Ministry of Justice

Overview of the job

Reports directly to a senior manager, for example, Head of Community Integration, Head of Reducing PDU, the Engaging People on Probation Managers will work across one of the Probation regions in England or Wales to lead and embed the Engaging People on Probation agenda on behalf of the Probation Service (PS).

You will work at a regional and strategic level, providing management and leadership to a team of Peer Mentor Coordinators with the aim of working with stakeholders to reduce reoffending through improving the engagement of people on probation. Embedding this work into probation aligns to the organisation approach to rehabilitation set out in the rehabilitation strategy, delivered through the implementation of the Lived Experience Charter. You will represent the region at a senior level across multiple external agencies and stakeholders involved in Lived Experience. Equally, you will deliver skilled leadership within the PS to influence the Engaging People on Probation agenda, alongside the Lived Experience Charter, including improving performance, quality, and outcomes.

You must also strategically identify and link how lived experience agenda can enhance all areas of probation e.g. interventions, sentence planning etc. You will work across the region and be based within a community probation office with the expectation that post holders will travel as and when required, including regular visits into selected prisons, probation offices and HQ offices.

Summary

As an Engaging People on Probation Manager, you will be expected to play a key strategic senior leadership role under the Head of Community Integration (HoCI) or Head of Reducing Reoffending in Wales (HRRW) and provide leadership to a team to deliver on the Engaging People on Probation Strategy within the Probation Service. This role will involve working with an extensive range of internal and external partners to improve the use of the voice of Lived Experience into the design of the Probation Service and external partners and agencies, contributing to reducing re-offending within the criminal justice system. This includes improving delivery of services for people on probation and in prison, developing peer led opportunities and employment opportunities for people with convictions. This work will make a key contribution to reducing reoffending and reducing the number of victims of crime that will support HMPPS’ shared goals with the rehabilitation strategy.

The Engaging People on Probation agenda is complex and will require you to engage with and lead multiple themes, which include regional and national themes. This work involves working with bespoke and high-risk cohorts such as people convicted of sexual offences and MAPPA finding inclusive ways to engage and involve cohort. You will have excellent analytical and stakeholder engagement skills with an ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to solve problems and find pragmatic solutions that deliver improved outcomes for people on probation. The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position. The post holder must work closely with internal comms and press office to manage sensitive comms around lived experience and engaging people on probation work.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

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

• Under the guidance of the regional HoCI/HRRW, the post holder will develop and deliver regional Probation Service Engaging People on Probation strategic priorities, which align with existing and emerging national priorities. This includes directly contributing to the delivery of the Engaging People on Probation/Lived Experience Charter for the PS.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with key senior leads at multiple external stakeholders including Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), Criminal Justice Boards.
• Represent the PS externally in key regional and local partnership meetings, as well as internally with national and regional senior teams. You will also develop briefings and presentations to influence the engaging people on probation agenda/outcomes at these forums.
• Effective analytical skills to identify multi-faceted and interdependent challenges between engaging people on probation and the Lived Experience Charter at a regional level, and progress local initiatives that deliver improved outcomes, including performance and quality.
• Interpret varied and highly complex information from numerous sources to identify local and regional opportunities, and support strategic discussions with an extensive range of partners to ensure a whole-system approach to the delivery of national priority workstreams.
• Play a critical role in developing Operational Engaging People on Probation Governance within HMPPS by providing interface between national and policy teams within HMPPS and regional probation delivery.
• Financial and budget responsibilities for joint initiatives or commissioning opportunities with health and justice partners, commissioning and partnership managers and Health and Justice managers. Identifying where business cases need raising to enhance engaging people on probation and the wider probation agenda.

• Responsible for the management of the Peer Coordinators and other staff as necessary within the probation region or national directorate, including ensuring impactful delivery of workstreams, performance and quality matrices.
• Be prepared to travel to facilitate forums, staff training etc.

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.

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Strengths

Note: we recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally – select from the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the intranet

Experience

• Considerable experience at middle manager level, including the management of staff.
• Experience of working across a range of stakeholder groups and other Government Departments, including experience of influencing and managing conflict in these settings.
• Experience of monitoring performance and quality in area of responsibility against predetermined targets, setting local targets and effecting necessary improvements.
• Demonstrable achievements in managing/supporting change and effecting improvements in quality and efficiency.
• Experience of proactively championing diversity and inclusiveness.

Desirable

• Experience of conducting employee relations investigations (e.g., disciplinary, capability, grievance etc.).
• Experience of contributing to the development of strategic business plans to achieve improved service delivery.

Technical Requirements

• Considerable knowledge of Lived Experience for those leaving prison, and within probation.

Ability

• Able to demonstrate well developed IT skills, including evidence of ability to interpret and apply performance reports.
• Evidence of ability to evaluate practice and provide a practice perspective on policy development.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.