Role Profile

Job Description (JD)
Band 7
Group Profile: Head of Function Standard/Complex
Job Description: HOFSC: Drug Strategy Lead

Document Ref.
OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0
Document Type
Management
Version
10.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
4 February 2022
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence

OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0

Job Description

Job Title
HOFSC: Drug Strategy Lead
Group Profile
Head of Function Standard/Complex
Organisational Level
Head of Function
Band
Band 7

Overview of the job
The reoffending rate has remained broadly static at around 29% since 2010, and
during the 12 months ending March 2019, 81% of offenders convicted or cautioned
had at least one previous conviction or caution. Reoffending is costing society
approximately £18bn per year and almost half of all prisoners reoffend within 12
months of release.

The job holder will seek to provide a key focus on the prison drug strategy by
providing strategic and operational direction within the prison to ultimately reduce
substance misuse, developing relationships between HMPPS, drug and alcohol
agencies and external commissioners. This is an exciting opportunity as a priority area
of work rather than being attached to other roles with operational responsibility.

The Drug Strategy lead will be responsible for the delivery of the HMPPS Drug
Strategy (“the strategy") and associated Guidance and Good Practice in the
establishment, ensuring the agency is reducing the level of drug misuse amongst
prisoners through a comprehensive range of activity brigaded under each of the three
themes of the strategy, which align to the overarching Government Drug Strategy:

1.  Restricting Supply
2.  Reducing Demand
3.  Building Recovery

The post holder will focus on the reducing demand and building recovery strands of
the drugs strategy as well as developing relationships to manage other strategy
actions.

This an opportunity for an experienced and skillful individual to oversee a whole
prison approach to the continuing development of processes and procedures around
reducing the harm caused by drugs in our prisons. The post holder will be required to
build effective relationships with colleagues across HMPPS and MoJ to ensure the
strategy is delivered.

The post holder will act as a subject matter expert to the Governor and their Senior
Management Team (SMT).

The role may be operational or non-operational and establishment based.  It is
focused on achieving operational improvement in prisons and so requires the post
holder to have (or to develop) a good understanding of the operational realities of
drug misuse in prisons and the operational context in which the activities sit.

Experience of working in prisons would be highly desirable.
Summary
The job holder provides strategic leadership and is responsible for planning and
managing the Drug Strategy in the establishment ensuring effective arrangements are
in place for governance, risk management and monitoring. This involves responding
to fluctuating workload and maintaining a calm approach in the face of competing
interests.
OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0

They will provide advice and progress updates to senior managers throughout HMPPS
regarding the drug strategy delivery in the establishment.

The role will be establishment based with the expectation that post holders will travel
as and when required.

This post may be operational or non-operational. If operational, please see Technical
Requirements.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities & Duties
and duties:

•  Review and support the establishment in design, implementation and
updates of drug strategy ensuring effective governance is in place and
alignment to the national HMPPS strategy. Identify and communicate
current trends in relation to substance misuse in the establishment.
•  Develop a detailed understanding of, and map the key barriers and
opportunities to success in order to inform longer-term national approaches.
•  Lead innovation and new initiatives within the prison that reduce demand
and build recovery, ensuring collaboration with key partners, staff, prisoners
and families. Ensure person centred pathways for recovery that empower
individuals to lead a substance free life.
•  Work in collaboration with the Health and Justice lead offering advice and
support to manage the transition into the community to improve continuity
of care.
•  Collaborate with PGD Drug Strategy leads and the national HMPPS Drug
Strategy and Delivery team to address individual concerns from visits and
follow up reports.
•  Support strategic discussions with partners and stakeholders to ensure a
whole prison approach to the delivery of the prison strategy. Ensure that
best practice is shared through a variety of forums, including drugs lead
meetings, internal learning events, opportunities to promote projects on the
intranet.
•  Act as a single point of contact for the prison drug strategy promoting staff
knowledge and ensuring health services are aligned to prison processes and
procedures.

