25713 - Senior Equality Manager
Overview of the Job
The Equality Manager has direct line manager responsibility for 2 x Band 6 staff and counter-signing responsibilities for 1 x Band 4.
The job holder will report to the Head of Equality (Prisons).
The post holder will co-lead a team of staff who are responsible for the development and delivery of a programme of work to identify and address unfairness in the treatment of NOMS staff (prisons) and prisoners, providing expert advice and support on equality matters.
The post holder will have overall responsibility, for three staff who work to deliver equality for NOMS staff and prisoners
Summary
The post holder will provide direction for equality reducing disproportionate outcomes for staff and prisoners and embedding a culture in which equality remains core to the values of NOMS
Provide management oversight and direction to the Head of Equalities (prisons), within the Women and Equality Team.
The post holder will provide expert advice on a range of equality specific matters such as equality performance, disproportionality as it occurs for staff and prisoners, to prisons and HQ Groups. Assess progress of initiatives designed to combat discrimination and ensure compliance with equality legislation as it applies to NOMS
The post holder must have a sound understanding of the complex needs of staff and prisoners from all nine protected characteristics, the sensitive nature of the subject matter and the ability to manage sensitive stakeholder relationships.
The post holder will work with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure that key stakeholders are engaged in the development of interventions and policies to reduce discrimination and ensure fairer outcomes for staff and prisoners.
Provide expert advice to policy leads, OD Managers, HRBPs, prison equality leads, governors and DDCs to help policy development and operational delivery of equality.
The post holder will provide briefing and responses to PQs and official correspondence
The post holder will ensure that senior NOMS staff understand and can evidence their duty to ‘pay due regard to equality’. They will also be responsible for the risk management of equalities at an operational level across all prisons to ensure NOMS is compliant with relevant equality legislation.
The post holder will have responsibility for the overseeing the implementation of NOMS grant funded projects
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties (Core to the role)
You will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Lead for NOMS on the provision of expert advice to Directors. DDCs, Head of Groups, and Ministers in relation to equality.
- Identify any unfairness or disproportionality through the monitoring of management information in equality data:
- Work with Business partners and Equality leads to identify areas where interventions and guidance are needed to ensure fair and equal treatment for staff and prisoners.
- Lead a programme of work to provide interventions and solutions to disproportionate outcomes for particular groups of staff and prisoners
- Oversee development of equality training to met legal obligations and improve performance in diversity.
- Ensure effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the work of Equality Team is understood and aligned to current thinking in the field and that key stakeholders are involved in the development of Equality tools and guidance on policy.
- Provide advice to policy leads, OD Managers and HRBPs to help policy development and operational delivery of staff Equality at a strategic level.
- Provide submissions, advice, briefing, responses to Parliamentary Questions, Ministers Cases and FOI requests relating to NOMS policy on equalities issues
- Represent Head of Equality (prisons) as appropriate.
- Carry out line management responsibilities in accordance with NOMS policies and procedures paying full attention to the performance management and development of staff on policy
- Contribute to the NOMS HQ flexible policy resource.
- Ensure the effective delivery of equality associated NOMS grant funded projects. Ensuring the delivery of agreed outcomes
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
- Leading and Communicating
- Collaborating and partnering
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Changing and Improving
Essential Skills Qualifications, accreditation & Registration
- Sound understanding of Human Resource Management.
- Sound knowledge and understanding of equality legislation
- Sound understanding of the prison operational environment
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.
25/04/2019, 23:55 hours.
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.
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.