Ministry of Justice

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales (HM Inspectorate of Prisons) is an independent inspectorate which reports on the treatment of, and conditions for, those in prison, young offender institutions and court custody suites in England and Wales, and immigration detention facilities in the United Kingdom. HMI Prisons also inspects police and Border Force customs custody (jointly with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) and secure training centres (jointly with Ofsted). By invitation, HMI Prisons inspects some military detention facilities, as well as prisons in Northern Ireland and in other jurisdictions with links to the UK, such as the Isle of Man.

The role of HM Inspectorate of Prisons is to provide independent scrutiny of the conditions for and treatment of prisoners and other detainees, promoting the concept of ‘healthy establishments’ in which staff work effectively to achieve positive outcomes for those detained and for the public.

The Inspectorate’s work constitutes an important part of the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment. This Protocol requires signatory states to have in place regular independent inspection of places of detention.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Chief Inspector of Prisons is a Crown Appointee, while the staff of the Inspectorate are civil servants employed by the MoJ. 

The Inspectorate has a set of guiding principles, which underpins everything that we do:

• Independence, impartiality and integrity are the foundations of our work.
• The experience of the detainee is at the heart of our inspections.
• Respect for human rights underpins our Expectations.
• We embrace diversity and are committed to pursuing equality of outcomes for all.
• We believe in the capacity of both individuals and organisations to change and improve, and that we have a part to play in initiating and encouraging change.

We also have five organisational values:

•        Independent
•        Influential
•        Accountable
•        Capable
•        Collaborative

The Inspectorate is led by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. There are approximately 70 staff working for the Inspectorate, including full-time staff, secondees and a number of fee-paid associates. The Inspectorate is currently organised into six specialist inspection teams, a Research, Development and Thematic team and a Secretariat team. Each is headed by a team leader who, together with the Chief and Deputy Chief Inspector, form the corporate management of the Inspectorate. The small office-based teams consist of the Chief and Deputy Chief Inspectors and their Executive Assistant as well as the Research, Data and Thematics team and Secretariat team. The Head of Communications is part of the Secretariat team and works closely with the Chief Inspector.

Office-based staff are accommodated in a HM Government shared hub building in Canary Wharf, London.

For further information on HMIP, please visit our website: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk. We are also on:

·       Twitter at @HMIPrisonsnews

·       BlueSkySocial at @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social

·       LinkedIn at @hm-inspectorate-of-prisons.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ Equality and Diversity Statement

We are committed to creating and maintaining a working environment that is positive about and supportive of all equality and diversity issues. We believe that difference and diversity within our workforce strengthens the work we do and the influence we have.

We are committed to becoming an employer of choice by creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people are treated with dignity and respect and where discrimination and/or exclusion are not tolerated. Our goal is to ensure these commitments, reinforced by our values, are embedded in our day-to-day working practices.

Our long-term vision is to:

• have a workforce with the necessary expertise and sufficient diversity to reflect the community in which it operates;
• develop a more flexible and supportive working environment which always seeks to include difference;
• continue to build a confident and competent workforce who feel valued and heard;
• deliver learning and development opportunities to our staff so they are equipped to understand, inspect and make valid and relevant recommendations relating to equality and diversity.

We expect commitment and involvement from all our staff and partners in working towards the achievement of our vision and to that end we have developed an equality and diversity action plan

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional communications professional to lead a small, integrated communications team and continue to enhance the communications capability of the organisation.

As Head of Communications and Publications, you will lead the Inspectorate’s overall communications strategy (both external and internal), helping us to ensure we have the influence that we need to drive improvements in the conditions and outcomes of detention.

As a small team, your role will include elements of all aspects of communications including strategic communications, press and media handling, publications, digital and new media, public affairs and stakeholder relations. You will be supported in this by the Inspectorate’s communications and publications team, which consists of three members of staff as well as a small number of fee-paid editors.

You will be responsible for the planning and production of our reports and supporting materials to make sure these are high quality and impactful. You will oversee the strategic media planning for all announcements, thematic work and the Inspectorate’s day-to-day press and media operations, making sure that our output helps to shape public and political debate about the treatment and conditions of detainees. You and your team will maintain excellent relationships with print and broadcast media, advising and supporting the Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief Inspector on their personal engagement across the spectrum of media. You will also take charge of our internal communications to make sure activity is aligned, timely and consistent, and meets the needs of our staff.

Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this job are to:

·    Lead the ongoing design and implementation of the Inspectorate’s communications strategy (both external and internal), to maximise the impact of the Inspectorate’s work. Identify and use a range of internal and external sources including stakeholder feedback, staff feedback, media coverage and analysis to update and adapt the Inspectorate's communications strategy as required.

·    Develop and manage corporate communications to maximise the impact of the inspectorate through the dissemination of findings. available including digital communications, social media, media broadcasts etc.

·    Oversee social media planning and handling, the development of new media such as podcasts and the continual development of the website. 

·    Oversee communication planning including chairing quarterly communications planning meetings, which keep the Chief Inspector, policy and research colleagues sighted on upcoming media handling and communication strategies and provide analysis on the previous quarter’s activity and results.  

·    Oversee the strategic media planning for all announcements. This work will be managed by the communications team and will involve the production of press releases, handling any bids for interviews with the Chief Inspector or Deputy Chief Inspector, supporting them in all broadcast or other media interviews and providing advice to the Chief Inspector on media handling strategies.

·    Manage the production of our reports and supporting materials, which includes developing our report templates, managing a small team of external editors to ensure editing jobs are scheduled in, completed on time and adhere to our house style and provide training and guidance to inspection staff on report writing.

·    Oversee the planning, delivery and evaluation of the full range of internal communication tools used by the Inspectorate.

·    Provide inspirational and motivational leadership to the communications and publications team including direct line management of two staff. Make sure that staff are supported and developed through objective setting, regular meetings and professional development opportunities. This role will also oversee the work of our fee-paid editors who support the publication process for reports.

·   Provide strategic communications advice and support for a wide range of operational and corporate initiatives.

·   Maintain a constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Justice press office and Home Office immigration media desk to make sure they are aware of upcoming prison and immigration-related reports and releases.  

·    Lead on media handling of joint inspection reports with partner inspectorates.

·    Maintain relationships with press offices at the Howard League, the Prison Reform Trust and other third sector organisations.

·     Actively learn from the communication approaches being taken by others including the Government Communication Service (GCS) and health/criminal justice inspectorates etc.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

 Essential

·    A background in communications work, including experience of media relations, crisis communications, strategic planning and               leading corporate communications. 

·    Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate confidently with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, including successfully influencing senior stakeholders.

·    Experience of successfully managing change, introducing and embedding new ways of working. 

·    Experience of using communications tools to influence the public policy debate and convey information internally to staff. 

·    Experience of using digital communications and social media to amplify messages.

·    An ability to demonstrate support for and understanding of the Inspectorate’s work and values, including its independence from government.

·    Management experience, including direct line management responsibilities.

·    Strong people skills and emotional intelligence.

·    Excellent time-management skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines.

 Desirable

·      Editorial or publications experience and/or experience of working       with the media 

·      Experience of criminal justice work and custodial settings

·      Understanding of policy and debates associated with detention          and custodial environments