39861 - Head of Youth Inspection Programme

£52,119 - £76,000 salary dependent on location
1
12 Months
National
National
NATIONAL
Grade 6
Grade 6
Permanent , Secondment
Permanent or secondment for 3 years
Full Time
Governance

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Head of Youth Inspection Programme

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of youth offending and probation services in England and Wales. We report on the effectiveness of these services, including highlighting areas of good and poor practice.

Do you want to play a pivotal role in raising the standard of youth offending services and improving outcomes for children? If so, we want to hear from you!

The Inspectorate is recruiting for a Head of Youth Inspection Programme. This post can be offered as a secondment or as a permanent contract. You will join our senior management team, and lead the inspection and rating of all youth offending services. You will ensure inspections are conducted in line with our standards and methodology, as well as delivered on time and within agreed resources.

You will have line management responsibility for between five and 10 HM Inspectors (Grade 7). You will work closely with the Chief Inspector and Director of Operations, as well as with senior leaders and practitioners across the youth justice system. You will help Ministers, government officials and the media to understand our findings and what needs to be done to improve the quality of youth offending services.

We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates and Welsh speakers, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. You will be joining an organisation that is proud of its values – we are influential, independent, professional, inclusive and diverse.

Important details:

  • We are offering these posts on either a three-year secondment or a permanent contract. The location of these posts is flexible. At the moment, all staff are working from home. We follow government guidance closely; when it is safe to do so, the individual will be required to undertake some travel across England and Wales.
  • If seconded, remuneration (salary and any taxable allowances), pay progression, and employment terms and conditions will be the same as you currently receive from your home employer.
  • The salary for someone joining us on a permanent contract who is not a current civil servant will be £52,119 (national) or £56,421 (Outer London) or £60,295 (Inner London), though in exceptional circumstances we may be able to consider a higher starting salary within the Ministry of Justice Grade 6 pay scale, where your current salary is higher than this.
  • For existing civil servants who transfer on promotion, the salary will be £52,119 (national) or £56,421 (Outer London) or £60,295 (Inner London) or a 10 per cent increase on their current salary, whichever is the higher.
  • For existing civil servants on level transfer, the successful candidate will retain their current salary. If, however, this is above the Ministry of Justice Grade 6 maximum salary of £72,000 (national) or £76,000 (London), this would be on a “marked time” basis. 

The application process has two stages:

  1. an initial sift of application forms
  2. shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next stage which will involve a written test, a presentation and an interview. 

Job Description

Overview

The Head of the Youth Inspection programme leads the inspection and rating of all Youth Offending Services, ensuring inspections are delivered in accordance with HM Inspectorate of Probation’s inspection standards and methodology and within agreed resource budgets.

Head Youth Inspection will line manage a team of inspectors and will maintain an overview of every stage of our youth offending service inspections from initial planning to report production and briefing of the Chief Inspector. They will also sit on the Inspectorate’s Senior Management Team and will contribute to the Inspectorate’s broader strategy, policy and operational development.

They maintain an overview of these inspections, the outcomes and the evidence supporting those outcomes in order to contribute to the Inspectorate’s strategy, policy and operational development, risk management, research planning and briefing the Chief Inspector, Ministers, their Officials and other stakeholders.

Key responsibilities of the role

  • Deliver the programme of inspection and rating of YOTs, ensuring that the reputation of HM Inspectorate of Probation for delivering independent, insightful, high quality inspections to time is maintained
  • Maintain oversight of all stages of preparation, planning, fieldwork and inspection report production, ensuring deadlines are adhered to by key players
  • Line management, briefing and coaching of up to ten Grade 7 HM Inspectors (HMIs) in the team including regular touchpoint conversations with direct reports
  • Membership of the Inspectorate’s Senior Management Team – expected to play an active role in the senior leadership of the Inspectorate, including in all key strategy discussion and decisions
  • Support HMIs through all stages of the inspection report process, including being the first point of contact for challenges to reports from inspected bodies
  • Attend internal rating panels to ensure that inspection ratings are based on consistent and defensible evidence-based judgements
  • Lead engagement and build strong strategic relationships with the Association of YOT Managers, directors of children’s services in local authorities, and the YJB, to understand strategy, policy and developments that impact YOTs and feed these into the development of the YOT inspection programme, and the Chief Inspector
  • Lead engagement with individual YOTs and build strong working relationships with partners and stakeholders
  • Ensure inspections are carried out in line with the Inspectorate’s policies and quality standards to support consistent, evidence-based judgements across the programme. Undertake quality assurance observations and feedback to inspectors
  • Work with the Head of Operations Management and Head of Inspection Training to ensure effective and efficient deployment of HMIs and Assistant Inspectors to inspections while maximising the opportunity to develop and broaden the experience of inspection staff
  • Role model and promote a culture that respects the Inspectorate’s values of being influential, independent, professional, inclusive and diverse
  • Ensure effective external engagement and intelligence gathering and information sharing with relevant stakeholders
  • Work cooperatively with other teams in the organisation, including contributing to the development of annual reports and other reports, identifying themes from inspections and ensuring these themes are given proper consideration; and developing our inspection approach to ensure it remains evidence-informed and retains its integrity and credibility
  • Work closely with the communications team to ensure effective internal and external communication including input into report-related items, for example press notices and action plans
  • Act as an ambassador for the Inspectorate supporting speaking engagements, events and media work as needed. 