Dependant on operational experience will undertake some or all other management
tasks including:
•  Act as the Governor's representative by chairing adjudications and taking
charge of day-to-day establishment operations as Duty Governor.
•  Promote Prison Service policy in all activities and behaviours e.g. promote
diversity, decency, safety and reducing re-offending agendas.
•  Review open Assessment Care in Custody Teamwork (ACCT) as and when
required in line with audit baselines.
•  Provide leadership and management of the Function.  Will have the skills to
apply all Human Resources (HR) related policies and practices and be able to
carry out all aspects of people management such as Attendance
Management, Disciplinary Investigations, Performance Management and
Staff Appraisals.
•  Manage Prisoners Complaints Process within the Function.
•  Responsible for ensuring all litigation claims relevant to the area have been
dealt with in accordance with policy.
•  Oversee the compilation and regular progress reporting of performance
improvement programmes.
•  Manage the appropriate authorisation of Financial Compliance Statements.
•  Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial procedures
outlined in the budget delegation.
•  Ensure that the Function produces and analyses audit and establishment
performance management information identifying variances and areas
requiring improvements.
OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0

•  Contribute to the establishment’s overall achievement of (SDIs) and
standards and be accountable for the performance and delivery of targets
relating to the Function.
•  Accountable for all local and national policies relating to the Function, and
ensure procedures implemented are compliant, including the development
of new policies.
•  Contribute to the development and delivery of the medium-to-long term
strategic and business plan for the establishment, with overall responsibility
for implementation within their Function.
•  Attend relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute either as chair or
team member.
•  Responsible for ensuring the defined work areas and associated activities
comply with Health and Safety legislation.  Ensure all risk assessments are
undertaken and staff are made aware of their personal responsibility
towards Health and Safety compliance.
•  Work collaboratively and provide constructive challenge to colleagues to
ensure that their own and other Functions are joined up and together
contribute towards the overall delivery of the establishment’s performance.
•  Contribute to the preparation of the establishment contingency and
emergency plans and ensure implementation when required.
•  Ensure the effective use of staff resources and the provision of training and
annual leave opportunities.
•  Produce relevant reports as required and ensure that the response to all
correspondence are within agreed timescales.
•  Carry out investigations and administration in relation to incidents of
potential discrimination and report on findings.
•  Accountable for ensuring actions arising from Standard Audit, Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) Action Plans and Managing Quality of Prison
Life (MQPL) surveys, including local Self Audit action plans and Resettlement
strategies, are delivered.
•  Deliver and implement projects as directed by the Governor.
•  Actively encourage staff engagement within the Function to ensure
objectives are met.

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
•  Changing and Improving
•  Developing Self and Others

•  Working Together
•  Seeing the Big Picture
•  Making Effective Decisions
•  Communicating and Influencing
•  Managing a Quality service
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.

OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0

Experience
•  Strong understanding of criminal justice system, particularly the appropriate
management and development of drug strategies within the custodial setting.
•  Experience of delivering projects within set time frames.
•  Experience of developing projects across partners both internal and external.
•  Experience of developing collaborative and partnership working with senior
stakeholders.
Technical
•  Project management experience or qualification (Prince 2).
Requirements
•  Job holders must complete specific training in their specialism once they take up
post.
•  Successful completion of the workbook.
•  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.

If Operational
•  Must be successfully accredited by passing the Head of Function Assessment
Centre (HFAC), or prior to 2016 be accredited as an Operational Manager (or in
post as a G5 prior to 1999).
•  Where HFAC accreditation was gained from 2018, the Incident Management
Silver Command (IMSC) assessment must also be passed to be eligible for
operational Head of Function roles.
Ability
•  Strong communication (written and verbal).
•  Organisation and problem-solving skills.

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 week
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
Operational Staff Only:
Required Hours Allowance - TBC by Recruiting Manager
This role requires regularly working unpredictable and unsocial hours and be on call
to attend their place of work at any time. 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-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0

Success Profile

Strengths

Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Changing and Improving

Strong communication
Strong understanding of criminal
Project management experience or
(written and verbal).
justice system, particularly the
qualification (Prince 2).

appropriate management and

development of drug strategies
within the custodial setting.
Developing Self and Others

Organisation and
Experience of delivering projects
Job holders must complete specific
problem-solving skills.
within set time frames
training in their specialism once they
take up post.
Working Together

Experience of developing projects
Successful completion of the workbook.
across partners both internal and

external
Making Effective Decisions

Experience of developing
When transferring to a Young Persons
collaborative and partnership
establishment the job holder will be
working with senior stakeholders
required to successfully undertake an

assessment to demonstrate suitability to
work with Young People.
Communicating and Influencing

If Operational
Must be successfully accredited by
passing the Head of Function
Assessment Centre (HFAC), or prior to
2016 be accredited as an Operational
Manager (or in post as a G5 prior to
1999).

Where HFAC accreditation was gained
from 2018, the Incident Management
Silver Command (IMSC) assessment
must also be passed to be eligible for
operational Head of Function roles.
Managing a Quality Service

OR-JES-46
  5-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strat

egy Lead v10.0

Seeing the Big Picture

Choose an item.

OR-JES-465-JD-B7 : HOFSC : Drug Strategy Lead v10.0