10321 - Unpaid Work Operational Manager - Cheshire East

Ministry of Justice; Crewe; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK seeks a UPW Operations Manager to oversee service delivery in Crewe. This role involves managing a mobile team, ensuring compliance with court orders, and engaging with local stakeholders to promote services and create opportunities for community placement. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills and experience in public service management.

Qualifications

• Experience in management and leadership within public service.
• Knowledge of health and safety requirements in community work.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Ensure quality delivery of good practice and team performance.
• Accountable for the effective delivery of court orders.
• Engage with community partners to promote the service.

Job description

Overview

To implement and manage the strategic direction for Unpaid Work (UPW), ensuring that contract requirements are delivered efficiently and in compliance with specified standards and quality to support the overall objective to reduce reoffending.

This role will be regionally based reporting directly to the Head of Unpaid Work for their region. They will have direct line management responsibility for a mobile and dispersed team working across the region.

Occasional out of hours working will be required on an on-call duty rota to ensure that lone working staff have access to management support.

Summary

To ensure the requirements of the court are delivered through the assessment and planning of a diverse range of purposeful work placements, which meet health and safety requirements and ensure maximised accessibility that meets the diverse needs of people on probation.

To work in partnership with other agencies and local stakeholders to ensure the quality delivery and performance of unpaid work services meet contractual targets and the achievements of good outcomes for people on probation to enable them to make suitable reparation to their communities.

Overall management of the UPW team to achieve a high standard of service delivery, working efficiently whilst creating a safe working environment for staff and people on probation.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

The UPW Operations Manager may be required to undertake any combination, or all, of the duties and responsibilities set out below.

• To provide effective management and leadership to the team and be accountable for the quality delivery of good practice and team performance.
• To be accountable for the safe and effective delivery of the court order and all associated risks including reputational, organisational, public and staff safety.
• To be accountable for the statutory link with risk management multi-agency forums.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to maximise awareness of Unpaid Work, for example with court report writers, sentencers and partnership agencies.
• Engage with a range of community partners including the office of the PCC, local authority forums and community safety partnerships to promote the service, negotiate partnership agreements and to generate opportunities for new placements benefiting the local communities.
• To provide management oversight regarding the suitability of offenders for community payback including the placement of high risk offenders and those with specific risk or other needs.
• To recruit and proactively manage staff development, performance, attendance management, employee relations and diversity matters in line with HR polices.
• Oversee the development and assessment of suitable projects and provide a leading role and direction in work with partners and key stakeholders, and represent the Probation Service as appropriate to the role.
• To be accountable for asset and fleet management and equipment, and ensuring the most efficient means of service delivery by aligning resources to demand in a cost effect way whilst achieving the organisation’s strategic aims.
• To work with the regional Health and Safety Advisor and Health and Safety Committee and union colleagues to ensure that working practices meet statutory requirements and to investigate any Health and Safety or Information Assurance breaches and introduce necessary improvements.

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.