accommodation for children under 18 in England and in Wales, supporting their positive development while in the secure setting, and working with partners to reduce the risk of reoffending so children are better prepared to make a positive contribution to their communities.

We oversee the day-to-day operational management of the youth secure estate and takes operational responsibility for implementing change programmes as well as commissioning services. We work closely with our parent department, the Ministry of Justice as well as with the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) co-commissioners of services (including NHSE) and a range of inspectorates to develop positive lives for children in custody. Our vision is that every child we work with lives a safe and crime-free life and makes a positive contribution to society.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Transformation and Project Delivery Unit within the YCS and to make a difference to the lives of children and young people in custody. The work of the team includes supporting strategy and policy formulation and delivering major projects in line with Government requirements to children in custody across England and in Wales.

The post holder will work within a team of people dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young people. The work of the team is varied, fast-moving and intellectually stimulating. It requires a strong partnership-working ethos and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships to achieve improved outcomes for children in custody.

Main Activities/Responsibilities

This role provides an exciting opportunity for the post holder to support the design and delivery of commissioning projects to secure services and places for children and young people who are remanded or sentenced to custody on the Children and Young People’s Secure Estate (CYPSE) in England and Wales.  

  • Supporting the design and delivery of commissioning projects and workstreams to help produce evidence-based services that improve outcomes for children and young people in custody.
  • Working as part of a team and with stakeholders to support project management, planning and progressing actions to deliver work
  • Maintain effective working relationships to deliver commissioning processes that are efficient and effective.
  • Support work to understand and inform value for money of services within their portfolio.
  • Support work to handover products for commissioned services in a timely manner.
  • Capture lessons learned from commissioning projects to help improve future projects and services.
  • Proactively contribute as part of a nurturing and high-performing team. This means that:

·       Work advances the promotion of diversity and fosters inclusion across the YCS.

·       Services adhere to the highest standards for safeguarding children.

·       The views of children inform the development of commissioned services.

The duties/ responsibilities listed above is not exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments that may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder. 

 Person Specification

 

Essential

  • ·       Ability to think critically and objectively.
  • ·       Experience of working in partnership with others to achieve successful delivery of work and targets.
  • ·       Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to communicate at all levels
  • ·       Excellent Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point skills
  • ·       Ability to coordinate competing priorities and make decisions at pace

 The behaviours for this role are as follows:

·       Communicating and Influencing

·       Making effective decisions

·       Delivering at pace

·       Working Together

·       Managing a Quality Service

This role is offered temporarily, to cover maternity leave, on a level move or as a temporary promotion. Cover is needed to start as soon as possible and to run up to November 2025.

Please ensure you seek agreement from your line manager before submitting your application.

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 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 1354
 

If you have any questions or require further details regarding the post, please contact anita.seeley@justice.gov.uk.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Communicating and Influencing
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
Please give examples of why you feel that you are suitable for the role.
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
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.