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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £68,295 - £75,124, London salary range is £71,192 - £79,971. Your salary will be dependent on your base location.
Working Pattern
Full Time
Vacancy Approach
Internal
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
30-May-2025
Business Unit
AGY - NOMS Agency
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
Grade 7
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
6007

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Background

The Community Delivery Group is a national delivery group based at HQ that oversees operational policy, strategy development and guidance for Unpaid Work, Interventions and Sentence Management and Enforcement and Targeting The functions involve working closely with other departments and functions across HQ, including policy, research, auditors, performance and evidence teams as well as alongside the probation service.

 

This role has a specific focus on the Learning Organisation Approach, which uses human factors as it’s evidence base. The post holder will work in a fast-paced environment, with a close alignment to the probation service. The focus is to support probation’s capability to deliver and embed the human factors approach in policy and guidance. The post holder will need to be resilient, have strong written and verbal communication abilities, be a skilled problem solver and able to develop and maintain excellent stakeholder relationships. They will be required to utilise their knowledge and expertise in human factors in operational and HQ settings.

 

We are looking for someone to join us who is passionate about making a positive difference to HMPPS.  This is a unique opportunity to play an exciting role in making a difference to our organisational culture and to HMPPS staff. This role will require some national travel. 

If you believe you have the skills, experience and qualities we are looking for, please consider applying for this role. We will be excited to hear from you.

Role Overview

The post holder will lead improvement work in support of probation’s priorities on human factors as set out by the Chief Probation Officer.  This includes using the Learning Organisation Approach, undertaking and analysing cultural and psychological safety assessments and system investigations.

The role will seek to achieve new evidence-based policies, organisational impact assessment and evaluations. They will be responsible for building staff capability across probation and parts of HMPPS. They will identify and work to rectify system barriers in Probation’s future operating models and ensuring human factors is considered in wider policy and standards.

The role holder will report to the Band 10 Head in the CSM team, who will be the national lead for the Learning Organisation Approach for the Probation Service.

  • Ensure that all policies are safe, legal, decent and affordable, remain compliant with relevant legislation and are sensitive to the needs of the operational line.
  • Act as a subject matter expert for complex ministerial submissions, ministers’ cases, PQs, IMB and HMIP recommendations.
  • Build strong working relationships with Ministers’ Private Offices, senior officials, external non-departmental public body stakeholders and third sector partners.
  • Accountable for writing and implementing policy strategy that is appropriately tailored and conforms HMPPS business plan and wider organizational objectives.
  • Responsible and accountable for delivery of the individual objectives relating to team priorities.
  • Be sufficiently flexible to deliver across other Community Delivery Group priorities as and when required.
  • Close working relationships with TDD (Transforming leading on frontline first initiatives.
  • Contribute to the development of Probation 2027.
  • Contribute to the improvement of HMIP priority objectives.
  • Develop and manage projects relationship with key external stakeholders/policy holders at senior level to ensure value for money.
  • Interpret relevant performance data and research evidence to develop explanations for disproportionality in outcomes - and other examples of unfairness - for offenders of different protected groups.
  • Accountable for the delivery of well researched, quality assured and timely responses.                              

Essential Skills/Knowledge

  • Recent experience of working in HQ and understanding how HQ interfaces with probation.
  • Experience of working in the Probation Service
  • Knowledge of the function and purpose of Sentence Management
  • Subject matter expertise in Human Factors
  • Experience of managing staff.
  • Experience of influencing and negotiating at a senior level.
  • Experience of writing and presenting clear and concise communication, briefings and reports using complex and often ambiguous data.

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.

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
For further information relating to this role, please contact Sara Jones via email: Sara.jones2@justice.gov.uk

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 6007

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 6007

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service
Seeing the Big Picture
Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability
Evidence of Experience
CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To be confirmed
Behaviours
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service
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.

Other Assessments

Which assessment methods will be used?
Presentation
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Level of security checks required
Enhanced Baseline Standard (EBS)