69617 - SOCU Population Management Manager

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Overview of the job       

This is a strategic role within the Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in HMPPS Headquarters, which sits within the Counter Corruption and Policing Unit (CCPU). SOCU tackle the highest harm SOC nominals in custody and under supervision in the community and use operational insight to build organisational capability and resilience against serious and organised crime threats.

The Population Management Manager will support the work of SOCU by providing specialist management oversight of the delivery of the National SOC Population Management process across the prison estate and approved premises, with specific focus on managing and reducing SOC and maintaining stability, order, and control across prisons and probation.

The post holder will work closely with operational colleagues nationally and across the prison and probation SOC network, including the Long Term and High Security

Estate (LTHSE) and SOCU, coordinating the admission and ongoing placement of High Risk SOC nominals. This will involve coordinating progressive transfers in support of offender management and rehabilitation of offenders, as well as coordinating disruptive transfers.

The post holder will report to a band 8 in the SOCU Capability and Assurance Team, who in turn reports to the Head of Serious Organised Crime Unit. 

All geographical locations will be considered for this post. Travel to London, prison establishments, prison regional offices and to law enforcement partners’ offices will be required.

The post has no operational requirement. However, operational experience would be an advantage.

Summary           

This is an exciting opportunity to work within the Serious Organised Crime Sector.  The post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of National SOC Population Management, supporting SOCU, by providing national oversight and coordination across prison establishments and approved premises; and ensure decision making is informed by appropriate risk assessments.

This work will also support wider tactical management in support of SOC operations, with an element of cross agency consultation and working. The post holder will also provide specialist SOC population management advice, acting as the national point of contact for SOC related operational delivery.

Forward planning is also an essential element to this role and the post holder will forecast high risk offender’s progression through their sentence, including transition into the community, as well as utilising data and information sources to identify trends and emerging factors that may lead to population pressures impacting SOC population management.

The post holder will require excellent communication and negotiating skills, engaging with prison governors and the HMPPS SOC network, as well as with law enforcement partners.

The post holder must act with the highest levels of personal and professional integrity and champion these qualities in others. They must be vetted to Security Clearance (SC) standards.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties      

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

• Act as the SOC Population Management subject matter expert and national single point of contact, providing specialist tactical and policy advice.
• Oversee day to day delivery of national SOC population management, coordinating initial placement of SOC offenders in liaison with the central Specialist Support Team, Regional SOCU teams, Long Term and High Security Estate, prison governors and prison and probation SOC teams.
• Coordinating ongoing population management in support of wider tactical management requirements for SOC offenders.
• Supporting nationally and regionally coordinated SOC operations and disruption activity.
• Working closely with national, regional and local operational partners, ensuring all tactical management options are utilised, dealing with issues as they arise, including through engagement with the national SOC network, prison governors and operational partners.
• Supporting ongoing SOC Population Management Policy Development.
• Working alongside the Performance and Assurance Team within SOCU, have responsibility for all related management information and data, leading data exploitation, creating dashboards to understand current and future SOC Population demands.
• Provide support to the wider SOC Tactical Management work including the population management process, specialist cohort case management and partnership engagement. Providing effective cover in the lead’s absence.
• Coordinate the forward planning of SOC offender’s progression through their sentence, working closely with SOC Specialist staff and partner agencies in support of the deployment of specialist controls and interventions, PURSUE and PREVENT activity.
• Work with the SOCU Research and Development Officer to share information accordingly to ensure case identification are reflective of wider threats.
• Coordinate communications and briefings, including a cycle of operational briefings for Prison Group Directors, Prison Governors, Probation, National Security Division (NSD), Multi-Agency Response to Serious Organised Crime (MARSOC), Long Term High Security Estate (LTHSE) and operational partners.
• Coordinate the national SOC population management meeting and the delivery of actions.

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
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Ability

• Strong partnership working skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to drive resolution.

Experience

• Experience in operational and management roles in prisons.
• Knowledge and experience of working with stakeholders with proven ability to build strong stakeholder relationships and networks and use those relationships to deliver your objectives.
• Strong understanding of the operational context of prisons and probation.
• Candidates should demonstrate how they ensure a standardised service balanced with varying needs.
• Experience of influencing senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• Candidate should demonstrate problem solving and decision-making skills with the ability to drive resolution.
• Ability to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.