35288 - Senior Policy Advisor, Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody

£30,989 - £47,591 (Salary will depend on location)
1
12 Months
London
Leeds , London
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ, 5 WELLINGTON PLACE LEEDS, LS1 4AP
SEO
B
Permanent
Full Time, Flexible Working
Policy

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

MoJ Band B – Senior Policy Advisor, Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody

Location: London or Leeds, with the option to work remotely for part of the week.

Posts offered on full-time, part-time or job-share basis

Number of posts: 1

About the post

This is an exciting opportunity to work across government to prevent deaths – both self-inflicted and natural – in all forms of state custody, from prisons to secure health settings, policy custody and immigration detention. The role is Senior Policy Advisor to the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody. The Council brings together Ministers, senior officials, experts and practitioners in the field. This extended, cross-sector approach to deaths in custody allows for better learning and sharing of lessons across custodial agencies.

The shared purpose of the Ministerial Council is to bring about a continuing and sustained reduction in the number and rate of deaths in all forms of state custody in England and Wales. The main tiers of the Ministerial Council are the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody (MBDC) and Independent Advisory Panel (IAP).

The Ministerial Board meets three to four times a year and is co-chaired by the Minister of State for Justice, Minister of State for Crime and Policing and Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. It includes senior leaders from operational and policy functions, scrutiny bodies, and charities. It sets priorities for departments and agencies to make policy and operational changes to prevent deaths, and holds them to account through a shared work plan.

The IAP is a cross-departmental Arms-Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Department of Health & Social Care. The role of the IAP is to provide independent advice and expertise on preventing deaths in custody to Ministers, senior operational leads and to the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody. It is chaired by Juliet Lyon, formerly director of the Prison Reform Trust, and has five other public appointees:

  • Professor Seena Fazel (Oxford University)
  • Professor Jenny Shaw (Manchester University)
  • Deborah Coles (Director of INQUEST)
  • John Wadham (Chair of the UK National Preventative Mechanism)
  • Jenny Talbot (Prison Reform Trust)

For more information about the IAP visit www.iapondeathsincustody.org.

As a Senior Policy Advisor, the postholder will be responsible for leading the research and policy work of the Board and the IAP. This is a unique role which combines providing advice to Ministers and supporting an expert arms-length body that is independent of Government, working collaboratively across three departments and four agencies (prisons, police forces, immigration detention centres, and secure health settings). The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with leading sector experts to carry forward work to prevent state custody deaths and must be collaborative, a thorough researcher and an excellent drafter, capable of bringing together complex information from multiple evidence sources to reach clear conclusions and make persuasive recommendations.

The team is jointly funded and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care. The team is hosted by the Ministry of Justice and sits in the Arm’s Length Bodies Performance, Sponsorship and Intelligence Division within the Prison Policy Directorate.                                                                                  

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Leading on supporting Juliet Lyon and fellow members of the IAP to develop research and evidence to inform advice to Ministers and departments on how to prevent deaths in custody. This will involve leading on the drafting of advice for ministers and senior officials, research reports and briefings, select committee evidence and ministerial correspondence. Examples of existing and previous IAP projects include major reviews seeking views from men and women in prison about how to prevent deaths, work with magistrates to increase use of mental health treatment in the community rather than custody, and research on natural deaths in custody.
  • Working in collaboration across MoJ, the Home Office and DHSC to develop work supporting policy and operational priorities across departments and agencies to prevent deaths in custody. Examples of Board priorities to date include reforms to treatment of those detained in police custody and improvements to the support offered to bereaved families whose loved ones have died in custody.
  • Wider activity to support the work of the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody, including support to deliver high-quality Ministerial Board meetings and materials.

Management of Resources

None.

Candidate requirements

In your application, you will need to demonstrate how you meet the following Civil Service behaviours:

  • Seeing the bigger picture

We want someone with the ability to bring together views and perspectives of a range of partners and stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding the policy area and an understanding of how their role supports MoJ wider HMG objectives.

  • Making effective decisions

We are looking for candidates who are able to confidently use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. They should be able to carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.

  • Communicating and influencing

We want someone to lead cross-departmental teams from the front and take opportunities to communicate priorities with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm, helping to clarify goals and activities and the links between these and other departmental priorities.

  • Delivering at pace

We want someone that is able to take responsibility for the delegated work areas to deliver the expected outcomes on time and to a high standard; to be able to plan ahead as well as reprioritise at short notice.

Desirable criteria:

  • Knowledge or experience of policy or operational processes for keeping people safe in custodial settings such as prisons, police custody, immigration detention or secure health settings.
  • Knowledge or experience of human rights law and wider frameworks.

At interview, as well as assessing the above behaviours, we will also ask questions to understand your strengths.

If a high number of applications are received we will sift application forms on the ‘seeing the bigger picture’ behaviour.

You can find out more about behaviours and strengths by looking at the Civil Service Success Profiles guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

 

Applications

If you would like further information about the roles, please contact: Piers.barber1@justice.gov.uk

The successful candidates are expected to be able to take up posts as soon as possible, and, if joining from another Civil Service post, agreement with his/her current line management. The posts are available on promotion as well as level transfer.

For those candidates who successfully meet the job criteria but are not assigned to the initial posts, a merit/reserve list will be kept open for 12 months.

Selection Process: application form, CV and interview

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

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. 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.  

Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business or will be held in either London or Leeds and are expected to take place from 27th July.

10/07/2020, 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 - 35288.
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

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.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Seeing the Big Picture.
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
Seeing the Big Picture - 250 word limit
Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Seeing the Big Picture, 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.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

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.