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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £73,513 - £80,864, London salary range is £76,634 - £86,082. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
20-Jul-2026
Business Unit
AGY - NOMS Agency
Post Type
Detached Duty, Loan
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
19743

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

HMPPS Band 9 (Temporary - 12 months)

The Assessing Risks Needs and Strengths (ARNS) project is redesigning both a new digital service and improving ways of working in relation to assessment and sentence planning practice.

This will enable and support wider organisational strategies and priorities to be realised. By providing practitioners with a more effective and efficient assessment and planning service; one that supports improvements in the quality of assessment and management of risks and needs, the ARNS project remains the principal project to deliver this ambition. This is further supported by the project being in the Transforming Delivery Directorate which will give the project the infrastructure to deliver transformational change across HMPPS.

Effective assessment of risk, need and strength is at the heart of an individual’s rehabilitation, contributing to reducing reoffending and public protection. ARNS is a large project introducing a strengths-based risk and need assessment service.

The ARNS programme has been identified as an organisational priority within HMPPS  working to develop a transformational approach to our assessment systems and practice. Having one assessment service will facilitate the flow of risk, need and strengths data across the individual’s journey through the criminal justice system, and will ensure the right information is shared at the right time to support those that we work with.

Also, this programme will ensure a joined-up approach to design and development between probation and prisons, thus facilitating the buy in and business change where staff can really own the change.

HMPPS has since set a priority to achieve benefits and efficiencies for frontline staff by providing them with a more effective and efficient assessment service; one that supports improvements in the quality of assessment and management of risk and need and improves the confidence of our stakeholders such as His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). The targets for improvements in quality largely focus on the need to move towards a strengths-based approach using an assessment that is more efficient and engages the person being assessed.

We now have an opportunity to develop an updated, well-integrated proportionate assessment using the best available research and evidence.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of HMPPS assessment practice and to play a role in making a difference for our brilliant front-line staff.

Although this role does not require a formal qualification, the role holder will be able to demonstrate a working understanding of the core principles of engagement, desistance, risk and responsivity as well as the latest evidence-based research relevant to the work of HMPSS.

Previous operational experience in a Prison setting is highly desirable. This role works closely with Probation Design and Delivery Leads and may be required to support cross HMPPS stakeholder engagement and design work. Therefore, a good knowledge and/or experience of Probation work is also desirable.

You will need to be highly motivated and organised, working to agreed project timescales.

You will need to be able to work within a team where there will be many project dependencies. This may lead to some degree of uncertainty, where you will need to be able to communicate with different teams within the project and provide regular updates to and receive updates from project managers.

This a national role, which will require regular national travel which may include the need for some overnight stays, depending on location.

You will be working in a dispersed team, and travel will be required for team meetings, away days etc.

In line with HMPSS policy, there is an expectation that you are 60% office based.

 The job holder will be required to carry out the following duties:-

  • Lead on service design of Prison assessment requirements, ensuring effective collaboration and engagement with a range of stakeholders including Custody Sentence Management and Progression Model colleagues.
  • Lead on the design, implementation and change management activity for ARNS in Prison.
  • Provide consistent, honest and open dialogue with digital colleagues including steering decisions on design, supporting decision making, managing senior stakeholder expectations, and persuading and influencing others.
  • Contribute to project and delivery plans to ensure delivery to time, cost and quality standards, ensuring risks or issues to the project are mitigated or escalated.
  • Build strong relationships across the programme and Prison and Probation operations in order to create buy in, communicate the strategy and embed ARNS successfully.
  • Use academic steer to inform the design of ARNS and ensure robust data collection considerations are paramount at point of design so that effective evaluation and continuous improvement is possible.
  • Identify best practice and seek ways to share this and incorporate in Prison assessment design.
  • Champion the development of ARNS to inspire and empower individuals working in the Prison and Probation Services.
  • Strive for excellence in a dynamic, creative and iterative way whilst working at pace.
  • Work closely with digital colleagues and probation design and delivery leads to ensure a seamless end to end assessment and planning service is created that operates for the needs of people in prison and people on probation and practitioners in both custody and community operating environments.
  • Work with ARNS L&D and Change and Implementation colleagues to support landing of any required business and or practice changes.
  • May be required to hold line management responsibility.
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.

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 19743

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 19743

For further information relating to this vacancy, please contact: Laura Baverstock, Head of Assessments, Assessing Risks Needs and Strengths project via email: Laura.Baverstock2@justice.gov.uk

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving, 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
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To be confirmed
Behaviours
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture
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.