Job Description (JD)
Band 4
Group Profile - Prison Officer Specialist (POS)
Job Description - POS : Prison Offender Manager
Document Ref.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
Document Type
Management
Version
6.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
17/04/2025
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
Job Description
Job Title
POS : Prison Offender Manager
Group Profile
Prison Officer Specialist
Organisation Level
Delivery 3-4
Band
4
Overview of the job
The job holder will contribute to and lead the management and assessment of
selected low to medium risk prisoners and prepare, implement, review and evaluate
their sentence plans with them. The job holder will build effective, appropriate and
supportive relationships with prisoners, with the aim of reducing re-offending.
The job holder will act in a supportive role only to probation officers in the case
management of medium to high risk prisoners. The job holder will have undergone
selection and additional training to carry out this specialist delivery job as a Prison
Offender Manager to prisoners. This is an operational job with no line management
responsibilities but with supervisory responsibilities when required.
All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The
post holder must undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for
ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the
organisation.
Will have regular prisoner facing activities/duties.
Summary
Typical tasks associated with this role include:
• Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, safely and securely whilst
carrying out all activities.
• Understand, apply and conform to national and local policies.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners and
staff.
• Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
• Prepare relevant documentation to managers for verification/quality
checking purposes.
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
• Exercise the powers of a Constable.
• Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required.
• Undertakes ‘first on scene’ incident response.
To assess and manage the risk posed by offenders to protect victims of crime and
the general public by:
• Providing information and advice to other criminal justice agencies and
partner organisations.
• Supervise offenders during custodial sentences.
• Contribute to the management of risk.
• Work with other agencies and groups to prevent reoffending and meet the
needs of victims and offenders.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
•
To undertake the full range of offender management tasks with low to
medium risk cases.
•
No ownership of high risk cases will be held, but support to probation
officers in the case management of high risk prisoners will be given when
required.
•
As Prison Offender Manager, be involved in all relevant processes in the
prison such as ACCT and violence reduction/anti-bullying for those within
your case load, if this is applicable.
•
Act as the ACCT Case Manager for individuals if appropriate (Prison
Offender Managers should not routinely be used as ACCT Case Managers,
only when appropriate to do so).
•
Interview prisoners within prescribed timescales of their arrival. Set and
review targets with prisoners and update case management notes on
PNOMIS or relevant IT systems.
•
Use the Offender Assessment System (OASys) to identify risks and manage
offenders appropriately.
•
Obtain further information if required from outside agencies to complete a
comprehensive OASys report.
•
Lead the sentence planning meeting in order to prepare and review
appropriate plans.
•
Coordinate the activities within the sentence plan through liaison with
prisoners and other departments and agencies, including gathering and
exchanging information and understanding/investigating conflicting
opinions on prisoner progress.
•
Encourage and support prisoner to participate in education, interventions
and workshops as defined within the sentence plan. Develop strategies to
assist prisoners to overcome reluctance to attend.
•
To provide professional advice and assessment, including written reports to
criminal justice agencies and partner organisations.
•
Liaise with the Community Offender Managers regarding Release on
Temporary Licence (ROTL) and Home Detention Curfew (HDC). Make
recommendations to the Governor on suitability for early release. Inform
relevant agencies of release dates and address of prisoners considered a
risk on release.
•
Support Community Offender Managers with the delivery of plans to enable
recalled prisoners to be re-released.
•
Complete all paperwork for the cases, including lifer and ISP specific
paperwork in line with relevant policies, standards and set timescales.
•
Highlight any prisoner who gives significant concerns by their behaviour to
the Heads of Offender Management or Orderly Officer. Concerns may be
for a variety of issues, for example, any prisoner who has presented in the
past risk of suicide or self-harm, or if there are any outstanding concerns
with regards to victims or further offences and racial harassment.
•
Contribute to and attend Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
(MAPPA) Boards and work with all relevant external agencies to protect the
public when releasing prisoners under MAPPA.
•
Liaise with the Foreign National Department or UK Border Agency regarding
foreign national prisoners, as appropriate.
•
Instigate public protection child contact checks and share relevant
safeguarding information with authorities.
•
Undertake the role of the resettlement advisor for prisoners in the specific
caseload. Forge, develop and maintain the links between the programmes,
the progress, or otherwise, made by the participants and the prisoner’s
ongoing path through their sentence.
•
To work collaboratively with colleagues and maintain effective team
relationships, in particular with Key Workers.
•
Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-
social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and
attitudes.
•
To use computer based systems to produce, update and maintain records
and other documentation within agreed timescales.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
•
To work within the aims and values of HMPPS.
