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General Information

Salary
The national salary is £53,324 - £58,656, London salary is £56,221 - £63,503. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
23-May-2025
Business Unit
Operational Audit Group
Post Type
Loan, Secondment
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
9
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
5810

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Performance, Assurance and Risk group (PAR) as an Operational Assurance Manager in the Custodial Assurance Team. 

This is a temporary 2 year position to deliver custodial assurance audits such as Safety Audit, OMiC Key Work Audit and a Purposeful Activity Audit across the prison estate in England and Wales. As this is a temporary position, please seek approval from your line manager that you will be released should you be successful in this campaign. To note you will remain on your substantive T+C's while on loan (including any allowances).

The PAR (Custody) team provides assurance on a range of critical operational practices and procedures within the prison environment. These audits provide assurance and protection to the regional teams as well as HMPPS central management in the core role of prisons, including security, safety, purposeful activity, and decency.

Operational Assurance Managers are accountable to the Operational Assurance Leads (OALs) who manage the work of the team. You may be based at any HMPPS location, however; the role will require regular frequent travel to prisons and young offender institutions across England and Wales with overnight stays and travel to London and other HMPPS and MoJ locations.

Summary of the role

As an Operational Assurance Manager, you will use assurance methodology to assess the delivery and compliance with policy in prisons and youth custody to strengthen learning across the estate, promote effective practice and improve the services provided. 

You will work closely with colleagues in prison establishments, regions, youth custodial sites and in policy. This is an interesting and exciting role within PAR which will allow the post holder to develop a wide-ranging understanding of key operational practice and processes that support quality outcomes for prisoners and children and young people in secure care. The post provides the opportunity for you to lead on specific subject matters for the team such as HMiP, Education and OMiC, and to improve existing assurance products and develop new ones.

We are therefore looking for a manager with excellent oral and written communication skills, integrity, the ability to make evidence-based judgements about operational delivery and produce high quality reports.  They will need to be able to work collaboratively with a wide range of people and as well as working as a team member, be able to lead teams of auditors.  A flexible and confident approach is required as well as the ability to overcome obstacles to deliver high quality work that can withstand challenge, often working at pace.  Knowledge and/or experience of the delivery of offender services in custody would be desirable.

For further information on the role please contact donna.monk@justice.gov.uk

This campaign is taking part in a research study testing feasibility of using Questions in Advance (QiA) to aid greater inclusivity of neurodiverse people.  We want to explore how receiving interview questions in advance may influence interview performance and perspectives of candidates and interviewers.

If invited to interview you will be sent lead questions for any Behaviours, Experience or Technical questions asked during the interview five calendar days in advance of interview.

The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including strengths-based and follow-up questions.

Further information on inclusive recruitment can be found in the Principles of Inclusive Recruitment Guide.

If you have any questions about the pilot process more generally, please contact moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

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.

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 TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

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.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information
 

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference - 5810

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
Changing and Improving
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Statement of Suitability
Statement of Suitability
Guidance for the Statement of Suitability
500 words to evidence your knowledge, skills and experience in the Criminal Justice System.
Evidence of Experience
Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected June 2025
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Changing and Improving
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?
Presentation
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.
Level of security checks required
Enhanced Baseline Standard (EBS)