NPS Job Description (JD)
NPS Pay Band A
Directorate: National Probation Service
Job Description: Head of Corporate Services
Document Ref.
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
Document Type
Management
Version
1.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
31 July 2020
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
NPS Job Description
Job Title
Head of Corporate Services
Directorate
National Probation Service
Band
NPS Pay Band A
Overview of the job
This post is responsible and accountable for leading and delivering high quality
corporate services on behalf of the Regional Probation Director. As a member of the
Senior Management Team, the post holder is required to lead effective Business
Planning activity and NPS corporate functions, manage and direct business partner
activity within the region, and take full responsibility for ensuring critical business
services across the region are strategically aligned.
This post will be responsible for providing services that directly support front line
operational staff. An understanding of the wide range of probation policies and
procedures across the organisation is required.
Summary
The purpose of the role is to manage the delivery of corporate support services on
behalf of the Regional Probation Director.
The job holder will be accountable for developing and delivering short, medium and
long-term strategic business plans for the region, with overall responsibility for
implementation. These plans must ensure opportunities to improve efficiency and
effectiveness are proactively pursued.
The job holder will put in place appropriate governance arrangements to oversee the
delivery of corporate services, identify and manage corporate risks, and escalate any
significant issues to the attention of the Regional Probation Director. They will be
accountable for ensuring adequate management/financial contracts and processes
are in place for the region.
Responsible for representing the region in the development, improvement and
implementation of collaborative working arrangements for corporate services polices
and processes, including engagement with Headquarters and Shared Services.
The job holder will directly manage and co-ordinate the activity of Business Managers
across the region (including litigation and inquests), and teams responsible for ICT,
Complaints, the Divisional Support Hub, Equalities and Staff Engagement to ensure a
consistent approach is deployed across all business units.
The job holder will also oversee and provide strategic direction for the delivery of
functional leadership services such as HR, Finance, Learning and Development, Health
and Safety and Business Strategy and Change, to ensure that all corporate services
operate effectively across the region.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities & Duties
and duties:
? Accountable for the development and delivery of the Regional Business Plan
and business risk registers, with overall responsibility for implementation.
? Accountable for ensuing corporate governance is embedded, monitored and
reviewed in the region.
? Accountable for delivering all objectives within delegated budget including
for specific programmes of work (e.g. regional learning and development
budget).
? Monitor and control the overall use of the regional budget, ensuring there
are appropriate governance frameworks in place to promote accountability.
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
? Responsible for ensuring management information systems are in place to
monitor, analyse and report on corporate performance across the region
identifying operational, resource or organisational issues that may impact on
performance or increase business risk e.g. Health and Safety, L&D.
? Lead business partner activity across the region, taking a collaborative
approach and ensuring the Regional Probation Director is updated with
timely progress reports.
? Lead Business Manager activity across the NPS region ensuring compliance
with policy and process in corporate activities.
? Lead the development of regional corporate support systems, policies and
processes in response to business need in order to review and assess
effective practice in business services.
? Responsible for ensuring the delivery of strategic employee communications
utilising a range of techniques to suit the needs of the audience, the
message and the objectives of active engagement.
? Provide leadership and management of the Regional Complaints Team
ensuring compliance with policy and process.
? Identify opportunities for more efficient delivery of business services and
develop proposals to convert those opportunities into new ways of working.
? Ensure effective HR systems are in place to manage and develop staff in line
with organisational HR policies and procedures in order to achieve
performance objectives and enhance productivity.
? Liaise with staff to receive, collate and analyse corporate performance
information, developing systems and compiling reports as necessary.
? Develop and utilise data to identify trends and take appropriate action to
maintain and enhance performance.
? Plan, implement and manage systems for the exchange of sensitive
information, data and intelligence.
? Accountable for ensuring all risk assessments are undertaken in line with
Health and Safety and staff are made aware of their personal responsibility
to ensure Health, Safety & Fire compliance.
? Lead a culture within the region that promotes equality and values diversity
through the effective development and implementation of systems, policies
and processes.
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
? Changing and Improving
? Managing a Quality Service
? Leadership
? Communicating and Influencing
? Delivering at Pace
? Working Together
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Ability
?
The post holder will need to be an influential and visible senior leader, able
to confidently engage staff and motivate, challenge and change behaviours.
They will need to role model inclusive behaviours and have the
communication and influencing skills required to develop effective
relationships with staff across the region. They will need to be highly
resilient and decisive when making finely balanced judgements. They will
need negotiation skills both for reconciling differences in opinion between
senior leaders within the region and managing competing demands for
limited resources.
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
?
The post holder will need to have significant corporate expertise and
awareness, understanding both the vision of the wider NPS and HMPPS.
They will need to manage the impact of decisions and actions on the
reputation of the organisation and maintain financial and political
awareness when making decisions.
Experience
? Detailed understanding and extensive experience of the wide range of
probation procedures and policies both operationally and at HQ.
? Extensive experience of delegated budget management, business planning,
business risk management, senior management, leading and delivering
change programmes, and data analysis.
? Significant understanding of Equalities and Health and Safety legislation, and
all other relevant legislation.
Technical
? Level 5 Degree/Diploma in Business Administration or equivalent or
equivalent professional/managerial qualification or willingness to study for
such.
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)
To be used by the JES Team only
Allowances
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Changing and Improving
The post holder will need to be an
Detailed understanding and
Level 5 Degree/Diploma in
influential and visible senior leader, able
extensive experience of the wide
Business Administration or
to confidently engage staff and motivate,
range of probation procedures and
equivalent or equivalent
challenge and change behaviours. They
policies both operationally and at
professional/managerial
will need to role model inclusive
HQ.
qualification or willingness to
behaviours and have the communication
study for such.
and influencing skills required to develop
effective relationships with staff across
the region. They will need to be highly
resilient and decisive when making finely
balanced judgements. They will need
negotiation skills both for reconciling
differences in opinion between senior
leaders within the region and managing
competing demands for limited resources.
Managing a Quality Service
The post holder will need to have
Extensive experience of delegated
significant corporate expertise and
budget management, business
awareness, understanding both the vision
planning, business risk management,
of the wider NPS and HMPPS. They will
senior management, leading and
need to manage the impact of decisions
delivering change programmes, and
and actions on the reputation of the
data analysis.
organisation and maintain financial and
political awareness when making
decisions.
Leadership
Significant understanding of
Equalities and Health and Safety
legislation, and all other relevant
legislation.
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0
Communicating and
Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Working Together
NPS-JES-0087 Head of Corporate Services v1.0