Undertake other tasks including:
• Supervise, manage and control prisoners decently, lawfully, safely and
securely whilst carrying out all activities.
• Exercise the powers of a Constable.
• Conduct searches on prisoners, staff and visitors as required.
• Undertake external escorts.
• Undertakes ‘first on scene’ incident response.
• Maintain and update systems in line with local agreements.
• Prepare relevant documentation for managers for verification/quality
checking purposes.
• Attend and contribute to relevant meetings as required.
• Complete and update Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
• Establish, develop and maintain professional relationships with prisoners
and staff.
• Understand and comply with national/local policies and legislation.
When required act as a Supervising Officer (SO) as per the following job descriptions:
• SO : Safe, Decent and Secure
• SO : Operations
• SO : Special Unit
• SO : Category A Escorts
• SO : Regime
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
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Essential Experience
• Must be competent in custodial procedures, including dynamic risk assessments.
• Experience of working with a diverse range of people who have experienced a
range of social/personal difficulties, and of using tact and discretion when dealing
with confidential and sensitive issues.
• Understanding of factors related to offending, e.g. substance misuse,
accommodation issues.
• Understanding of and commitment to the principles of case management.
• Knowledge and understanding of risk management/risk assessment pertaining to
offenders and the impact on victims of crime.
• Experience in planning and coordinating work.
• Experience of working with groups or individuals in order to motivate and change
behaviour.
• Experience of working with diverse communities including promoting equality
and valuing diversity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the work of the criminal justice system.
• Experience of working with people who have committed offences.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
• Have received Women Awareness Staff Training (WASP) if working in a female
establishment.
• Have received Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme (JASP) and child protection
training if working in a Juvenile establishment.
• A working knowledge of relevant legislation and National Standards.
• Knowledge of Evidence Based Practice and risk/needs assessment tools.
Technical
• Successful completion of POELT and probation period
Requirements
• Must have Custodial Care National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3
• Must be trained in restraint techniques
• Desirable - Higher level academic qualification(s).
• 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.
Ability
• Ability to analyse complex information in order to make assessments and
decisions.
• Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing with offenders,
professionals, and at hearings such as Parole Boards.
• Ability to empathise constructively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• The ability to complete all mandatory training as required to support the job role.
Minimum Eligibility
Please do not alter this box
• 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
37 hour working week (standard).
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
HMPPS staff on closed pay structures only:
Additional Conditioned Hours Pensionable (ACHP)
Staff moving from a closed 39 hour pay structure will be eligible for the two
protected pensionable additional committed hours (ACHP). They will work a 39 hour
week consisting of the standard 37 hour week and a further 2 additional hours
(ACHP) paid at plain time pensionable rate.
Unsocial Hours Working
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% 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 include working evenings, nights, weekends
and Bank/Public holidays.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Delivering at Pace
Ability to analyse
Must be competent in custodial
Successful completion of POELT and
complex information in
procedures, including dynamic risk
probation period
order to make
assessments.
assessments and
decisions.
Leadership
Ability to communicate
Experience of working with a
Must have Custodial Care National
clearly verbally and in
diverse range of people who have
Vocational Qualification (NVQ) 3
writing with offenders,
experienced a range of
professionals, and at
social/personal difficulties, and of
hearings such as Parole
using tact and discretion when
Boards.
dealing with confidential and
sensitive issues.
Communicating and Influencing
Ability to empathise
Understanding of factors related to
Must be trained in restraint techniques
constructively with
offending, e.g. substance misuse,
people from diverse
accommodation issues.
backgrounds.
Working Together
The ability to complete
Understanding of and commitment
Desirable - Higher level academic
all mandatory training as
to the principles of case
qualification(s).
required to support the
management.
job role.
Managing a Quality Service
Knowledge and understanding of
When transferring to a Young Persons
risk management/risk assessment
establishment the job holder will be
pertaining to offenders and the
required to successfully undertake an
impact on victims of crime.
assessment to demonstrate suitability to
work with Young People
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0
Choose an item.
Experience in planning and
coordinating work.
Choose an item.
Experience of working with groups
or individuals in order to motivate
and change behaviour.
Choose an item.
Experience of working with diverse
communities including promoting
equality and valuing diversity.
Knowledge and understanding of
the work of the criminal justice
system.
Experience of working with people
who have committed offences.
Have received Women Awareness
Staff Training (WASP) if working in
a female establishment.
Have received Juvenile Awareness
Staff Programme (JASP) and child
protection training if working in a
Juvenile establishment.
A working knowledge of relevant
legislation and National Standards.
Knowledge of Evidence Based
Practice and risk/needs assessment
tools.
OR-JES-2254-JD-B4 : POS : Prison Offender Manager v6.0