41407 - Control Strategy Lead

£42,626 - £55,302 salary dependent on location
1
12 Months
National
National
NATIONAL
SEO
Band 8
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working, Other
Business Management & Improvement, Security, Health & Safety, Knowledge & Information Management

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

Overview of the job

The role sits in the newly formed Risk and Capabilities Unit (RaCU) within the Security, Order and Counter Terrorism Directorate. 

The Risk and Capabilities Unit (RaCU) was formed in October 2020 by the merging of Security Countermeasures Unit and Security Risk Unit to form a single unit dedicated to identifying and prioritising security risk and providing and enhancing capabilities in prisons, probation and youth custody to counter them. 

The term 'Capabilities' covers a wide spectrum of support and interventions. For example, our technological or physical advances to detect, prevent usage of, or disable illicit items; our formal training and skilling; our clear and constant learning communications; as well as our contemporary security procedures and practice improvement to enable staff to perform their duties consistently well. These are all 'Capabilities' and give people the tools to achieve. 

The job holder will report directly to the Head of Risk and Capabilities Unit, who in turn reports to the Deputy Director of Operational Security. 

The Control Strategy is the vehicle through which HMPPS can identify and prioritise its security risks to help enable us to achieve HMPPS business objectives. The assessment of the security risks can identify the tolerances to certain risks and vulnerability to others. For the risks where HMPPS is vulnerable, the control strategy identifies the controls which can mitigate this risk. 

The HMPPS Prison Control Strategy has been published. Further Control Strategies to reflect all areas of the organisation are required. 

Experience of prison and probation is beneficial but not necessary. This is a national post, regular attendance to meetings in London and occasional travel across the HMPPS estate will be required.

Summary

The post holder will be required to continue leading, updating, reviewing and delivering the HMPPS Control Strategy whilst developing and implementing Control Strategies for other areas of the organisation. The role includes line management of a small team. 

They will maintain and adapt where required a bespoke Control Strategy governance programme, which will hold the senior leaders of the business to account for managing the security risks identified in their areas of responsibility. 

They will regularly conduct briefings to build awareness, share success and highlight areas of contributions to the Control Strategy using a range of effective communication methods across the organisation and other government departments, including front line staff, senior leaders and Ministers. 

The successful candidate will have a passion for making a difference and will enjoy the challenge of learning about new and emerging security risks. Our mission is to ensure the organisation is proactive in its approach to security, ensuring resource is allocated effectively and is proportionate to the risk, providing maximum value for money for the taxpayer. 

Working across the organisation and externally to identify stakeholders who can support the development of Control Strategies. The range of stakeholders will help ensure that threats and risks are suitably identified, defined and assessed, with controls suitably owned and recorded. This will include senior leaders within HMPPS, front line staff, the Ministry of Justice and building and maintaining effective working relationships with other Government departments. 

The post holder will require a strong understanding of evaluation and incorporate a standardised level of evaluation to each control identified in the Control Strategy. This will provide a method for the organisation to measure the impact of controls and account for risk displacement when aiming to build resilience against security priorities. 

The role will require an ability to understand the bigger picture to ensure our risk tolerance is aligned to the wider business' strategic security objectives, as well as paying due attention to short and long-term security delivery objectives. 

The job holder will be responsible for maintaining and where required adapting governance structure to support the design, implementation and measurement of the Control Strategy, controls and other directorates Control Strategies being introduced. 

The post holder is accountable to the Head of Risk Resilience. This is a national post, which means base location will depend on closest HMPPS hub. Regular travel to London is expected, occasional travel to prisons, regional offices and National Probation Service Division offices as well as law enforcement partners' offices will be required.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

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

Leadership and Management of the Control Strategy:

  • Work with stakeholders to identify and prioritise risk scenarios in Youth Custody Service.
  • Promote the use of the Resilience Methodology as a means of identifying and assessing new risks which could impact security across HMPPS.
  • Support and promote the strategic direction and vision of the Security Risk Unit, work plan and deliverables.
  • Promote transparency in the decision-making process, which in turn can help secure joint investment in addressing vulnerabilities across the organisation.
  • Continuously review, enhance and embed the portfolio of risks and horizon scan for future control measures. 

Business Management:

  • Be an integral part in designing, developing, implementing and measuring the Control Strategy to help ensure it meets its commitment to build resilience to priority security risks.
  • Be accountable for the delivery of agreed outcomes on time and to budget, as well as being responsible for escalating risks and issues that arise from work.
  • Be accountable for effective communication of progress of control measures and providing briefings on the outputs of the risk portfolio to the Head of Risk Resilience, the Senior Management Team, Director of SOCT, and Ministers. 

Promotion of Risk Culture:

  • Promote the development of a professionalised and evidence-based security risk culture to identify security risks and control measures. This might include challenging the status quo and accepted assumptions about security risk at all levels of HMPPS. 

Internal and External Stakeholder Management & Leadership:

  • Be accountable for forming and maintaining effective working relationships internal to HMPPS and externally to ensure a collaborative approach to the control strategy. This will include working with frontline staff, across HMPPS and MoJ, academics, other Government departments, and law enforcement partners. 

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.

Behaviours

  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Seeing the Bigger Picture
  • Delivering at Pace

Experience

  • Experience of influencing and managing relationships with senior stakeholders.
  • Experience of project and/or programme management techniques.
  • Awareness and understanding of evaluation techniques.
  • Operational experience is beneficial, but not essential.
  • Research and analytical skills are essential, as are effective stakeholder management skills which can be demonstrated through experience influencing others. 

Ability

  • Your ability and potential to perform to the required standard will be assessed during application and interview.
  • Demonstrated ability to research across a complex portfolio of themes/areas of work.
  • Ability to develop and manage a quality service across a complex organisation, including the ability to design new products suitable to a specific operational context.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to drive resolution.
  • Strong communication (written and verbal), leadership and partnership working skills.

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.

TBC

01/03/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference - 41407.
Security Clearance (SC)

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
Seeing the Big Picture - 250 word limit
Changing and Improving - 250 word limit
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Seeing the Big Picture
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Technical Skills
Sound understanding of evidence led risk culture
Understanding of risk mitigation and controls
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.