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General Information

Salary
£53,324 - £58,656
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
External
Location
Doncaster, Wetherby
Region
Yorkshire and the Humber
Closing Date
08-Jul-2025
Business Unit
DDC Yorkshire and Humberside
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
SEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
7151

Descriptions & requirements

Job description
 

Overview of the job

This is a functional management job within a Group. The post holder will provide strategic support to the Group on education and employment, accommodation, families and resettlement services, ensuring that the needs of prisoners are met and delivering against the requirements of HMPPS and taking full account of expectations such as those of HMIP, Healthy Prisons test etc.
 

Summary

The job holder will be responsible for providing the Group Director and Governors in Group with assurance that appropriate governance, development and financial tracking is managed in accordance with agreed timetabling and in order to deliver Reducing Reoffending specifications across all sites, ensuring that Reducing Reoffending interventions are delivered strategically across the Group to meet local needs and deliver Value for Money.   

To work closely with HMPPS and MOJ colleagues such as PSPI and the Education Reform Team to develop and drive the Reducing Reoffending Strategy across the Group and maximise opportunities to offer reoffending activity to prisoners. 

This is a non-operational role open to non-operational and operational managers. 

The role will have line management responsibilities.
 

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
  • Ensure that all managers and staff within the Group function provide a respectful, safe, decent environment for all prisoners and staff. Undertaking site visits and assessments, as appropriate and communicating findings/ supportive solutions to Group Directors/Governing Governors as necessary.
  • Is accountable for the performance of the function within the Group, supporting the achievement of qualitative and quantitative standards including Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) within Group, relating to Reducing Reoffending.
  • Undertaking analyses and acting upon data which is relevant to their function and liaising with MOJ commercial and PSP colleagues to ensure effective support of Reducing Reoffending contracts.
  • Accountable for the management of the Reducing Reoffending function within Group and for establishments in their Group, working closely with relevant key stakeholders. This Includes:
  • Pathways (e.g. families)
  • Interventions
  • Health
  • Accommodation
  • Purposeful Activity/Employment
  • Chaplaincy
  • Sport Activity
  • HDC
  • SIG (CRCs)
  • Education and employment providers
  • Probation colleagues
  • Is accountable for the development of Group Reducing Reoffending Strategies and delivery against the pathways within group structures.
  • Work with colleagues across the Group to support significant policy management areas in relation to Substance Misuse linked to the delivery of overall strategic goals as outlined in the Group Business Plan. Support the development and monitoring of Strategy across the Group and within establishments, seeking opportunities to engage with partners and ensuring that there is a multi-agency approach leading to a reduction in substance misuse.
  • Develop a strategic approach to family policies and procedures across the Group (and significant others), by interacting directly with key stakeholders at all levels, ensuring all prisons are focusing on implementing the recommendations from the Farmer Review and looking for innovative opportunities to enhance this work.
  • Support and promote the use of Restorative Justice (RJ) face-to-face victim- prisoner conferencing models within Group, enabling those affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.
  • Lead the work within establishments to ensure they are developing community engagement, supporting a reduction to the risk of reoffending. Help support them to identify and build relationships with community organisations and strategic partners to enhance Reducing Reoffending opportunities in prisons.
  • Ensure that establishments within Group are adhering to organisational goals including prisoners’ return to the community, monitoring delivery of services to optimise education, training and employment for prisoners on release. Overseeing how establishments within the Group are providing enabling environments and relationships, including Through the Gate (TTG) and Resettlement Services (where the establishment is a Resettlement Prison).
  • May have accountability for the overall delivery of the Learning & Skills contract, working with relevant learning support leads within the group to support the direction of the L&S strategy, including input into the oversight of contract management and commissioning arrangements. Support the Learning & Skills Managers in establishments to prepare for Ofsted.
  • Be accountable for the overall delivery of the Learning & Skills contract, working with relevant learning support Leads within the Group to support the direction of the L&S strategy, including input into the oversight of contract management and commissioning arrangements. Support the Learning & Skills Managers in establishments to prepare for Ofsted.
  • Work with establishments within the Group on the monitoring and assurance on the delivery of HDC nationally set requirements, in addition to other wider OM processes (e.g. ROTL, parole), ensuring that follow up actions are taken, contractual failures addressed etc, which may include advising on the resolution of an issue, or escalating to the PGD where necessary. Requirement for high level of complex contract management, through influencing, rather than direct management.
  • Ensure that resettlement contracts are effectively managed to provide value for money in delivery of services by the CRC, family services providers, learning and skills and other providers by building relationships within prisons and into the community to bring in additional resettlement activity, and resourcing/income generation. This will include the sourcing of grants or funding where possible.
  • Ensure HMPPS procurement and budgetary management rules are adhered to. This is pivotal at Group level in terms of supporting the processes due to the number of external partnerships . Responsible for the management, assurance, delivery and escalation of these contracts, influencing the award and re- tendering process.
  • Act as Group Lead for the continuation of change projects that support the Reduction in Reoffending, to ensure establishments within Group are working to meet the Reducing Reoffending Strategy to provide Group Directors with assurance that targets and project milestones are being met, such as:
  • HMPPS Family Service Re-commissioning Project
  • Children’s and Families Implementation Project
  • OLASS Governance Boards
  • Chair the children, families and significant other meetings
  • Offender Behaviour Programme (OBP);
  • Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) – DIB meetings, local authority RR boards and reducing reoffending boards
  • Police Reducing Reoffending Board
  • MOJ Contract Management (Service Integration Group)
  • Care Leavers
  • Shannon Trust
  • Substance Misuse Review Team
  • Group Heads of Reducing Reoffending and Offenders Management Meeting etc. (SIG – CRCs)
  • Local RR meetings
  • HOMD/HOMS
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
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Managing a Quality Service

Ability

  • Promote HMPPS policy in all activities and behaviours, role modelling at all times e.g. promote diversity, decency, respect, safety and reducing reoffending agendas.
  • An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
 

Experience

  • Knowledge of reducing reoffending work both within the prison and in the community.

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. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

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: 7151

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: 7151

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving, 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
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Statement of Suitability
Evidence of Experience
Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
TBC
Behaviours
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Leadership
Making Effective Decisions
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.
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)