Neurodiversity Support Manager

Ministry of Justice; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A government organization is seeking a Neurodiversity Support Manager to lead initiatives for supporting neurodiverse prisoners in achieving educational and skill development goals. Responsibilities include improving the quality of support services, developing strategies, and analyzing data to meet diverse needs. Candidates should hold relevant educational qualifications and have experience in a custodial or multi-disciplinary setting. This position offers a hybrid working arrangement and encourages applications from various backgrounds.

Benefits

Pension scheme options

Annual leave with bank and public holidays

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• PGCE required, with experience in neurodiversity support.
• Level 4 Certificate in Supporting SEND/ALN necessary.
• Knowledge of neurodiversity in a custodial setting is essential.

Responsibilities

• Ensure quality of neurodiversity support is at least good.
• Develop and maintain neurodiversity needs strategy.
• Analyse data on neurodiversity provision in the prison.

Skills

Experience with complex needs in a custodial setting

Strong written and verbal communication

Knowledge of Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, Project, PowerPoint)

Education

PGCE, Cert Ed or Level 5 in Education and Training

Level 4 Certificate in Supporting the learning of learners with Special Educational Needs

Level 4 TAQA qualifications or equivalent

Job description

Overview

The post holder will be responsible for leading on supporting prisoners with needs arising from neurodivergence. Developing and implementing, through close collaboration with stakeholders, a "whole system" principle is of paramount importance, with the focus firmly on supporting individuals to achieve and progress through Education, Skills and Work pathways throughout their sentence. The Neurodiversity Support Manager (NSM) will liaise with the Head of Education Skills and Work (HoESW), Learning and Skills Manager (LSM), Industry Managers (IMs), Activity Managers (AM) and the education provider to ensure prisoners are supported to engage with education, skills and work or not, and that they continue to be supported in the community, including by the probation teams. The post holder will provide support and guidance to ensure that all staff and stakeholders share the same vision and ethos of neurodiversity. The post holder will ensure that actions across education, skills and work (ESW) within their prison support a whole prison improvement approach which supports wider improvements across the estate. This is a non-rotational, non-operational job with no line management responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Focus on improving and ensuring that the quality of neurodiversity support and provision is at least good and moving towards outstanding. This is to include assessment of quality to inform the prison education, skills and work improvement plan which can be applied across various learning channels, e.g. classroom, industries, work areas, workshops, gym etc.
• Develop and maintain neurodiversity needs strategy for the prison, incorporating and working with key stakeholders. This should include as a minimum: Head of Education Skills and Work (HoESW) LSM, Head of Reducing Reoffending (HoRR), Provider education and/or curriculum managers (including regional leads), Employment lead, New Futures Network (NFN) broker, Prison Work Coach, Head of Offender Management Unit, libraries, Careers Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG), activities, gym, industries manager, key worker.
• Develop and maintain the systems and structures to ensure that delivery of all Education, Skills and Work activity is appropriate to all cohorts. Recommend and test related solutions leading into an improvement plan. Working with Senior Management Team (SMT) to implement, maintain, invest and update it as necessary.
• Manage the collection and collating of data on neurodiversity at local level. Continually analyse and evaluate current practice for how neurodiversity provision is tailored to the needs of a wide range of prisoners, including those who are hard to reach, vulnerable prisoners, and those for whom English is not their first language.
• Track the progress of neurodivergent prisoners in education, learning and work (including kitchen, horticulture, waste management industries/workshops, wing work and orderly/peer roles), analyse data and identify any participation and achievement gaps and address these.
• Case manage prisoners who require additional support to access education, skills and work opportunities within the prison to ensure it is both appropriate and helpful. Ensure individual prisoners' neurodiversity related information is shared, appropriately and lawfully, with relevant prison teams, e.g. PEF, CIAG, LSM, AM Health Care.
• Ensure that the needs of neurodivergent prisoners are considered in terms of availability of activities, appropriate adaptations and reasonable adjustment as required and sufficient places by working with LSM, activities and industries managers.
• Raise awareness of Neurodiversity in the prison. Upskill the workforce to support a whole prison approach to supporting prisoners with neurodivergence using full staff briefings, internal communications and 1‑2‑1 processes, but the list of opportunities is not exhaustive.
• Work with key stakeholders to ensure that neurodivergent prisoners receive the support and advice that they need to help them prepare for a release into the community.

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.

Key Qualifications

• PGCE, Cert Ed or Level 5 in Education and Training.
• Level 4 Certificate in Supporting the learning of learners with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)/Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
• Transferable skills: extensive experience working with people with complex needs in a neurodiversity specialist role in a custodial setting or other multi-disciplinary environment.
• Level 4 TAQA qualifications in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes or equivalent; Level 7 Diploma in Assessing and Teaching Learners with Dyslexia, Specific Learning Differences and Barriers to Literacy.
• Strong written and excellent verbal and non‑verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge and use of the Microsoft suite of packages particularly Word, Excel, Project and PowerPoint.

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. 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.

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.

Benefits and Policies

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. 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. Pension: The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Eligibility & Recruitment

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. 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.

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ is 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. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

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.