24473 - JExU Head of Policy
Overview of the job
This is a senior manager post based in HQ, reporting directly to a Deputy Director and will be a member of the Senior Management Team.
Summary
The job holder will have experience of leading and delivering wide ranging policies and procedures to demonstrably improve outcomes for a complex organisation. This is to be delivered by providing strategic leadership to their respective team/s to support, challenge and improve the delivery of measurable improvements in outcomes.
They will lead the team ensuring that the necessary systems, processes, evidence, strategic links and relationships are in place to continually develop and introduce new and revised policies to allow effective and legitimate use of policy.
The post holder will be responsible for the provision of high quality democratic services to Parliament and Ministers - delivering accurate, timely and clear briefings.
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Provide strategic direction and leadership to the Policy Team.
- Accountable for ensuring that existing policies remain current and to identify and address areas of weakness, ambiguity or inconsistency.
- Assure NOMS compliance with legislation, government policy and best practice in relation to the specific policy area
- Engage with senior representatives of stakeholders Policy decision makers to identify and develop the future needs of policy
- Representing NOMS in meetings with outside organisations and stakeholders and Other Government Departments.
- Develop and manage the commissioning of a research and analysis programme to policy and decision making, including leading meetings with senior research and policy staff from NOMS, MOJ, and other Government Departments to ensure research and analysis outputs inform and improve policy in order to more effectively meet operational requirements
- Commission legal advice where necessary
- Accountable for day-to-day advice given by others in unit on lower level issues - ensure that staff understand the importance of accurate and timely advice and that they are not impinging on the operational decision making
- Accountable for the various programmes of project work (initiatives) within the team
- Accountable for identifying policy design taking into account the strategic priorities of the organisation and/or Ministerial priorities and/or identified threats.
- Assuring NOMS compliance with legislation, government policy and best practice in relation to policy
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.
Competencies
For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Collaborating and Partnering
- Showing Drive and Resilience
- Persuading and Influencing
Essential Skills, Qualifications, Accreditation & Registration
Wide knowledge of the strategic priorities of the organisation
Evidence of political awareness in sensitive areas such as dealing with young people policy, courts & judiciary and rights groups such as Liberty.
Wide-ranging knowledge of policy development procedures within NOMS.
Excellent analytical skills in understanding trends.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Comprehensive knowledge of procedures for working with and briefing Ministers and Parliament
The Joint Extremism Unit (JExU) is a partnership between the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) in the Home Office and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and leads in developing policies and processes to counter-extremism across custody and probation settings. JExU owns a number of policies and processes to support operational staff countering extremism across custody and probation.
If there are a high volume of applications, candidates will be sifted on the Making Effective Decisions competency.
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
-HMPPS offers a childcare vouchers scheme. The scheme enables staff to take part of their salary in the form of Childcare Vouchers. This is known as a Salary Sacrifice. The vouchers can then be used to help meet the costs of any form of registered or approved childcare for children aged 0-16. The vouchers are exempt from tax and National Insurance contributions
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.
24/02/2019, 23:55 hours.
Closing Date: 8th March 2019 at 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 24473.
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.
Effectiveness in this area is about being consistently motivated, committed and able to perform duties in all situations. People who are effective maintain a personal conviction when faced with resistance. Those who work in establishment must retain a professional approach when confronted by aggression and strong emotion from prisoners. At senior levels, it is about remaining focussed on achieving objectives in the face of resistance, organisational constraints or unforeseen problems.
Effectiveness in this area means listening to each other, using reason and cooperation to reach agreement. We must all seeks to understand others’ perspectives whilst following through on agreements. Those who work in establishments must take time to understand the prisoners’ point of view and encourage prisoners to understand own / establishment’s perspective. At a senior level it is about promoting a culture of open interaction and effective consultation across all levels of the organisation. It is about influencing and involving the right people necessary to get things done.
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.