26289 - Senior Probation Officer - Prisons - London

£36,084 - £41,020
6
12 Months
London
London, Sutton
HM Prison Brixton, SW2 5XF, HM Prison High Down, SM2 5PJ, HM Prison Pentonville, N7 8TT, HM Prison Wandsworth, SW18 3HS, HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, W12 0AE
Other
NPS Pay Band 5 London
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working, Other
Operational Delivery

Overview of the job

This is a management role within the National Probation Service (NPS).

The Senior Probation Officer supports the Head of Operational Function to provide management and a leading role within a Local Delivery Unit (LDU) or other operational unit.

Summary

The job holder will be expected to manage and lead staff within the operational area to the required standard, and will offer support and cover to other teams/functions during periods of absence.

In line with NPS policies and procedures, the job holder must at all times demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion and an understanding of their relevance to the work they do.

The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position.

If relevant to the role, some out of hours working may be required

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

Senior Probation Officers may be required to undertake any combination, or all, of the duties and responsibilities set out below.

  • To provide effective management and leadership to the team
  • To be accountable for the quality delivery of good practice and team performance improvement within policy and national standards
  • To ensure that all team resources, including interventions, are deployed cost effectively and provide best value in terms of both budget control and realising the organisation's strategic aimsš
  • To ensure that staff can efficiently and effectively meet the requirements of the NPS[ contract with NOMS, Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) and local business plans as required
  • To access, interpret, analyse and apply performance data pro-actively in order to maximise LDU/team performance, evaluate practice and deliver organisational aims
  • To proactively manage staff development, issues of underperformance, attendance, health and safety, employee relations and diversity matters.
  • Adopt a consistent, fair and objective standpoint when making decisions in relation to individual staff issues
  • To ensure that offender managers manage risk appropriately, and meet all public protection standards and targets
  • To contribute directly to public protection through multi-agency arrangements and individual casework review, discussion and feedback
  • To promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to service delivery
  • To manage financial resources for your area of responsibility as required by your Head of Operational Function and in line with NOMS financial regulations and policies. To authorise expenditure within financial limits
  • In accordance with the business plan, to provide a leading role and direction in work with partners and key stakeholders, and represent the NPS as appropriate to the role
  • To facilitate effective communication between the LDU/Operational Unit management team and internal and external partners
  • To play an active part in the corporate management of the NPS as necessary, as a member of the LDU/Operational Unit Management Team
  • To undertake specific areas of responsibility as delegated by the Head of Operational Function.
  • Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing prosocial behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes
  • Carry out safeguarding children duties in accordance with the NPS statutory responsibilities and agency policies
  • To work within the aims and values of NPS and NOMS

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 Job Evaluation and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder.

Competencies

For the purposes of selection the following competencies will be used:

  • Leading and communicating
  • Building capability for all
  • Collaborating and partnering
  • Making effective decisions
  • Delivering at pace
  • Managing a quality service

Essential Skills, Qualifications, accreditation & Registration

Qualifications

Essential

  • Probation Qualification Framework Graduate Diploma/ Honours Degree in Community Justice integrated with Level 5 Diploma in Probation Practice.
  • Or a qualification which was recognised at the time of qualification by the Secretary of State for Justice as per Section 10 of the Offender Management Act 2007.The following qualifications gained in England and Wales were previously recognised as providing such eligibility:
  • Diploma in Probation Studies,
  • Diploma in Social Work (with Probation Option)
  • CQSW (with Probation Option)
  • Diploma in Probation Studies,
  • Diploma in Social Work (with Probation Option)
  • CQSW (with Probation Option)

Desirable

  • Evidence of competence in management skills and/or equivalent management qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial experience with a proven record of good practice in a variety of settings (including offender risk assessment and management) as a Probation Officer or from working within another criminal justice agency or related work context
  • Understanding of the role of the Probation Service in the Criminal Justice System and in a multi-disciplinary setting.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the factors which influence engagement with victims
  • Experience of risk management and assessment, understanding of multiagency risk assessment and management procedures
  • Evidence of ability to evaluate practice
  • Evidence of ability to provide a practice perspective on policy development
  • Experience of working under pressure and fulfilling demanding deadlines
  • Experience of working flexibly as a member of a team to achieve performance targets
  • Experience of contributing to the provision of effective administration and information systems
  • Demonstrable achievements in managing/supporting change and effecting improvements in quality and efficiency
  • Able to demonstrate well developed IT skills, including evidence of ability to interpret and apply performance reports
  • Experience of proactively championing diversity and inclusiveness both internally and externally
  • Ability to implement the services health and safety policies

