HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 8
Directorate: Rehabilitation and Assurance
Job Description: Regional Employment Broker, New
Futures Network (NFN)
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network
(NFN) v1.0
Document Type
Management
Version
1.0
Classification
Unclassified
Date of Issue
15 November 2018
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN) v1.0
HQ Job Description
Job Title
Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN)
Directorate
Rehabilitation and Assurance
Band
Band 8
Overview of the job
The role of New Futures Network (NFN) Regional Employment Broker is to create
employment opportunities for prisoners in custody, through release on temporary
licence (ROTL) and on release from custody. This will be achieved by building strong
relationships between Prison Governors and Commercial employers within their
designated regions.
The Employment Brokers will be directly managed by the Prison Group Director (PGD)
but will be centrally supported by the NFN Hub to ensure that the national approach
remains commensurate with Ministerial direction. The Hub will provide up to date
labour market intelligence that will drive targeted commercial engagement in Industry
sectors where skills gaps and vacancies are the most acute. Skills gaps will be
identified on both a National and Regional basis.
The Regional Broker will be responsible for working with Employers, Governors and
Regional Executive Teams to inform and shape training and education curriculums
within establishments to match employer requirements and maximise prisoner
employment pathways.
The NFN Central Hub will target 5 key sectors which will be reviewed annually. A
senior Sector Ambassador from a commercial background will be appointed within
each sector and will advocate NFN delivery, provide expertise within their field and
unlock potential contacts and engagement on a National and Regional level.
In line with the above model, Regional Employment Brokers will also assume
expertise in one of the designated 5 Sectors linking in with the Hub Sector
Ambassador. This will ensure that across the national network of Regional Brokers,
expertise is in place to guide and take forward initiatives with key employers on a
national basis.
To offer informed judgement to Commercial Stakeholders on prisoner employment
placements through ROTL or release, the Regional Employment Brokers will be
required to understand the Security category of prisons within their Region, the
activities, education and training delivered there.
Employment Brokers should also understand the activity capacity within the prisons in
their designated regions and remain alive to potential commercial opportunities that
could sit within such sites. Should such opportunities be identified the Business
Development arm of NFN should be notified to take forward and develop new
initiatives.
Having developed and strengthened relationships between establishments and key
employers the Regional Broker will hand on day to day running of engagements to the
most appropriate point of contact within the establishment. They will however
continue to assess and measure employment outcomes and report this data into the
Hub.
Where outcomes or engagements with external stakeholders are being adversely
affected the Regional Employment Broker will flag this with Establishments, address
and resolve. Where resolution cannot be achieved they will escalate to PGD and NFN
Hub for resolution.
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN) v1.0
The Regional Broker will need to develop a good underpinning knowledge of
Probation Service delivery and key contacts within. This will ensure that flexible
working arrangements that meet the needs of the employer and employee can be set
post release. Where employment outcomes are adversely affected post release, this
should flagged by the Employment Broker and signposted to the relevant point of
contact within the Probation Service for resolution. The Employment Broker must
remain positioned and maintain the positive relationships with key employers.
The roles will be regionally based with the expectation that post holders will travel as
and when required.
The post holder will have line management responsibility for staff at a local level.
This is a non-operational post.
Summary
The New Futures Network (NFN) is a national network, created to increase the
number of prisoners in employment on release and working in prisons in England and
Wales.
New Futures Network will operate a ‘Hub and Spoke’ Model.
The Regional Employment Brokers will act as the ‘Spokes’, they will be supported and
directed by the HQ NFN ‘Hub’ and improve employment opportunities by:
? Targeting employment sector bodies and large and small employers within
their designated regions to promote the benefits of employing ex-prisoners
on release.
? Building partnerships between employers and prisons, linking the work
prisoners do in custody with jobs on release.
? Identifying and feeding back messages from employers about the training
and development that prisoners will need.
The Employment Brokers will develop employment pathways for prisoners by
strengthening relationships between employers and Governors. Once such initiatives
are developed they will be cascaded to key establishment personnel to deliver and
maintain. Where employment outcomes are adversely affected it is the Employment
Broker’s responsibility to identify and address issues or escalate to the NFN Hub and
PGD for resolution.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities & Duties
and duties:
? Develop and maintain strong relationships with Governors of Establishments,
national and local employers and Probation counterparts within Region.
? Develop relationships and explore prisoner employment opportunities
working with Chambers of Commerce, Business in the Community, Local
Enterprise Panels, Police and Crime Commissioners and Regional Criminal
Justice Boards.
? Develop and maintain strong relationships with Resettlement providers,
Department of Work & Pensions Job Centre Plus staff, Prison Work Coaches
and Across the Gate services.
? Liaise with the NFN Hub to maintain an up to date Market Intelligence
picture, remain positioned on the key skills gaps within industry nationally
and regionally driving employment engagement aligned to these areas.
? Support Governors within the region/areas of responsibility to ensure that
delivery in the workshops supports the needs of potential employers
including the delivery of transferable to meet employer needs.
? Introduction of the Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway to potential employers.
? Take responsibility for providing expertise in one of the five key Industry
Sectors set by the NFN Hub. Liaise with the Sectors Ambassadors in this field
to unlock potential within Region.
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN) v1.0
? Form part of a network of Regional Brokers able to engage, identify and
support employment opportunities nationally for prisoners released to other
parts of the country.
? Be familiar with regional prisons security category activities and capacity
within Region. Remain alive to new commercial opportunities within
establishments linked to key industry sectors and signpost to the NFN
Business Development Team.
? Work with Privately Contracted Prison within your Region and engage with
Long Term High Security and Female Estate ‘Employment Brokers or
counterparts’ to maximise employment opportunities.
? Form part of your Regional Prison Group SMT and contribute to development
of the Regional Business Plan/Delivery Plan. Attend SMT meetings and
communicate NFN delivery where required.
? Attend/Chair relevant meetings or Governance Boards within Region.
? Ensure data is effectively captured and communicated to the NFN Hub,
particularly around employment outcomes.
? Have a detailed understanding of the Accommodation and Banking support
services available centrally and be able to signpost to support prisoner
employment opportunities.
? Line manage staff as requested and endorsed by regional PGD/NFN Hub.
? Be familiar with contract management principles and NFN Codes of Practice.
? Remain alive to financial and training opportunities that will improve
employability on release. Be familiar with the Dynamic Purchasing System
(DPS) and its ability to deliver bespoke training to meet employer need.
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.
Competencies
For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:
? Leading and Communicating
? Collaborating and Partnering
? Achieving Commercial Outcomes
? Managing a Quality Service
? Delivering Value for Money
? Persuading & Influencing
? Shows Drive & Resilience
? Acting With Integrity
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.
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN) v1.0
Essential Skills
Strategic skills
Qualifications,
Accreditation &
? Ability to engage at Senior Management level cross government policy and
Registration
strategy on behalf of New Futures Network NFN.
? Experience of working with senior officials.
? Experience of working across stakeholder groups and Other Government
Departments and excellent influencing skills, showing the ability to deal
effectively with conflict and deliver objectives.
? Ability to communicate NFN strategic direction and priorities to providers
and partners.
? Ability to translate high level policy into clear thinking to support Regions to
implement deliverable strategies.
? Resilience under pressure, ability to articulate and defend strategic decisions
on behalf of NFN.
? Strong written and excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
? Has experience of setting goals and achieving targets.
? Has commercial experience and has an understanding of contact
management.
? Has knowledge or experience of working with project management
methodology.
? Experience of implementing change.
? Strong team building and working skills.
Hours of Work
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
HQ-JES-2598 Regional Employment Broker, New Futures Network (NFN) v1.0