Job Description (JD)
Band 6
Group Profile - Advisor
Job Description - Advisor: Prison Employment Lead
Document Ref.
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
28 February 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
A: Prison Employment Lead
Group Profile
Advisor
Organisation Level
First Line Management
Band
Band 6
Summary
The job holder has responsibility for improving the employability of prisoners and
supporting prison leavers into employment on release.
Overview of the job
In order to prepare prison leavers for work on release, HMPPS have invested
significantly in a variety of activities that give prisoners the opportunity to develop work
skills and gain experience.
Within the prison estate employment is managed as part of the reduction of re-
offending agenda, which alongside education and a range of other support agencies,
specifically provides prisoners with the necessary skills and knowledge to live a law-
abiding life after leaving prison.
A key aspect of this service is to support prison leavers into meaningful, sustained
employment on release by working with employers in the community.
The New Futures Network (NFN) is a national network of employment brokers and
industry leads, who work to establish relationships with a range of sector-based
employers. The specific aim is to increase the number of prison leavers entering into
employment on release. In order for these employers to benefit from the potential
labour pool that exists within UK Prisons, it is essential that work ready candidates are
identified pre-release.
The primary function of the Prison Employment Lead (PEL) is to lead on the
construction of an end to end Prison Employment pathway, which starts to promote
the very real prospect of employment on release to prisoners from the beginning of
their journey through the establishment.
The Prison Employment Lead will principally be responsible for:
i.
Identifying work ready candidates.
ii.
Prioritising actions and services needed to ensure prisoners achieve work
readiness.
iii.
Matching work ready candidates to suitable vacancies supplied by the New
Futures Network and other employment stakeholders within the prison estate.
The role will be establishment based with the expectation that post holders will travel
as and when required. This is a non-operational post. The post holder will have line
management responsibilities for at least one Band 3 administration staff member, with
the potential for additional as and when the work develops.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and
Activities and Duties
duties:
The role of the PEL is to improve employment outcomes for prison leavers. In order to
achieve this, they will:
• Engage with stakeholders within the prison to establish a system that identifies
work ready prisoners and highlights actions needed to support prisoners to
achieve work readiness.
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0
• Work with prison staff and stakeholders to match work ready candidates to job
opportunities brokered on behalf of the prison by the New Futures Network
and other employment agencies.
• Support contracted IAG and Education providers to ensure the prison
induction process properly:
o promotes employment, education, and skills training opportunities to
prisoners upon arrival at the prison
o effectively captures information relating to prisoner education, work
experience and skills
o encourages prisoners to develop personal and social skills that
improve employability
• Manage an Employment Hub which centralises employment support services
within the prison and promotes live vacancies to prison leavers within the
resettlement period.
• Champion innovations in employment and industry focused recruitment
practices, such as hospitality/construction drives etc.
• Work in partnership with the Prison’s Strategic Employment Advisory Boards
to improve systems that support prisoners to develop employability, ensuring
they meet commercial needs/standards of employers.
• Organise regular opportunities for NFN and other stakeholders to bring
employers into the prison and facilitate prisoner forums.
• Work in partnership with Community Offender Management (COM) to ensure
prison leaver information is supplied to relevant agencies post release in order
to reduce duplication.
• Liaise with COM to ensure prison leavers who require further support on
release are signposted to Education, Training and Employment CRS who can
continue to support them on their journey towards meaningful, sustained
employment.
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
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
• 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.
• Has experience of setting goals and achieving targets.
• Has commercial experience and an understanding of contract management.
• Has previous experience/understanding of recruitment processes/legislation
(desirable).
Technical
Requirements
Ability
• Ability to engage at Local and Regional Management level.
• Ability to work in partnership with NFN Managers, communicating strategy and
priorities to providers and stakeholders.
• Resilience under pressure, ability to articulate and defend decisions on behalf of
HMPPS.
• Strong written and excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Strong team building and working skills.
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0
Minimum Eligibility
Please do not alter this box
• 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
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Communicating and Influencing
Ability to engage at Local and
Experience of working with senior
Regional Management level.
officials
Working Together
Ability to work in partnership
Experience of working across
with NFN Managers,
stakeholder groups and Other
communicating strategy and
Government Departments and
priorities to providers and
excellent influencing skills,
stakeholders.
showing the ability to deal
effectively with conflict and
deliver objectives.
Managing a Quality Service
Resilience under pressure,
Has experience of setting goals
ability to articulate and defend
and achieving targets.
decisions on behalf of HMPPS.
Changing and Improving
Strong written and excellent
Has commercial experience and
verbal and non-verbal
has an understanding of contact
communication skills.
management.
Strong team building and
Has previous
working skills.
experience/understanding of
recruitment processes/legislation
(desirable).
OR-JES-2974-JD-B6 : A : Prison Employment Lead v2.0