Desirable

  • Experience at a comparable management level within a complex multidisciplinary environment
  • Previous experience of effecting staff performance improvements
  • Experience of recruitment and selection of staff
  • Experience of delivering staff coaching
  • Experience of conducting employee relations investigations (e.g. disciplinary action, capability, grievances etc.)
  • Experience of monitoring and working within budgets.
  • Understanding how to interpret and apply HR policy and procedure.
  • Experience of participating in commissioning and procurement processes or contract management.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours)

37 Hours a Week

Head of Offender Management Delivery (Senior Probation Officer) based within the Offender Management Unit -Task List

Below lists tasks that an SPO may carry out. This list is not exhaustive and would depend on the prison function, but if does give an indicative list of tasks that the SPO may need to undertake.

Leadership and Management:

  • Provide leadership and management within the Offender Management Unit with the Head of OM Services
  • Offender management lead for the prison with a focus on improving quality
  • Responsible for line managing all prison Offender Managers
  • Member of the prison senior management team providing consultative advice, support and feedback
  • Work closely with the senior management team in order to develop initiatives, practice and opportunities for prisoners to reduce their risk of harm and reoffending
  • Act as the lead for the offender management elements within the establishment for the Offender Personality Disorder pathway.

 Offender Management Delivery - policy:

  • Accountable and responsible for offender management delivery as per the OMiC model within the prison
  • Responsible for the offender management work with relevant systems including OASys, P-NOMIS, ViSOR
  • Support the implementation and compliance of the prison Public Protection Manual with a responsibility to support the Head of OM Services in relation to decision making (decisions should always be in alignment with the prisoner’s risk assessment and risk management plan)
  • Accountable for the delivery of the OPD core specification by the OMU staff – ensuring this is in partnership with the HMPS Psychology teams
  • Accountable for ensuring all sentenced prisoners have a plan in relation to their sentence and that the plan is being managed
  • Accountable, within the Open and Female Estate, for ensuring the delivery of Enhanced Behavioural Monitoring work within the prison

Offender Management Delivery – work: 

  • Accountable for the case allocation process within the OMU
  • Ensure the OMiC model is delivered with responsibility for the delivery and quality of prison Offender Manager’s work to prisoners receiving Core and Specialised OM
  • Responsibility for pre-release work and ensuring good handovers are undertaken between prison and community as per the OMiC model
  • Ability to override the model’s timescales relating to a handover point (prison to community) when circumstances arise
  • Responsible for ensuring the process is in place for prisoners to be assigned early to the NPS where relevant and responsible for overseeing this process and screening within the prison
  • Responsible for timeliness and quality of offender management work completed by prison Offender Managers, including all assessments but not exclusively: re-categorisation, HDC, ROTL, Parole Reports and OASys
  • Ensure prison Offender Managers deliver relevant public protection work (within the prison Public Protection Manual) in a timely and appropriate manner
  • Ensure prison Offender Managers deliver relevant recall paperwork in timely and appropriate manner as per OMiC model and the Best Practice Guidance Working with Recalled Prisoners
  • Ensure prison Offender Managers record relevant offender management information on ViSOR
  • Chair MALRAPS for new life sentence prisoners
  • Responsible for OASys and countersigning OASys assessments
  • Responsible for chairing and the delivery of IRMTs as per the Prison Public Protection Manual
  • Responsible for quality, timeliness and countersigning MAPPA F reports
  • Responsible for quality, timeliness and countersigning Parole Reports and prison OM PAROM1 input
  • Accountable for the CRC to NPS risk escalation process within the prison
  • Support the prison with decisions relating to prisoner transfers ensuring the prisoner move fits with their sentence plan or progression plan whenever possible
  • Responsible for any prison MAPPA Level 2/3 referrals made in relation to Remand prisoners when there is no community probation responsibility / management
  • Responsible for delivering the Offender Personality Disorder core specification, in partnership with HMPPS Psychology, as described in the relevant specifications
  • Point of contact for the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway
  • Responsible for liaising between OMU and other OPD services within the prison, and between the prison and external agencies
  • Information sharing and OPD pathway planning including ensuring the updating of IT system
  • Offer oversight to prison Offender Managers on referrals or requests for advice from HMPPS Prison Psychology
  • To ensure necessary arrangements and processes are in place to enable the effective contribution of HMPPS Prison Psychology services to individual case plan, and that recommendations are appropriately followed through and actioned.
  • To hold accountability for ensuring all referrals to Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBP) are in line with the latest programme suitability guidance.
  • Contribute to the delivery of the Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBP) as an active member of the AIM (Accredited Interventions Management) team.
  • To ensure that Offender Managers facilitate post programme reviews as part of the Sentence Planning process, and undertake any necessary follow up work in accordance with Programme guidance, including supporting post programme objectives, programme developed desistence goals and delivery of New Me MOT.

