40472 - JEXU Policy Advisor
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
The Joint Extremism Unit (JEXU) is jointly run by HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the Home Office’s Office of Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT). It is the strategic centre for all counter-terrorism work in HMPPS. It has oversight of delivery across the end-to-end offender management process, through prison and probation. The unit encompasses the entire policy making process, from strategy to operational delivery, and consists of a mix of policy officials and operational staff across England and Wales.
The JEXU Operational Policy and Improvement Programme teams manage, develop and improve policy and practice to strengthen the Government’s response to the threat of terrorism in prisons and probation. The Improvement Programme team takes a programme and project management approach to continually developing, reviewing and improving policy. Projects vary significantly although tend to include conducting research, analysis and evaluation of policy before designing and delivering plans for implementation
Overview of the job
Job Holder will support the development and implementation of specific policy. Acts as policy lead on certain aspects of the policy providing advice on complex or high profile issues.
Summary
The job holder will require a strong knowledge and awareness of current policies and practices and will be expected to write at a level that is suitable for legal correspondence and maintain this in dialogue with solicitors and legal representatives.
Job Holder will on occasions be required to represent NOMS in meetings with outside organisations and stakeholders and Other Government Departments.
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Provides support and assistance to the Head of Policy
- Provides expert policy advice and guidance to staff and managers
- Act as point of contact for day-to-day written or verbal advice and consultation to key stakeholders and senior officials
- Responsible for contributing relevant information to draft Ministerial submissions and briefing for senior officials
- Where necessary commission and analyse reports from internal or external colleagues, including contractors, and criminal justice stakeholders for information related to the subject matter
- Consolidate and analyse complex policy information and data evidence provided by policy leads and contractors to draft new protocols, sometimes in the face of conflicting stakeholder viewpoints. Develops operational and non operational policy
- Attend ad-hoc meetings on behalf of the team as required
- Provide secretariat support as and when required. Act as the Key Information Liaison Officer (KILO)
- Ensure draft responses to reports and correspondence submited to Team Leaders, are compliant and in line with current NOMS and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) policy,
- Provide senior managers with draft responses or contributions to Parliamentary Questions, Treat Official letters, Freedom of Information enquiries as well as contributing to briefing for minister and senior managers ensuring responses are prepared in accordance with the requirements of statutory legislation.
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
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Working Together
Essential Experience
- Needs excellent written and oral communication skills to present a clear and accurate understanding of these issues to Ministers, the MOJ, other Government departments and the wider public
Technical requirements
- A high level of organisational knowledge and operational understanding of NOMS and the prison estate is required.
Ability
- The ability to understand, interpret and summarise complex information is required.
- The ability to interact with and influence senior staff and stakeholders is required
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
-Successful candidates will be required to complete SC clearance.
-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.
25/01/2021, 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 - 40337.
For any further information on the role, please contact vacancy manager Holly Pyman on holly.pyman@justice.gov.uk
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.