60222 - Group Practitioner - Secondment or Fixed Term Contract

£27,697 - £31,176
1
12 Months
North East
Middlesbrough
HM Prison Holme House, TS18 2QU
HEO
Band 5
Fixed Term , Secondment
up to 31/03/2023
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working, Other
Administration / Corporate Support

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

The job holder will host group-based support for males nearing release from prison. This role is to serve a fixed term pilot and will involve liaising with the central team to support external evaluation of the work. The role is available as a secondment or as a fixed term appointment.

This is a non- prisoner facing job - without clinical, or line management responsibilities.

The job holder will be based in prison and working with a range of people to develop readiness to engage relational skills on release from prison. Responsible for referrals and hosting group sessions, the job holder with work closely with site staff to maintain safety of participants, and to sequence the activity with other pre-release activities.

Overview of the job

Prison Leavers is a project to improve the social inclusion of people leaving prison. It received £20million funding from the HMT Shared Outcomes Fund, which supports innovative approaches to complex challenges which ‘cut across’ multiple departments.

The Prison Leavers Project recognises that to solve the intractable and interconnected challenges that people face when leaving prison, we need to work in new ways. It adopts a systems-led approach, bringing together more than 30 organisations including government departments, local authorities, police and charities, to establish joint ownership of the problems and solutions for people leaving prison.

By building a better understanding of the entire system, we aim to identify key points of leverage where interventions might have a wider ripple effect, and adopt new approaches which address the barriers which people face on release, increasing their ability to participate and feel included in their communities. In doing so, we will improve the experience and outcomes for our service users, and support key Government priorities such as reducing reoffending, ending rough sleeping, supporting people to enter work and enhancing social mobility.

This role is to serve a fixed term pilot and will involve liaising with the central team to support external evaluation of the work. The role is available as a secondment or as a fixed term appointment.

This is a non-operational, prisoner facing job - without clinical, or line management responsibilities.

Summary

The job holder will host group-based support for males nearing release from prison.

The job holder will be based in prison and working with a range of people to develop readiness to engage relational skills on release from prison. Responsible for referrals and hosting group sessions, the job holder with work closely with site staff to maintain safety of participants, and to sequence the activity with other pre-release activities.

This is not a role to deliver group therapy, but to facilitate therapeutic discussion to planned themes.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

  • Delivery - Host group-based support to build relational skills, minimum two sessions per week
  • Build effective relationships with prison staff to stay up to date and briefed on participants attending the sessions you run; Liaising with internal staff to link the service to other work happening in the prison and attend local meetings
  • Records & reporting - Keep clear and concise records; report performance to Project Co-ordinator
  • Responsibility for meeting referral targets
  • Quality - Ensure the integrity and effectiveness of group support, ensuring standards are met in relation to the delivery of each session in compliance with the framework set out by the MoJ team commissioning the pilot including attending reflective Community of Practice meetings with peers
  • Evaluation - Monitoring requirements: data collection for evaluation purposes. Collating feedback on what is working and sharing solutions
  • Safeguarding - Monitoring the safety and wellbeing of participants; including liaison with Safer Custody, ACCT and local staff

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.

Behaviours

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Working Together

Experience

  • Experience of working in a prison environment
  • Building relationships with other professionals
  • Group facilitation
  • Trauma aware (Some knowledge is essential - strong background in trauma- informed approaches a distinct advantage)
  • Comfortable running group sessions for males in prison
  • Experience of using NOMIS

Technical Requirements

  • Fully qualified, UKCP or BACP registered practitioner
  • SSCL Prison Cleared

Ability

  • Organised
  • Ability to work to volume targets
  • Conflict management
  • Understanding of prison infrastructure
  • Confident use of IT systems including Excel
  • Current key holder at relevant estate

Qualifications
Fully qualified, UKCP or BACP registered practitioner

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

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.

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 provides 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 the 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Expected w/c 06.06.22

28/07/2022, 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@gov.sscl.com

Please quote the job reference.

Enhanced Baseline Standard

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.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

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

Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Developing Self and Others - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
Working Together
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

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.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

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.