HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 7
Directorate: Community Interventions
Job Description: Senior Policy Adviser - Serious
Further Offence Team
Document Ref.
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further
Offence Team
Document Type
Management
Version
4.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
06 October 2023
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0
Job Description
Job Title
Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team
Directorate
Community Interventions, Public Protection Group
Band
7
Overview of the
The role sits within the Public Protection Partnerships Section
job
within the Public Protection Group (PPG). It involves elements
of strategic policy and operational work within the Serious
Further Offence (SFO) Review Team. The details are set out
below in the summary and key responsibilities sections.
This is a non operational HQ role with line management of one
EO and one AO.
The SFO Review Team is responsible for the continued
development, delivery, and quality assurance of SFO reviews
undertaken by Probation providers. Such reviews are mandatory,
within the terms of Probation Instruction (PI) 06/2018. The quality
assurance role is focused, vitally, on ensuring that cases of
serious further offending have been rigorously reviewed and all
relevant learning identified. The SFO Review Team also has
responsibility for informing regional managers of community and
custodial services, internal and external stakeholders, other
departments and ministers and senior officials of cases which
have repercussions for reputational damage to HMPPS or which
highlight significant lapses in practice of performance in
Probation providers.
Summary
The job holder is the SFO policy lead and is required to identify
potentially high profile cases which have inter and extra
departmental interest at a very early stage in the SFO process.
The job holder must liaise directly with colleagues in the PPG
and senior operational staff in the PS and CRCs to ensure all
parties comply with the Probation Instruction which governs the
SFO review process.
The job holder is the SFO policy lead and is required to identify
potentially high profile cases which have inter and extra
departmental interest at a very early stage of the review process.
The post holder is a key civil servant in the SFO Team and must,
liaising directly with their colleagues in the SFO Team and with
Probation providers including representatives at a senior
management level, ensure that all parties discharge their
obligations and duties under the Probation Instruction which
governs the SFO Review Process - PI 18/06.
The potential reputational damage associated with an offender
under probation supervision committing a serious further offence
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0
is included in the Agency’s risk register as one of its key public
protection risks. Therefore, it is essential that the post holder
identifies early any case which is high profile and particularly
sensitive, for which the post holder will need keen political
acumen, an up to date awareness of how the media is reporting
criminal justice matters and sufficient understanding of
operational practice to understand where the community
management of an offender has been deficient.
The post holder works closely and directly with the Head of the
SFO Team, and also with the Head of Public Protection
Partnerships Section and to the SCS Head of PPG, as
necessary.
The post holder has direct line management responsibility for
one EO and one AO.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
To ensure that the SFO Review Process Database, part of
the Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD), operates
accurately and efficiently, so as to provide comprehensive
and accurate management information in relation to each
and every SFO Review submitted by Probation providers.
This is not an administrative function, in that the
management information is key to the production of the
quarterly reports to the Director of Probation and Contract
Management Team.
• The post holder will personally check SFO notifications as
received by the SFO Team from Probation providers in order
to ensure that they accurately log and transpose the initial
core information relating to a serious further offence
committed by an offender under statutory supervision.
• The post holder must handle all queries relating to the SFO
qualifying and review process and related targets. Typically,
these queries will come from senior managers in the PS and
CRCs.
• The post holder will need to maintain a list of policy issues
identifying areas where policy needs to be revised.
Identify high profile cases and manage stakeholder
relationships in relation to those high profile cases.
Typically, such relationships will be at a senior level.
• The post holder will identify external or internal stakeholders
and ensure they are informed of notifications and provided
with information relevant to their business area. This process
helps safeguard organisational and reputational risk for a
wide variety of agencies.
• The post holder will identify potentially high profile cases and
advise the Head of SFO Team regarding their classification
and liaise with Probation provider communications officers
and other senior managers regarding the handling of HP
cases.
• The post holder is responsible for liaising with MOJ Press
Office colleagues who regularly enquire about whether cases
in the media are SFOs. The role involves receiving press
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0
lines and communication strategies from colleagues in
Probation providers, scrutinising them for factual accuracy
and proposing amendments or subsequent forwarding to
MOJ Press Office.
• The post holder will Identify cases classified as high profile
and maintain a high profile spreadsheet.
• The post holder, along with the Head of SFO Team will
attend monthly meetings with London Probation provider to
discuss high profile cases and will identify any areas of
concern as it relates to media handling.
• The post holder will need to complete a weekly high profile
note to MOJ Press Office, ensure it is QA’d by the Head of
PPG, and dispatched by close of business on Friday. The
high profile note is used to keep Press Office and Private
Office appraised of forthcoming court appearances that may
attract adverse publicity for HMPPS and lead to reputational
damage.
Produce statistical information
• The post holder is responsible for producing and
disseminating quarterly SFO statistics to the PS and CRCs
and other interested parties in the MoJ. This information is
used routinely to help monitor the performance of probation
providers at contract review meetings.
• The post holder will respond to regular ad hoc requests for
statistical information on the SFO process from internal and
external stake holders and produce information in a
presentable and clear format. The data is used to inform a
number of different policy areas across departments and also
forms part of the annual re-offending statistical compendium
which is published by MoJ.
• The post holder maintains oversight of the production and
dissemination of monthly team workload and performance
statistics collated by the AO detailing performance and
projected workloads, presenting the analysis at monthly team
meeting. This information is used by the Head of PPG to
demonstrate performance to the Director of Community
Interventions.
Drafting submissions and briefings
• The post holder is responsible for researching, drafting and
producing both informative and persuasive submissions, for
clearance by Head of PPG, to Ministers which often comment
on complex and sensitive inter departmental issues, for which
agreement must be sought.
• The post holder is responsible for drafting notes to senior
officials, informing them of the status of cases.
• The post holder is responsible for drafting responses to all
official correspondence in relation to the SFO Team relating
to high profile cases which are sent by the Head of PPG.
Oversee SFO process and maintain accurate up to date
guidance
• The post holder will need to maintain and update the SFO
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0
user guide and SFO material as appropriate in response to
new working practices and policy developments. This also
includes maintaining a list of relevant statutory and
operational guidance as it relates to all aspects of the SFO
process and internal and external stakeholders.
• The post holder is responsible for contributing to the
development of new Probation Instructions and other policy
directives.
• The post holder must keep appraised of new policy and
practice developments across other government departments
such as UKBA, Health Service, police and internal
stakeholders such as HMCS, the YJB and other relevant
HMPPS departments and assess any implications for the
SFO review procedures.
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.
Behaviours
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
Technical
Requirements
Ability
HQ JES 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0
Minimum
Please do not alter this box
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 1105 Senior Policy Adviser - Serious Further Offence Team v4.0