Support Services Administration

HM Prison and Probation Service; Stoke-on-Trent; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave

Pension options

Flexible Working

Job summary

HM Prison and Probation Service is seeking an administrative visits officer to manage visitor bookings, maintain safeguarding lists, and coordinate with security and external agencies. You will handle enquiries, process bookings, and ensure accurate records while supporting flexible hybrid working within the UK.

The role focuses on delivering efficient visitor services, maintaining compliance with safeguarding policies, and supporting a range of administrative tasks in a civil service setting.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for families/friends of prisoners and official visitors including solicitors, Police, Probation etc and inform them of visiting procedures
• Receive calls and emails from visitors booking visits, enter bookings, send visiting orders and verify validity
• Produce and distribute visits lists and Safeguarding lists for visits, switchboard and visits centre
• Keep public protection and security information up to date on the booking system
• Monitor alerts for prisoners and visitors and inform security of issues, including underage visitors
• Arrange visits for disabled visitors and special circumstances (e.g., bereavement) and provide information to outside agencies when requested

Job description

All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The post holder must undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation. Job description Overview of the job This is an administrative job in an establishment. All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The post holder must undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation. Summary The job holder will process all visits applications and bookings in a timely and professional manner maximising the number of visits booked per session so that all prisoners are able to use their allocation of Visiting Orders. This is a non operational job with no line management responsibilities.

• Be the first point of contact for families/friends of prisoners and official visitors including solicitors, Police, Probation etc and responsible for informing them of all visiting procedures for the establishment
• Receive telephone calls and e-mails from visitors booking a time/date to visit, allowing the visit to be entered onto the booking system, sending out visiting orders and ensuring these are valid at the time of booking
• Produce and distribute visits lists in advance of all sessions and Safeguarding lists for visits, switchboard and visits centre
• Ensure that public protection and security information is kept up to date and relevant on the booking system
• Monitor for any alerts identified for prisoners and their visitors to ensure safety of all concerned and raise issues around underage visitors Informing security of any issues
• Undertake initial work to arrange visits for disabled visitors and special circumstance visits e.g. bereavement
• Provide information to outside agencies when requested, such as assisted prison visits scheme

Undertake other administrative tasks including:

• Provide administrational assistance in area of work
• Maintain accurate filing system for area of work
• Respond to queries relating to area of work, redirecting where required
• Operate the switchboard appropriately by Identifying the callers needs ensuring all messages are communicated to the appropriate parties, 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.

Benefits

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. 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 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.

Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available

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. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the and the.

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. For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: 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'. MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

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

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

• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service