30861 - Prison Officer Specialist
This is a position working in a small multi-disciplinary team in the Pathways Enhanced Resettlement Service (PERS) which is part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway. This service offers support to some men with the transition from closed conditions to open conditions, and with the transition into the community.
Overview
Job holders within this Group Profile will be Prison Officers who have completed both their probationary period and specialist training for their job. They will supervise prisoners whilst carrying out their specialist delivery job in a secure custodial setting, ensuring all services are provided to a high standard, maintaining security and control at all times.
The job holder will be required to undertake formal structured training in their relevant specialism for example as Facilitating Programmes, Offender Management Supervisor.
This is an operational job with no line management responsibilities but with supervisory responsibilities when required.
Will have regular pre-planned prisoner facing activities/duties.
Characteristics
Typical tasks associated with this Group Profile include:
- Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, safely and securely whilst carrying out all activities
- Understand, apply and conform to national and local polices
- Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners and staff
- Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements
- Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification / quality checking purposes
- Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required
- Exercise the powers of a Constable
- Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required
- Undertakes 'first on scene' incident response.
As a POELT coordinator will carry out a number of tasks namely:
- Attend recruitment days and promote Prison Service
- Meet and greet POELTs on first day
- Liaise with People/Business Hub administration staff, plan and arrange necessary uniform and equipment.
- Ensure a mentor has been identified t meet mentor to discuss responsibilities
- Ensure line manager includes mentoring in their SPDR
- Provide an induction booklet to support probationers t work with probationers to ensure that they understand (SSOW, Risk assessments, correct searching, escorting etc.)
- Meet with probationer at a minimum of monthly for an update on progress/needs t report back to line manager and people hub manager on probationer raising any concerns
- Liaise with NVQ assessor on progress and discuss progress with individuals and their line managers
Job Descriptions relating to this Group Profile
Some of the Prison Officer Specialist posts are rotational so the job holder could during their career carry out the role of different job descriptions as noted below:
- Prison Officer Specialist : Offender Supervisor
- Prison Officer Specialist : Programme Facilitator
- Prison Officer Specialist : Programme Facilitator YP
- Prison Officer Specialist : Security Intelligence Analyst
- Prison Officer Specialist : Therapeutic Community Programmes
- Prison Officer Specialist : Offender Supervisor Benchmark
- Prison Officer Specialist : Programme Facilitator Benchmark
- Prison Officer Specialist : Security Intelligence Analyst Benchmark
- Prison Officer Specialist : Use of Force YP
- Prison Officer Specialist : Prison Offender Manager
Essential Skills/ Qualifications/ Accreditation/ Registration
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh
The job holder must have successfully completed their probationary period.
Staff newly promoted into Band 4 Offender Supervisors or Specialist Officer roles within establishments will be expected to undertake the Diploma if they are covering or carrying out the role of Supervising Officer on a 'regular' basis.
Staff working in establishments who were mapped to a Band 4 Supervising Officer or Facilities and Services Supervisor role as part of the F&S restructuring process and staff who have re-graded to Band 4 from a higher grade are not required to complete the qualification as they have previously worked at an equivalent level (or higher).
When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job holder will be required to successfully undertake an assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young People
Hours of Work and Allowances
37 hour working week (standard).
HMPPS Staff on closed pay structures only
Additional Conditioned Hours Pensionable (ACHP)
Staff moving from a closed 39 hour pay structure will be eligible for the two protected pensionable additional committed hours (ACHP). They will work a 39 hour week consisting of the standard 37 hour week and a further 2 additional hours (ACHP) paid at plain time pensionable rate.
Unsocial Hours Working
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evening, nights, weekends and Bank / Public holidays.
Behaviours
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Essential Experience
- Must be competent in custodial procedures, including dynamic risk assessments
Technical Requirements
- Successful completion of POELT and probation period
- Must have Custodial Care National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3
- Must be trained in restraint techniques
We will have a 5 minute presentation during the interview with the title: The benefits of a Personality Disorder Service in open conditions. A flipchart is available should candidates wish to use it.
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.
11/12/2019, 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.