Quality and Performance:

  • As agreed with the Governor; the SPO will be responsible for the quality of offender management within the prison
  • Accountable for the performance relating of offender management delivery and the work undertaken by prison Offender Managers. Within this, manage the achievement of qualitative and quantitative standards, inc. service Delivery Indicators, verifying and signing off documents. Analyse and act upon data, which is relevant to offender management delivery
  • Ensure that the offender management delivery function produces and analyses audit and establishment performance management information identifying variances and areas requiring improvements
  • Accountable for the team and individual prison Offender Manager’s quality and delivery of good practice within the OMU. Ensure that the quality of offender management in custody is improved and maintained
  • Quality assure delivery of key worker activities
  • To ‘self-audit’ and use ‘user engagement tools’ to support quality assurance work, including dip sampling the quality of HDC and ROTL reports. To use any quality assurance tools as per the offender management model, for example, the Quality Assurance process for parole reports.
  • Manage the quality assurance system, assessing the output, timeliness, accuracy and quality of the work produced by prison Offender Managers
  • Ensure all performance measures and outputs are produced in a timely fashion, for example, monthly MAPPA returns (performance measure), ViSOR Audit
  • Responsible for OPD performance quality requirements

Staff Development:

  • Ensure all prison Offender Managers are trained and competent to perform duties in line with their role, ensuring professional development is maintained
  • Assess prison Offender Managers competency in relation to offender management delivery and manage appropriately in line with the HMPPS HR policy
  • Oversee the skills, professional development and training of the prison key workers
  • Plan an overall package of on-going training/case reflections/learning opportunities for key worker and prison Offender Managers; ensuring prison Offender Managers undertake case reflection with key workers
  • Ensure that prison Offender Managers have access to appropriate training, both prison and probation training, enabling prison Offender Managers to undertake their duties and develop professionally
  • Ensure relevant induction training for all new prison Offender Managers is undertaken, which will include as a minimum, familiarisation of the establishment, personal protection, security awareness, fire safety and ACCT training

Stakeholder Engagement and Multi-agency work:

  • Ensure that Divisional NPS leadership are informed of prison strategic plans
  • Ensure timely information flows between prison and NPS in the community and promote effective communication
  • Maintain and build relationships, promoting prison staff co-operation and effective communication between NPS staff based in the community
  • Ensure work within the OMU and across the prison, has a focus on risk and offender management, promoting effective links with external statutory partnerships such as MAPPA
  • Ensure good links with other agencies / departments in the prison, such as Drug and Alcohol services, Mental Health Providers, Education etc.....
  • Develop effective relationships with Through The Gate providers
  • Where commissioned, support and promote the implementation and use of Restorative Justice face to face victim prisoner conferencing models, enabling those affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward
  • Ensure good links with NPS and CRC teams in the community and other agencies such as Children Young Peoples Service, Adult Services, Police, Mental Health, Community Safety Partnerships and Integrated Offender Management teams

 Other

  • Ensure all staff within the function provide a respectful, safe and decent environment for all prisoners and staff
  • Manage prisoner’s complaints process in relation to complaints made against prison Offender Managers
  • Contribute to the strategic business plan for the establishment, with overall responsibility for implementation of offender management delivery
  • Attend relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute either as chair or team member
    Responsible for ensuring defined work areas and associated activities comply with Health and Safety legislation. Ensure all risk assessments are undertaken and line managed staff are made aware of their personal responsibility towards Health and Safety compliance.
The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

In addition this post attracts a London allowance payment which will be discussed at interview.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Standard working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

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. 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 National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF). Please visit www.gmpf.org.uk for further information.

Please note: Any current Civil Servant who is a member of the PCSPS, by accepting an offer of employment to the National Probation Services will be opted out of the PCSPS and auto enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme.

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.

Eligibility

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

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.

To be confirmed

24/05/2019, 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@sscl.gse.gov.uk. Please quote the job reference - 26289.

Lizzette Ambrose - Resettlement Manager

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



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
Leading and Communicating
Building Capability for All
Collaborating and Partnering
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service
PQF Honours Degree / Graduate Diploma & Level 5 Diploma in Probation Practice; or Diploma in Probation Studies; or Diploma in Social Work (Probation option); or CQSW (Probation option)

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

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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.