HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 5
Directorate: Public Sector Prisons
Job Description - Group Safety Support
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
30 December 2019
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
Group Safety Support
Directorate
Public Sector Prisons
Band
5
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 self-
isolated 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.
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
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.
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0
Behaviours
? Changing and Improving
? Seeing the Big Picture
? Delivering at Pace
? Communicating and Influencing
? Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
? 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.
Technical
Not applicable.
Requirements
Ability
? English, written and spoken.
? Training can be undertaken once in post.
Minimum 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 consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Changing and Improving
English, written and
Knowledge or experience of Safer
spoken
Custody work in prisons.
Seeing the Big Picture
Training can be
When transferring to a Young
undertaken once in post
Persons establishment the job
holder will be required to
successfully undertake an
assessment to demonstrate
suitability to work with Young
People.
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
Managing a Quality Service
HQ-JES-2594 Group Safety Support v2.0