HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 9
Directorate: Custodial Contracts Directorate
Job Description: Controller
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
Document Type
Management
Version
6.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
18th November 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
Job Description
Job Title
Controller
Directorate
Custodial Contracts Directorate
Band
9
Overview of the
To manage the delivery of a multi-million pound contract for the
job
provision of custodial services. To act as the representative of
the Secretary of State in delivering specific statutory functions
such as agreement to Home Detention Curfew (HDC) or Release
on Temporary Licence (ROTL). Management of a small team
providing contractual and administrative support.
Summary
To keep under review and report to the Secretary of State on the
operational and contractual delivery of Establishments provided
by Private Sector Providers.
The Controller is the most senior representative of the Secretary
of State within the establishment. As such, he/she is accountable
for ensuring delivery, negotiating change, encouraging
innovation and the highest levels of performance. The Controller
must ensure any contractual failings are remedied and/or
penalised when necessary, escalating unsatisfactory
performance to the Deputy Director of Contracted Custodial
Services.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
Perform a range of statutory and operational duties including :
• Provide leadership and oversee the management of Prison
Custody Officer (PCO) certification at the establishment.
• Undertake investigations as required, including reporting to
the Secretary of State on any allegations made against PCOs
performing custodial duties; when proportionate and
necessary suspending and revoking PCO Licences.
• Sign and authorise the release of Prisoners on behalf of the
Authority under HDC/ROTL.
• Sign final release licences on behalf of the Secretary of State.
• Ensure there is always a controller on 24 hour on call cover,
and that both HMPPS and the contractor are clear on contact
arrangements.
• Be accountable for the safe practice and discharge of those
statutory duties that are undertaken by the contractor as per
the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
• Act as the lead accountable manager, ensuring the contract
is managed effectively. Ensuring the contract is providing
value for money; monitor, record and report areas of non-
compliance and manage through the process to resolution,
when necessary identifying areas of concern that need to be
brought to the attention of Ministers.
• Ensure there is positive relationship management with
contractor both corporately and locally, key stakeholders,
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
Ministry of Justice procurement, and HQ team.
• Undertake appropriate risk management of all operational
processes and provider delivery thus ensuring the policies
and reputation and practices of HMPPS and the Ministry of
Justice are adhered to and enhanced rather than exposed to
unnecessary risk.
• Be accountable for ensuring all financial processes are
discharged appropriately, ensuring that the correct levels of
payment are made for satisfactorily delivered services, when
necessary ensuring the collection of penalties fees, credits
notes and refund by the authority.
• Reconcile the monthly delivery of services to those procured
and invoiced.
• Manage and be accountable for the local controller’s team
budget.
• Assess, negotiate and advise the Deputy Director of
Contracted Custodial Services on operational risks and
potential consequences of contract changes (e.g. efficiency
savings, Specification, Benchmarking, Costing - SBC) and
manage the implementation of the Notice Of Change (NOC)
process.
• Negotiate and set annual service and contractual delivery
indicators.
• Monitor and report on performance measures on a monthly
basis, highlighting deficiencies both to the Director of the
establishment and the Deputy Director Contracted Custodial
Services.
• Liaise and negotiate with the contractor on Schedule F/6
performance measures, where necessary mitigating on the
basis of sound evidence and penalising when required.
• Agree and authorise application of penalties/credits as per
the contract ensuring policy lines are followed.
• Agree and Monitor the implementation of action plans for His
Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons (HMIP), Audit and Corporate
Assurance (ACA) and the Prison and Probation Ombudsman
(PPO).
• Be accountable for ensuring there are effective links between
the establishment and specialist advisors, when necessary
monitoring and driving forward actions plans (e.g. Corruption
Prevention Unit).
• Manage to ensure high quality delivery of an annual audit
plan which gives assurance to the organisation on key high
risk areas of operational delivery. This should include
reviewing the Schedules D & F of the contract to ensure they
are fit for purpose and represent value for money.
• Perform the duties of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers
Act (RIPA) Authorising Officer, including monitoring the
contractor’s processes and ensuring appropriate risk
management for HMPPS.
