8574 - Policy Officer - HM Inspectorate of Prisons

www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk - Jobboard; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An independent inspectorate in the UK seeks a full-time Policy Officer to join its Secretariat team. The role involves assisting the Chief Inspector in policy engagement and developing skills related to human rights issues. Ideal candidates will have strong analytical skills and excellent communication abilities. This permanent position offers the opportunity to lead significant projects and gain valuable insights into parliamentary work.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret policies and data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chief Inspector with policy engagement.
• Lead significant pieces of work with key stakeholders.
• Develop skills in human rights issues and inspection methodologies.

Skills

Policy analysis

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in a relevant field

Job description

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales (HM Inspectorate of Prisons) is an independent inspectorate which reports on the treatment of, and conditions for, those in prison, young offender institutions and court custody suites in England and Wales, and immigration detention facilities in the United Kingdom. HMI Prisons also inspects police and Border Force customs custody (jointly with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) and secure training centres (jointly with Ofsted). By invitation, HMI Prisons inspects some military detention facilities, as well as prisons in Northern Ireland and in other jurisdictions with links to the UK, such as the Isle of Man.

The role of HM Inspectorate of Prisons is to provide independent scrutiny of the conditions for and treatment of prisoners and other detainees, promoting the concept of ‘healthy establishments’ in which staff work effectively to achieve positive outcomes for those detained and for the public.

The Inspectorate’s work constitutes an important part of the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment. This Protocol requires signatory states to have in place regular independent inspection of places of detention.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Chief Inspector of Prisons is a Crown Appointee, while the staff of the Inspectorate are civil servants employed by the MoJ.

The Inspectorate has a set of guiding principles, which underpins everything that we do:

• Independence, impartiality and integrity are the foundations of our work.
• The experience of the detainee is at the heart of our inspections.
• Respect for human rights underpins our Expectations.
• We embrace diversity and are committed to pursuing equality of outcomes for all.
• We believe in the capacity of both individuals and organisations to change and improve, and that we have a part to play in initiating and encouraging change.

We also have five organisational values:

• Independent
• Influential
• Accountable
• Capable
• Collaborative.

The Inspectorate is led by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. There are approximately 70 staff working for the Inspectorate, including full-time staff, secondees and a number of fee-paid associates. The Inspectorate is currently organised into six specialist inspection teams, a Research, Development and Thematic team and a Secretariat team. Each is headed by a team leader who, together with the Chief and Deputy Chief Inspector, form the corporate management of the Inspectorate. The small office-based teams consist of the Chief and Deputy Chief Inspectors and their Executive Assistant as well as the Research, Data and Thematics team and Secretariat team. The Head of Communications is part of the Secretariat team and works closely with the Chief Inspector.

Office-based staff are accommodated in a HM Government shared hub building in Canary Wharf, London.

For further information on HMIP, please visit our website: hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk. We are also on:

Twitter at @HMIPrisonsnews

BlueSkySocial at @hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social

LinkedIn at @hm-inspectorate-of-prisons.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ Equality and Diversity Statement

We are committed to creating and maintaining a working environment that is positive about and supportive of all equality and diversity issues. We believe that difference and diversity within our workforce strengthens the work we do and the influence we have.

We are committed to becoming an employer of choice by creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people are treated with dignity and respect and where discrimination and/or exclusion are not tolerated. Our goal is to ensure these commitments, reinforced by our values, are embedded in our day-to-day working practices.

Our long-term vision is to:

• have a workforce with the necessary expertise and sufficient diversity to reflect the community in which it operates;
• develop a more flexible and supportive working environment which always seeks to include difference;
• continue to build a confident and competent workforce who feel valued and heard;
• deliver learning and development opportunities to our staff so they are equipped to understand, inspect and make valid and relevant recommendations relating to equality and diversity.

We expect commitment and involvement from all our staff and partners in working towards the achievement of our vision and to that end we have developed an equality and diversity action plan.

About the role

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) is looking for someone to join the Secretariat team as a Policy Officer on a full-time basis on a permanent contract.

The post holder will play a key role in the Policy Team, assisting the Chief Inspector in his engagement with policy makers and Parliament. The post holder will also have opportunities to work with HMIPs’ key stakeholders and be given the responsibility and autonomy to lead on significant pieces of work. This is an exciting role for someone who would like to develop their skills and knowledge in policy and parliamentary work and gain exposure to human rights issues and inspection methodologies.

The Policy Officer is managed by the Head of Policy, and the two posts make up the policy team at HMIP, which is part of the wider Secretariat team. The work of the Secretariat overall is managed by the Head of Secretariat.