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General Information

Salary
£36,151 - £37,887
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
Durham
Region
North East
Closing Date
15-Dec-2025
Business Unit
DDC North East
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
11880

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Applicants MUST passed their CMAC assessment.

Overview of the job    

This is an operational role based in a Region that provides first line management to dog handlers and trainers.

Summary    

The job holder will ensure the implementation and development of the Regional Search Dog Strategy. They will also monitor the ongoing effectiveness and efficiency of search dogs and handlers, ensuring that systems are in place for the development and training of the same.

The job holder will be required to undertake incident management response (Silver/Bronze) and undertake Orderly Officer duties via the establishment's rota. In addition to this, the job holder may be required, on a rotational basis, to be responsible for the establishment during the night period. This requirement will be based upon local risk assessment and establishment complexity.

This is an operational job with line management responsibilities and is rotational.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties    

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

•    Undertake Orderly Officer duties when scheduled to do so, ensuring that the establishment's regime is delivered effectively and that any operational decisions or incidents are managed in line with contingency plans, seeking advice from the Duty Governor/Manager when required.
•    Responsible for the management of all staff within their hierarchy. This includes staff performance, development and annual appraisal through to sickness absence management and managerial enquiries.

Manage the day to day coordination of the Regional Dog Search including:

•    Manage resources to combat threats to security within Regional establishments.
•    Co-ordinates and plans large lock down searching of establishments, after analysis of intelligence and advising Head of Security, briefing and de-briefing of staff and senior managers.
•    Work collaboratively with other partnership agencies.
•    Contributes to the development and delivery of the business vision and strategy and plan for the Region. Advises and acts as a single point of contact for the Region.
•    Ensures and plans delivery of training and facilitate licensing of all Prison Service Search Dogs.
•    Manage the procurement of suitable dogs for the Region, including re-homing unsuitable/retired dogs.
•    Ensure all dog handlers within the Region are aware of their responsibilities in relation to the care and welfare of their dogs.
•    Responsible for development of new search dog techniques.
•    Development of the Regional Training plan.

Undertake other management tasks including:

•    Assist the Head of Function in developing and delivering processes to protect the security of the establishment.
•    Ensure that all staff supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, lawfully, safely and securely whilst carrying out all activities.
•    Work collaboratively with other managers.
•    Promote Prison Service policy in all activities and behaviours by promoting diversity, decency, safety and reducing re- offending agendas.
•    Ensure procedures are in place to monitor the personal officer scheme, ensuring prisoners’ needs are met.
•    Responsible for incident management documentation and logging onto the Incident Reporting System (IRS).
•    Ensure actions arising from Standard Audit, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) Action Plans, Managing Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) surveys including Local Self Audit Action Plans and Resettlement strategies are delivered.
•    Plan staff rotas/self-rostering and work activity to plan and manage delivery of the regime.
•    Review open Assessment Care in Custody Teamwork (ACCT) paperwork.
•    Investigate and manage prisoners’ complaints within the group.
•    Ensure all HMPPS standards and Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) are implemented and managed within the relevant work area.
•    Ensure all national and local policies/procedures are implemented and compliant with National Security Framework (NSF) and Local Security Strategy (LSS).
•    Attend relevant boards/meetings, as directed by line manager.
•    Provides management and direction to staff within their area of responsibility through briefings, building informal and formal relationships and effective communication.
•    Produce relevant reports as required and ensure the response to all correspondence is within agreed timescales.
•    Manage resources to deliver the activities within the area of responsibility and contribute to the short-to-medium term business planning process.
•    Manage a safe working environment for staff, prisoners and visitors. Ensure Health and Safety legislation is followed ensuring Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) and risk assessments are completed in a timely manner and any faults reported promptly.
•    Contribute to prisoner reports including sentence planning and parole reports when required.

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.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.


Additional Information

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 full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

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

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 TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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 is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

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

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.


Contact Information
 

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 11880

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference 11880

Allowance

Unsocial Hours Working

This role requires working regular unsocial hours as part of the normal shift commitment and a 20% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 ‐ 1900hrs Monday to Friday and including working evening, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays.

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Developing Self and Others

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To Be Confirmed
Behaviours
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Developing Self and Others
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Level of security checks required
DBS Standard

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.