Salary The national salary range is £68,967 - £78,842, London salary range is £73,115 - £83,585. Your salary will be dependent on your base location. Number of jobs available 1 Detail of reserve list 12 Months Region East Midlands, London, National, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber City/Town National Building/Site NATIONAL Grade Grade 6 Organisation Grade for MoJ Grade 6 Post Type Permanent Working Pattern Full Time Role Type Operational Delivery Will the successful applicant have line manager responsibilities? Yes Job description Overview Members of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) are unpaid public appointees (volunteers) who provide statutory, independent scrutiny of the treatment and care of people in prisons and immigration detention. There are approximately 1200 IMB members, organised into around 130 Boards, each with its own Chair. They are appointed by ministers and operate in prisons and young offender institutions (run by HM Prison and Probation Service - MOJ), in immigration removal centres, various short-term holding facilities and on repatriation flights for those being removed from the UK (run by the Home Office). Lay Observers (LOs) are also unpaid public appointees, whose responsibility it is to check on the welfare of individuals in court custody suites and while they are traveling in the care and custody of escort contractors. As independent scrutiny bodies, IMBs and LOs have a growing public profile and play an increasingly crucial role in providing assurance to ministers and the public on the conditions and treatment of those held in detention. They are members of the UK’s National Preventive Mechanism, under the UK’s international human rights obligations to prevent torture and other ill-treatment of people in detention. They work closely with HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, who also play a key part in the oversight and assurance of places of detention. The findings of IMBs and LOs are fed into the performance and scrutiny information used by government to contribute to prisons and immigration detention policy and process changes, in line with their commitment to ensuring safe, humane and effective places of detention. Purpose This is a significant senior leadership role with considerable freedom to set aims and objectives. As such, the postholder will be held accountable for the performance and delivery of the work areas in remit. The postholder will deal with complex and contentious issues, of reputational risk to the organisation, solving problems without precedent. They will need to be a creative and future thinker, considering long-term impacts and unintended consequences. They will deliver decisions with authority and defend decisions in the face of opposition. The role will demand a high level of resilience. They will apply highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills with individuals of statutory importance to the organisation. The postholder will lead work across a number of functions and across a wide geographical area. They will therefore have excellent organisational skills and the ability to deliver well through others. This role will be responsible for excellent customer service and so will need an in-depth knowledge of our functions and requirements. This role is accountable for operational delivery, the element of our work that carries the greatest strategic risk. Responsibilities The postholder is accountable for our operational activity which supports circa 1200 IMB and LO members to deliver their roles. The G6 will be the most senior point of staff contact for the membership on all operational matters and will act as an escalation point for their team and membership. The postholder will be responsible for the development and application of all policies, guidance and practice applied to the IMB and LO monitoring roles and will ensure these are developed through effective joint working with staff and members alike. This will cover process compliance as well as monitoring and Board management requirements. Accountable for the member journey from application to end of tenure, this includes member recruitment, induction, training and compliance, such as to data and security requirements. Accountable for understanding and responding to membership issues across prison and IDE IMBs as well as LOs. Bringing consistency in advice and practice across the different areas of delivery but maintaining bespoke approaches where necessary. Responsible for the development and application of new Board/ member management and monitoring policies, guidance and practices, based on statutory and other requirements, and the needs of the membership. Lead teams with wide ranging and geographically spread responsibilities. Act as the most senior point of contact for the membership on day-to-day issues. This entails ensuring good, consistent and timely advice and guidance is provided to circa 1200 unpaid public appointees monitoring in prisons, immigration detention or courts and escort services. This support could be to individuals or through the IMB Board structure. Examples include: o Liaising and negotiating with Boards on an achievable local strategy to improve recruitment and retention of members o De-escalating issues that may have arisen between members and the service they are monitoring, between members themselves and/or between members and staff o Daily problem solving of risky scenarios that demand immediate action, such as: conflicts of interest that have arisen for members between their monitoring role and other areas of activity; security concerns including corruption or suspected wrongdoing; safety or safeguarding concerns relating to members, all of which may require a request for immediate suspension by the minister’s delegate o Providing immediate and accurate advice to members on the compliance aspects of their role as well as quality assuring its application o Ensuring statutory requirements are met, both in relation to the monitoring role but also the requirements of the Public Appointments Code. These requirements will be met directly but also through good leadership and management of the team. Delivery will also demand the application of good negotiation and interpersonal skills with members as well as relevant senior HMPPS and MoJ personnel. Responsible for stakeholder engagement, including with other voluntary sector and unpaid public appointee government leads. Support the National Chairs and CEO in the operational delivery of the IMB and LO strategic direction. Advise the CEO and National Chairs on operational matters as necessary. Lead the organisation as part of the Senior Leadership Team and deputise for the CEO where necessary. As a member of SLT, proactively help deliver the corporate objective of ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion is at the forefront of all staff and member matters. Perform other job-related duties as required. Essential criteria Experience of operational delivery An understanding of how to work with volunteers An understanding of the criminal justice system An understanding of how to operate within and deliver through the civil service structure Desirable criteria Experience of monitoring or inspection Experience of working in an Arms’ Length Body of a government department The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh. Additional Information 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). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. 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. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ 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 MoJ’s Flexible Working policy. Benefits The MoJ offers a range of benefits: Annual Leave Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. Pension The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. Training The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities. Networks The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Support A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share. Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services. For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave. Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens. 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 To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com); To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-officejustice.gov.uk); To the Civil Service Commission (details available here) 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. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage. 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 SSCL 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. Interview dates Interviews are planned between 9th and 20th December 2024. Assessment centre dates N/A Closing Date: 28/11/2024, 23:55 hours. Contact information If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 92255. For enquiries about the role please contact Louise Falshaw- louise.falshawjustice.gov.uk To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert). If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example: You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government You were studying abroad You were living overseas with parents In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account. Success Profiles Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance. if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiriesgov.sscl.com) in the first instance We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage. Application form stage assessments Behaviours Managing a Quality Service - 250 word limit Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit Changing and Improving - 250 word limit Leadership - 250 word limit Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit Experience CV A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Interview stage assessments There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy. Behaviours Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Making Effective Decisions Changing and Improving Leadership Delivering at Pace Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance. Additional Assessment(s) Presentation Any candidate who has been assessed as being appointable to the role they applied for may be offered a similar, lower grade role, if one is available. Furthermore, any candidate who has just missed meeting the criteria for a particular role, may be appointed to a similar role at a lower grade if such a role is available, and if they have been assessed as meeting the criteria for the lower grade role. These appointments will also be made in merit order. 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 : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans Redeployment Interview Scheme Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'. MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment. 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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families 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 Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules