27983 - Senior Policy Advisor - Bail, Sentencing and Release Policy
We believe justice is the foundation of a safe, fair and prosperous society.
The department is at the heart of the justice system, an organisation working together with our partners, to bring the principles of justice to life for everyone in society. One of our aims is to protect and advance the principles of justice: from our civil courts, tribunals and family law hearings, to criminal justice, prison and probation services; from seeing to it that sentences are served and offenders are encouraged to reform, to keeping the public safe; from safeguarding victims and the vulnerable, to regulating our legal services.
Together, we create the circumstances for our country to prosper and for our citizens to thrive. This has never been more important than it is today.
Working with ministers and senior leaders, you will develop your understanding and experience of how policy proposals are developed, delivered and managed in government. Further, you will do so on policy areas which have a significant impact on our society: protecting the public, upholding the rule of law, and providing a just, proportionate and accessible justice system.
The Bail, Sentencing and Release Policy team sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice’s mission of delivering a world class justice system that works for everybody. We oversee a wide range of challenging and stimulating policy priorities relating both to the court system and prisons and probation.
Questions of the use of custody, release policy and the prison population are always high on the political agenda. We are responsible for delivering some of the top priorities for the Justice Secretary, supporting the departmental objective to ensure a sustainable prison population, in particular through formulating policy on short custodial sentences, co-ordinating cross-departmental management of the prison population, developing policy on the release of prisoners (including on home detention curfew), sponsorship of the Sentencing Council, and implementing reform of the Parole Board.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team to lead and support work across our priorities, which include:
- Exploring options for sentencing reform, in particular developing policy on the use of short custodial sentences and options for the use of robust community-based alternatives
- Ensuring the successful development of a modern electronic monitoring service that is innovative, versatile and provides value for money;
- Supporting other Government departments as well as other teams in the Ministry of Justice, to make sure that the custodial and non-custodial penalties for criminal offences are proportionate and effective;
- Delivering reforms to the Parole Board, including a new Reconsideration Mechanism for Parole Board decisions and a new set of Parole Board Rules;
- Reforming the criminal records disclosure scheme, a key factor in helping ex-offenders into work, following a landmark Supreme Court judgment;
- Ensuring policy on the recall of offenders to custody maintains the right balance between protecting the public, stabilising the prison population and promoting successful reintegration.
We operate as a flexible team and there will be the opportunity to work in a range of these priorities to provide for your development and to experience a breadth of different policy areas.
We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate the following behaviours:
- Making effective decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at pace
Essential Skills and Qualifications
For these roles you are required to have:
- Ability to make sound judgments and provide well-articulated advice
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent written and numerical skills, with experience in using data to inform your work
- The ability to demonstrate confidence, diplomacy and skill to act independently
- Experience of working in a policy context
Further to this it would be desirable, but not essential, for the post-holder to:
- Have experience of governmental and parliamentary processes
- Understand and have experience of working in the criminal justice system
Application process
These vacancies are using Success Profiles. For more information visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours at application stage, and we recommend you use the Situation Task Action Result (STAR) format in structuring your answer.
- Communicating and influencing
- Seeing the big picture
- Working together
- Delivering at pace
The application will also require you to briefly explain your employment history and any relevant skills or experience for the post. (Please note we cannot provide detailed feedback if you are unsuccessful at sift stage.)
If you are invited to interview, we will assess you on the behaviours listed above and on a range of strengths. For more information on strengths we may assess, visit: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717274/CS_Strengths_2018.pdf
Contact details
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s 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.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
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. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. 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 Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
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 employees.
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.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
02/08/2019, 23:55 hours.
If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 27983.
To speak about the details of the role, please contact Ollie Simpson on 07870 167433 or by email ollie.simpson@justice.gov.uk
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.
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.