29745 - Activities Unit Manager
Overview
Job holders within this Group Profile contribute to reducing the risk of re-offending, delivering and arranging commercial activities to engage prisoners in purposeful activity, or the provision of attaining suitable skills, recognised qualifications to gain employment opportunities upon release.
These roles are non operational and may involve prisoner contact.
Characteristics
Typical tasks associated with this Group Profile include:
- Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial procedures outlined in the budget delegation
- Responsible for the management of all staff within their area. This includes staff performance, development and annual appraisal through to sickness absence management
- Ensure all NOMS standards and Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) are implemented and managed within the relevant work area
- Ensure all national and local policies and procedures are implemented and compliant e.g. National Security Framework (NSF), Local Security Strategy (LSS), Finance Manual
- Attend as directed any relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute, either as chair or team member
- Provides leadership and direction to managers and staff within their defined work area through briefings, building informal and formal relationships and effective communication
- Produce relevant reports as required and ensure all correspondence is replied to within agreed timescales
- Liaise and form good relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Manage resources to deliver the activities within the defined work area, and contribute to the mid-to-long term business planning process
- Ensure the defined work area and associated activities comply with Health and Safety legislation. Ensure all risk assessments are undertaken and staff are made aware of their personal responsibility towards ensuring Health and Safety compliance
Job Descriptions relating to this Group Profile
The job holder once in post will be in matched to a job description; a sample list is shown below. The post is rotational so the job holder could during their career carry out the role of different job descriptions.
- Activities Unit Manager : Commissioning Commercial Contract
- Activities Unit Manager : Industries
- Activities Unit Manager : Learning Skills and Employment
- Activities Unit Manager : Progression Special Unit
- Activities Unit Manager : Substance Misuse Wales
- Activities Unit Manager : Access to Justice
Essential Skills/Qualifications/Accreditation/Registration
- Job holders must complete specific training in their specialism once they take up post.
- An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh
- Must complete specific training to hold the qualifications required for area of specialism outlined on the Job Description
- Will need to keep up to date of knowledge/working practices in areas of expertise.
Internal applicants
All newly promoted staff to the following Band 6 first line manager roles (Activities Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Business Manager, Programme Manager, Specialist Treatment Manager or Equality Advisor) in Establishments will be expected to complete the New Manager Programme on Civil Service Learning within three years of promotion.
Staff that have mapped or re-graded to Band 6 who have previously worked at an equivalent level will not be required to undertake the qualification.
External applicants
All external staff joining as a Band 6 Activities Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Business Manager, Programme Manager, Specialist Treatment Manager or Equality Advisor in an Establishment will be expected to complete the New Manager Programme on Civil Service Learning within three years.
Behaviours
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Hours of Work and Allowances
37 hour working week
Please ensure that 3 items of ID are bought to interview including 2 photographic ID's
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s, including HMPPS, 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 working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.
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 provide 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 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.
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.
18/10/2019, 23:55 hours.
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.
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
Interview stage assessments
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.