26675 - Deputy Regional Safer Custody Lead
The role is to support and deputise for the RSCL as required in order to ensure the best possible delivery of safer custody policies and practice. This includes assisting in
the oversight and assurance on delivery to the respective Governors, Prisons Group Directors and HQ.
In summary the post holder will:
Deputise for the RSCL as and when required Provide support directly to establishments in the region on safer custody (preventing and reducing deaths, self-harm and violence in prisons) as well supporting colleagues across regions.
Provide direct support establishments to implement and embed recommendations from Operational and System Assurance Group (OSAG) audits
Support establishments to address recommendations from PPO investigations and HMIP reports
Identify learning and good practice from establishments in the region
Support the RSCL to improve service delivery, compliance with safer custody and other relevant polices
Promote and implement Safety strategic aims for safer custody
Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure joined up effective working
The post holder may be either non-operational or an operational member of staff dependant on regional need. The post holder may have line management responsibilities.
Overview of the job
Improving safety in prisons is HMPPS top priority. Those working in the Regional Safer Custody Teams have a key role in making establishments safer for all those who live and work in them by reducing deaths, self-harm and violence.
This is a management role located within each region, reporting to the Regional Safer Custody Lead (RSCL), working to a consistent direction set out by HQ. The post will be part of the Regional Safer Custody Teams (RSCTs) who are responsible for providing support to establishments to deliver safer prisons. The deputy RSCL will support the RSCL in the delivery of this essential work across their establishments, to Directors of Prison Group and Reform Prisons and HQ.
The deputy RSCL role is located within Prisons Directorate and post holders will support a number of establishments in accordance with prison structures (establishments grouped by region, function, and Wales). In the interests of promoting safer custody outcomes for all, support from RSTs is available to private sector establishments.
Summary
The role is to support and deputise for the RSCL as required in order to ensure the best possible delivery of safer custody policies and practice. This includes assisting in the oversight and assurance on delivery to the respective Governors, Prisons Group Directors and HQ.
In summary the post holder will:
- Deputise for the RSCL as and when required
- Provide support directly to establishments in the region on safer custody (preventing and reducing deaths, self-harm and violence in prisons) as well supporting colleagues across regions.
- Provide direct support establishments to implement and embed recommendations from Operational and System Assurance Group (OSAG) audits
- Support establishments to address recommendations from PPO investigations and HMIP reports
- Identify learning and good practice from establishments in the region
- Support the RSCL to improve service delivery, compliance with safer custody and other relevant polices
- Promote and implement Safety strategic aims for safer custody
- Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure joined up effective working
The post holder may be either non-operational or an operational member of staff dependant on regional need. The post holder may have line management responsibilities.
Responsibilities,Activities & Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
Establishment Safety in Custody Delivery & Planning
In the interests of promoting safer custody outcomes for all, support from Regional Safer Custody Teams is available to private sector establishments and as well as PSP prisons. For all prison establishments, deputy RSCLs will:
- Provide support to Governors on improving safety in custody (reducing and preventing deaths, self-harm and violence).
- Support establishments to identify, capture and share good practice, learning and operational experience. This includes learning from serious incidents.
- Provide establishments with advice and guidance on the effective application of policy and defensible decisions taken by establishments.
- Assist the RSCL in the use of agreed monitoring tools to enable establishments to understand how effective their safer custody arrangements are and what further support is required.
- Where required assist in operational assessments with PGDs of the effectiveness of safer custody arrangements within establishments.
- Assist establishments in strengthening effective collaborative working with their local Healthcare providers and all other external providers in order to take a whole prison approach to improving safety.
- Support the RSCL in co-ordinating information linked to the mitigation of risks and issues arising from deaths and incidents of serious assault and serious self-harm. This analysis should capture quick learning and disseminate information to PGDs, HQ, Governing Governors and Head of Functions as required to develop better understanding and good practice and should form part of the Regional Safer Custody delivery plans.
- Oversight of local protocols at each establishment for learning from deaths and incidents of serious assault and serious self-harm, and that action is being taken to respond to recommendations from internal reviews, HMIP, PPO and Operational and System Assurance Group audit reports.
- Assist in the delivery of safer custody training as required.
Policy Implementation and Assurance
Regional Safer Custody Teams play a key role in providing assurance on the delivery of safer custody work working closely with Prison Group Directors and HQ, and will:
- Promote Safer Custody strategic aims to prevent and reduce deaths, selfharm and violence in prisons.
- Support delivery of HMPPS priorities and service-wide activities on safer custody.
- Contribute to the delivery of regional safer custody meetings to discuss issues, trends and learning, and chair meetings on behalf of the RSCLs as required.
- If required by the RSCL, attend and contribute to RSCL meetings with HQ to discuss safer custody.
- Assist the development of the training needs analysis for each establishment, and supporting training of staff in region.
- Liaise with stakeholders which is expected to include Police, CPS, Courts,
Private Prisons, Coroner’s Office, Health boards, Samaritans, where necessary. Attend Community Steering Groups meetings (Ambulance, local council suicide prevention groups, and adult safeguarding meetings) where practicable from a regional perspective as required by RSCL.
Undertake other management tasks including:
- Promotes HMPPS policy in all activities and behaviours e.g. promotes diversity, decency, safety and reducing re-offending agendas.
- Attend as directed any relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute.
- Provide direction to staff within their defined work area through briefings, building informal and formal relationships and effective communication.
- Produce relevant reports as required and ensure all correspondence is replied to within agreed timescales.
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:
- Changing and Improving
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Leading and Communicating
- Collaborating and Partnering
- Showing Drive and Resilience
- Persuading and Influencing
- Achieving a Safe and Secure in Environment
Essential Qualifications, accreditation Registration & Skills
- Knowledge or experience of Safer custody work in prisons
- When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job holder will be required to successfully undertake an assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young People
If Operational
- Must be successfully accredited as an Operational Manager (or in post as a G5 prior to 1999).
Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours Allowances)
37 hours
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
-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.
07/06/2019, 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.
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.
Being effective in this area is a key responsibility for all of us to both protect the public and prevent victims. We must all promote and contribute to an orderly, safe and secure environment both within our own unit / establishment and across the whole of the Agency. Those who work in establishments must support the principles of dynamic security by treating the needs of prisoners individually; developing controlled, professional relationships with prisoners; and contributing to a constructive regime. At senior levels, it is about creating strategies, policies and processes that contribute to the achievement of a safe and secure living and working environment.
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.