Person Specification - Success Profiles

Behaviours

Leadership

Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experience. Welcome and respond to views and challenges from others, despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to them. Stand by, promote or defend own and team’s actions and decisions where needed. Seek out shared interests beyond own area of responsibility, understanding the extent of the impact actions have on the organisation. Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role. 

Seeing the Big Picture

Develop and maintain an understanding of economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to ensure activity is relevant. Ensure plans and activities in your area of work reflect wider strategic priorities and communicate effectively with senior leaders to influence future strategies. Bring together views, perspectives and diverse needs of stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the issues surrounding policies and activities.

Making Effective Decisions

Clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs and expectations, before making decisions. Ensure decision making happens at the right level, not allowing unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery. Encourage both innovative suggestions and challenge from others, to inform decision making. Analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decisions. Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications. Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence. Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or if they prove to be unpopular.

Working Together

Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives. Challenge assumptions while being willing to compromise if beneficial to progress. Build strong interpersonal relationships and show genuine care for colleagues. Ensure consideration and support for the wellbeing of yourself and individuals throughout the team. Understand the varying needs of the team to ensure they are supported and their experiences are utilised. Create an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are taken into account and bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Remain available and approachable to all colleagues and be receptive to new ideas.

Developing Self and Others

Prioritise and role-model continuous self-learning and development. Identify areas individuals and teams need to develop in order to achieve future objectives. Support colleagues to take responsibility for their own learning and development. Ensure that development opportunities are available for all individuals regardless of their background or desire to achieve promotion. Ensure individuals take full advantage of learning and development opportunities available to them, including workplace based learning. Encourage discussions within and between teams to learn from each other’s experiences and change organisational plans and processes accordingly.

Delivering at Pace

Ensure everyone clearly understands and owns their roles, responsibilities and business priorities. Give honest, motivating and enthusiastic messages about priorities, objectives and expectations to get the best out of people. Comply with legal, regulatory and security requirements in service delivery. Set out clear processes and standards for managing performance at all levels. Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success. Maintain own levels of performance in challenging circumstances and encourage others to do the same.  

Experience

Essential

Experience and understanding of the youth justice system and relevant policy context

Proven leadership and people management skills, including excellent interpersonal and mentoring and coaching skills

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

Experience of building strong working relationships with stakeholders

Experience of risk identification and management

Desirable

Experience of quality assurance, inspection or scrutiny in a youth justice, local authority, probation, inspectorate or regulatory organisation 

Ability

Essential

Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate confidently with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders

Ability to analyse complex or ambiguous information, evaluating the consequences and impact on others, taking full account of the wider picture

Technical

Desirable

Youth Justice or Probation qualification

Selection Process

Stage

Sift

Content

Application form

Testing

Behaviours and Experience

Stage

Assessment

Content

Written test

Testing

Ability

Stage

Assessment

Content

Interview/Presentation

Testing

Strengths 

Working Arrangements & Further Information

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.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

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

1-     To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2-     To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3-     To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  

Expected week commencing 15/02/21

15/01/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 39861.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Leadership - 250 word limit
Seeing the Big Picture - 250 word limit
Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
Developing Self and Others - 250 word limit
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
Experience
Statement of Suitability - 500 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Assessment(s)
Presentation
Written Exercise

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 are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

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

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

This Vacancy is closed to applications.