28063 - Group Safety Support

Overview of the job

Improving safety in prisons is HMPPS top priority.

Those working in the HMPPS Group Safety Teams play a significant role in making prisons safer for all those who live and work in them by reducing deaths, self-harm and violence.

The post will be part of the HMPPS Group Safety Team who are responsible for providing support and assurance to establishments to deliver safer prisons, delivering work consistent to the direction set out by the Prison Group Director and HQ. They will be an integral link for establishments, the PGD and HQ in all matters associated with this essential work.

The post holder will serve a number of establishments within the group and therefore a willingness to travel is required.

This is a non-operational role which can be carried out by either non-operational or an operational member of staff.

Summary

The role is to work collaboratively with establishments within the prison group to ensure the best possible delivery of prison safety policies and practice.   This includes providing support, guidance, training and assurance across all elements of the Group Safety Strategy and Establishment Safety Strategies.  

In summary the post holder will:

• Provide practical support directly to establishments in the group on safety (preventing and reducing deaths, self-harm, violence and use of force in prisons). 
• Provide direct support to establishments to implement and embed recommendations from Operational and System Assurance Group (OSAG) audits, HMIP, PPO recommendations.
• Identify learning and good practice from establishments in the group and nationally and support other establishments to benefit from shared learning.
• Provide guidance on national policy.
• Support establishments in all safety related training.
• Support establishments to embed process to ensure correct data reporting of violence, self-harm and use of force.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure joined up effective working within the group.
• Provide quality assurance in ACCT process and management of risks related to suicide and self-harm reduction, violence, harmful behaviour groups and selfisolated prisoners.
• Take responsibility for all aspects of UOF including completion of paperwork, debriefs and support establishments within the group where UOF is concerned.
• Be a SPOC within group for the introduction of PAVA, Rigid bar handcuffs and SPEAR.
• Support establishments in producing a restraint minimisation strategy.
• Line management responsibility for Band 4 Safety Analyst.

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 safety outcomes for all, support from Group Safety Teams is available to private sector establishments as well as PSP Prisons. For all prison establishments, the job holder will:

• Establish influential working relationships with establishment staff responsible for the delivery of prison safety.
• Provide support to staff and managers on improving safety in all work streams to include reducing and preventing deaths, self-harm, violence and use of force.
• Support delivery of the Group and establishment safety strategies.
• Work collaboratively with other group support teams and leads.
• Support establishments to identify and share good practice and implement in all areas which affect prisoner safety.
• Provide establishments with helpful and constructive challenge and support on the effective application of policy and defensible decisions taken by establishments.
• To guide the use of available data and quality assurance tools to enable establishments to understand what is driving violence, self-harm and use of force and how effective their safety arrangements are and what further support is required.
• 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 Group Safety Lead 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 as required to develop better understanding and good practice.
• Support the Group Safety Lead by working to develop awareness 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.
• To support the development of establishment Training Needs Analysis to ensure that key safety training is included and to provide support for the delivery of essential safety training when requested.
• Support the Group Safety Lead in providing assurance for the PGD on delivery of safety in establishments, providing clear evidence of how effectively governance, safety initiatives and practice is managed within each establishment.
• Support delivery of HMPPS priorities and service-wide activities on safer custody.
• Contribute to the delivery of Group safety meetings to discuss issues, trends and learning.
• Take responsibility for all aspects of UOF including completion of paperwork, debriefs and support establishments within the group were UOF is concerned.
• Be a SPOC within group for the introduction of PAVA, Rigid bar handcuffs and SPEAR.
• Support establishments in producing a restraint minimisation strategy.
• Coordinate group level assurance around the governance of Use of Force and Segregation in each establishment.
• Support establishments in the delivery of effective Early Days processes.
• Support the effective delivery of safe, decent and just practice, policy and culture in each establishment.
• Devise innovative solutions to local safety challenges and work with local teams to implement and embed.

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
• Showing Drive and Resilience
• Persuading and Influencing
• Achieving a Safe and Secure Environment

Essential Skills /Qualifications /AccreditationRegistration

• 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.