Prison Employment Lead HMP Wealstun (Ref : 12502)

HM Prison and Probation Service; Thorp Arch; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK seeks a candidate to enhance employment outcomes for prison leavers. This role involves assessing prisoners' work readiness and connecting them with job opportunities while collaborating with community employers and various stakeholders. The position offers a salary of £39,803 with an employer pension contribution of 28.97%. Benefits include access to learning and a supportive flexible work environment.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme

Learning and development access

Flexible working options

Annual Leave and Public Holidays

Qualifications

• Ability to assess work readiness of prisoners and match them to suitable jobs.
• Experience in engaging with stakeholders and promoting employment opportunities.
• Capable of managing a central employment support service.

Responsibilities

• Engage with stakeholders to identify work-ready prisoners.
• Manage an Employment Hub promoting live vacancies.
• Support prison induction process for employment opportunities.

Skills

Communicating and Influencing

Working Together

Managing a Quality Service

Changing and Improving

Job description

The job holder has responsibility for improving prison leavers' employment outcomes by assessing the work readiness of prisoners and matching them to suitable jobs; working with employer engagement colleagues, DWP and other partners to promote jobs and training opportunities from the prison Employment Hub. A key aspect of this service is to support prison leavers into meaningful, sustained employment on release by working with employers in the community.

Responsibilities

• Engage with stakeholders within the prison to establish a system that identifies work‑ready prisoners and highlights actions needed to support prisoners to achieve work readiness.
• Work with prison staff and DWP Prison Work Coaches to match work‑ready candidates to job opportunities from the New Futures Network (NFN), DWP Employment Advisers and National Employer and Partnership Team.
• Support contracted IAG and Education providers to ensure the prison induction process properly promotes employment, education and skills training opportunities to prisoners upon arrival at the prison, effectively captures information relating to prisoner education, work experience and skills, and encourages prisoners to develop personal and social skills that improve employability.
• Manage an Employment Hub which centralises employment support services within the prison and promotes live vacancies to prison leavers within the resettlement period.
• Champion innovations in employment and industry focused recruitment practices, such as hospitality/construction drives etc.
• Work in partnership with the Prison's Strategic Employment Advisory Boards to improve systems that support prisoners to develop employability, ensuring they meet commercial needs/standards of employers.
• Contribute to the Local Partnership Agreement (LPA) with DWP detailing the responsibilities of the PEL, Prison Work Coaches and DWP Employment Advisers and how they will work together at the prison.
• Organise regular opportunities for NFN, DWP and other stakeholders to bring employers into the prison and facilitate prisoner forums.
• Work in partnership with Community Offender Management (COM) to ensure prison leaver information is supplied to relevant agencies post release in order to remove duplication.
• Liaise with COM to ensure prison leavers who require further support on release are signposted to Education, Training and Employment Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) who can continue to support them on their journey towards meaningful, sustained employment.

The duties and 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 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.

Assessment Criteria

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality requirements

• UK nationals
• Nationalers of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationalers of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationalers of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre‑settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Nationalers 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 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

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. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and 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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,803, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £11,530 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Inclusive benefits include:

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the following link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