Activities Unit Manager(AUM)

Ministry of Justice; Sheerness; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice is seeking a Band 6 Activities Unit Manager to lead Industry operations across establishments, driving policy implementation, staff development and performance management. You will oversee production workshops, supplier contracts, income targets and accreditation schemes, ensuring safety, quality and compliant procurement.

In this role you will manage devolved budgets, deliver management information to HQ, liaise with internal and external partners, and contribute to

Qualifications

• Experience in industry or commercial production environment.
• Knowledge of quality management systems and health and safety requirements.
• Ability to manage staff performance and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead staff within Industries and ensure a safe, respectful environment.
• Advise SMT on industry related areas and develop improvement plans.
• Manage budgets, approvals, and annual stock taking processes.
• Ensure compliance with national/local policies and SDIs; produce HQ reports.

Skills

Industry/production experience

Education

Level 4 or above including business management modules

Tools

ISO9001 knowledge

Job description

The job holder will be responsible for activities within the industries, workshops, and land-based areas where applicable, and for training within a realistic working environment. Staffing numbers will vary depending on the size of the establishment and the nature of work undertaken. The job holder will be implementing national policies to suit local needs within the function and will be responsible for the revisions of local policies, improvement plans and procedures related to industries. This is a non-operational job with line management responsibilities. This role is non-rotational. Responsibilities, Activities and Duties The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Responsible for ensuring all staff within Industries provide a respectful, safe decent environment for all prisoners and staff.
• Responsible for advising Senior Management Team (SMT) on industry related areas.
• Review and implement local industries improvement plans and reviewing industries policy annually.
• Responsible for ensuring staff are fully trained and qualified for the activities they are employed in.
• Responsible for setting accreditation targets for the department and monitor targets and progress against them. Visit all areas on a regular basis to check that all required work is being completed to the set standards.
• Responsible for the performance of production workshops both in terms of prisoner occupation, production and sales turn over.
• Responsible for monitoring performance of suppliers against contracts to ensure that contracts are running to time, cost, quality and all contractual requirements of Industry providers operating within the establishment.
• Responsible for ensuring production is scheduled and managed to deliver targets (including income generation levels) and quality standards and maintains delivery of contractual arrangements.
• Ensure all industries information and IT systems are kept up to date.
• Responsible for managing the income generation targets and compliance within the work area, verifying and signing off documentation as appropriate.
• Contribute towards developing and implementing an employment strategy for the Prison working alongside partners in the delivery of employment training, advice and guidance on release.
• Seeking local commercial work to fill free production capacity by way of preparing quotations for external stakeholders for potential products to be manufactured within industries.
• Manage successful private sector partnerships, Colleges and Training Centres and assist in developing links with internal/external Agencies with a view to prisoner employment and resettlement.
• Responsible for ensuring all materials are ordered, received, logged, stored, utilised and disposed of appropriately within the areas of activity managed.
• Responsible for ensuring prisoners are appropriately supervised, inducted, trained and deployed and paid within the industries and that discipline, safer custody and Health and Safety practices are maintained at all times.
• Responsible for the efficient and economical use of industries transport.
• Managing stock and supervising the annual stock taking process.
• Responsible for ensuring the delivery national accredited qualifications and skills to prisoners where appropriate.
• Responsible for the provision of management / reports to HQ as required.

Undertake other management tasks including:

• Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial procedures outlined in the budget delegation.
• Responsible for the management of all staff within their area. This includes staff performance, development and annual appraisal through to sickness absence management.
• Ensure all HMPPS standards and Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) are implemented and managed within the relevant work area.
• Ensure all national and local policies and procedures are implemented and compliant e.g. National Security Framework (NSF), Local Security Strategy (LSS), Finance Manual.
• Attend as directed any relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute, either as chair or team member.
• Provides leadership and direction to managers and staff within their defined work area through briefings, building informal and formal relationships and effective communication.
• Produce relevant reports as required and ensure all correspondence is replied to within agreed timescales.
• Liaise and form good relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage resources to deliver the activities within the defined work area, and contribute to the mid-to-long term business planning process.
• Ensure the defined work area 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 ensuring Health and Safety compliance.

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Essential Experience

• The job holder will have experience in industry or commercial production environment.

Technical Requirements

• Must complete specific training to hold the qualifications required for area of specialism outlined on the Job Description.
• Will need to keep up to date of knowledge/working practices in areas of expertise.
• Qualified to level 4 or above including business management modules.
• Awareness of current ISO9001 Standard or an equivalent quality management system, and have a broad understanding of Health and Safety requirements in an industrial setting.

Internal applicants

All newly promoted staff to the following Band 6 first line manager roles (Activities Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Business Manager, Programme Manager, Specialist Treatment Manager or Equality Advisor) in Establishments will be expected to complete the New Manager Programme on Civil Service Learning within three years of promotion. Staff that have mapped or re‑graded to Band 6 who have previously worked at an equivalent level will not be required to undertake the qualification.

External applicants

All external staff joining as a Band 6 Activities Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Unit Manager, Facilities and Services Business Manager, Programme Manager, Specialist Treatment Manager or Equality Advisor in an Establishment will be expected to complete the New Manager Programme on Civil Service Learning within three years.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week.

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.

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‑ratio 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. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.

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.

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.

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'.