Skip to content

General Information

Salary
£42,817 - £47,098
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
Croydon
Region
London
Closing Date
27-Aug-2025
Business Unit
AGY - NOMS Agency
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
8430

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Overview of the job

The Mental Health Casework Section (MHCS) is placed within Public Protection Group and Restorative Justice (PPG) of His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS). These posts are based in HQ.

The main function of MHCS is to discharge, via delegated authority, the Justice Secretary’s functions under the Mental Health Act 1983. This involves the transfer of prisoners to and from hospital and the management of other restricted patients diverted for treatment at the point of sentence who are either detained in hospital or conditionally discharged to live in the community under supervision. MHCS takes decisions on recall, community leave, transfer and provides advice to clinicians on the management of restricted patients.

Summary

The job holder will manage resources and the workflow across MHCS ensuring that all work streams are appropriately resourced, that caseworkers are deployed to the most critical areas of work and that the section’s KPIs are met.

The job holder will work collaboratively and proactively with their peers to achieve this, using performance data and forecasting to make the most of the resources available.

They will be expected to identify deficiencies in performance and process and address them swiftly and effectively, escalating to senior managers when appropriate.

The job holder will also be responsible for managing the quality and quantity of the work produced across the section, leading on the delivery of quality assurance (QA) for the outputs of caseworkers across the section and reporting into a central forum regularly.

This is a non-operational HQ role with line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•             Responsible for allocation of cases to team members, ensuring work is distributed fairly and prioritised appropriately

•             Ensure the MHCS database (PPUD) is accurately updated by team members and milestones are completed. Working with MHCS colleagues to ensure that IT systems meet the needs of the team and are developed where required

•             Quality assuring the work of the team and ensuring that it is completed within target, reviewing and monitoring caseloads, identifying pressure points, finding ways to manage the pressures and ensuring decisions made are defensible and proportionate, whilst also developing output benchmarks. Providing assurances and statistics to SMT on the performance and quality of the business outputs of the team. Investigating causes of failures to meet targets within their teams and proposing solutions, as well as keeping processes under review and identifying efficiencies and improvements

•             Providing leadership and direction to caseworkers and case managers involved in the wider casework responsibilities, including offering technical and legal advice and guidance on complex cases and decisions on the advice surgery

•             Attendance and active participation in weekly and monthly resource planning meetings to support the sections key objectives and deliverables. This will include attending Senior Management Team meetings where required and contributing to SMT discussions on work across the section and feeding back to staff. Attendance and active participation in the daily work allocation “huddles” and other required meetings

•             Ensuring line management responsibilities, including regular performance management conversations and attendance processes are properly managed in line with current processes and procedures ensuring consistency in practice across the teams

•             Responsible for compiling first draft replies to ministerial correspondence and replies to letters before action and treat officials when required to do so

•             Work with senior managers to develop policy, standards and frameworks when required to do so and implementing new processes and providing new guidance and training on the new processes where relevant

•             Building and sustaining relationships with other agencies and stakeholders and liaising on a regular basis, with clinicians, NHS colleagues, Legal Advisors, probation services, and senior officials

•             Overseeing and/or direct communications with victims of crime

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.

 Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

•             Changing and Improving

•             Communicating & Influencing

•             Managing a Quality Service

•             Working Together

•             Seeing the Big Picture

•             Leadership

Experience

•             Managing a busy operational service delivery and balancing resources to meet demand

•             The job holder is expected to have strong generic casework skills and good leadership and management skills

•             An ability to manage a high volume of work in an organised manner will be key

•             Given that they will often be required to engage with key internal and external stakeholders they will need to have an excellent knowledge of the work of HMPPS more broadly and be able to build effective professional relationships

Technical Requirements    

•             IT Skills, including excel and Microsoft 366

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week

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 8430

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 8430

Please contact Christopher.binns2@justice.gov.uk if you have any questions regarding this vacancy.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Leadership, 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
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service
Seeing the Big Picture

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To be confirmed
Behaviours
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
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)