• Produce briefings/responses/reports to Ministers and Senior
Civil Servants as required ensuring the organisation can
quickly and accurately meet information requests.
• Undertake investigations as required, including investigating
and reporting to the Secretary of State on any allegations
made against PCOs performing custodial duties, when
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
proportionate and necessary suspending and revoking PCO
Licences.
• Maintain positive relationships with prisoners and their
families to ensure needs are met, when necessary
responding via the complaints system.
• Review and respond to appeals made by prisoners and
solicitors to decisions relating to their release.
• Act as the recognised representative of HMPPS and Ministry
of Justice to prisoners, families, solicitors, MPs, Independent
Monitoring Board and other external bodies.
• Review business cases submitted by the contractor and
approve / reject expenditure against the criteria laid out for
the General Purposes and Indexed Utility Fee Savings Fund
in accordance with the contract.
• To support and train contractors staff in matters relating to
the role of the Controller.
• Act as Incident Liaison Officer on behalf of HMPPS GOLD
Command. Assess and evaluate the establishment’s
effectiveness in incident management during and post the
event, delivering feedback as appropriate.
• Act as the HMPPS Operational Lead at the establishment,
supporting and promoting the implementation of SBC.
• Prepare the HMPPS position on and attend a quarterly
contract review meeting between the contractor and senior
HMPPS personnel.
• Conduct weekly checks of Segregation, Healthcare,
Residential and Operations. Record the results of these
visits. Identify any areas of concern to raise with the
contractor.
• Chair a monthly Controller/Director meeting, ensuring that
discussions are documented and that resulting actions are
time bound and implemented.
• Attend meetings as delegated by the Deputy Director of
Contracted Prisons to identify any changes and or Projects
that may impact on or may increase a risk to the services
being provided by the contractor.
• Act as the Asset owner (as per PSO 9050), ensuring the
maintenance of the information assurance register. PSO
9015 (information assurance), PSO9020 (data
protection/freedom of information) and PSO 9025 (HMPS
archiving retention and disposal).
• Share best practice to the provider/HMPPS as appropriate to
support improved services.
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.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence
through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
Behaviours
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
• Significant experience of managing strategic decisions
including proven track record in analysing and influencing
operational performance at Establishment Senior
Management level.
• Significant experience of managing large scale commercial
SLA or contracts.
Technical
• RIPA AO trained (or willing to undertake training as soon as
Requirements
possible on taking up post).
• Qualified in HMPPS Incident Management systems and
experienced in the Silver Command role (or willing to
undertake training as soon as possible on taking up post).
Ability
• Excellent interpersonal skills to influence Senior Stakeholders
including Directors, SMT members and others at SOM
equivalent level.
• Excellent written communication skills to ensure that reports
and contractual correspondence is effective.
Minimum
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
Eligibility
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
37 hour working week.
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
Required Hours Allowance
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a payment
at the current approved organisation rate will be made in addition
to your basic pay to recognise this.
Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday
to Friday and include working evenings, nights, weekends and
Bank/Public Holidays.
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0
Success Profile
Strengths
It is advised
Behaviours
strengths are
Ability
Experience
Technical
chosen locally,
recommended
4-8
Seeing the Big Picture
Excellent interpersonal
Significant experience of
RIPA AO trained (or
skills to influence Senior
managing strategic decisions
willing to undertake
Stakeholders including
including proven track record
training as soon as
Directors, SMT members
in analysing and influencing
possible on taking up
and others at SOM
operational performance at
post).
equivalent level.
Establishment Senior
Changing and Improving
Excellent written
Management level.
Qualified in HMPPS
communication skills to
Incident Management
Making Effective Decisions
ensure that reports and
Significant experience of
systems and
contractual
managing large scale
experienced in the
correspondence is
commercial SLA or contracts. Silver Command role
effective.
(or willing to undertake
Managing a Quality Service
training as soon as
possible on taking up
post).
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and
Influencing
Leadership
Working Together
Developing Self and Others
HQ-JES-0715 Controller v6.0