We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Reducing Reoffending is a government priority. We are introducing the Resettlement Passport to ensure that prison leavers have everything they need on release, which will help improve their access to things like employment, housing and essential services. The Resettlement Worker role will play a crucial part in delivering this existing new initiative.

As a Resettlement Passport ‘Resettlement Worker’, you will:

• Make a genuine difference to the lives of people leaving prison;
• Provide the administrative support to create, populate, coordinate and issue each prisoner’s resettlement passport;
• Ensure the accuracy of data recorded in each resettlement passport and that data security regulations are complied with;
• Work with a range of colleagues and partner agencies across prisons and probation to ensure that they provide information and documentation to be uploaded to each passport in an efficient and timely manner;

• Help to imbed and implement this exciting new project, communicating with line management and the central Resettlement Passport Team to continue to inform long-term development.

The role may involve occasional direct work with prisoners but is primarily administrative in nature. You will create each prisoner’s resettlement passport, then work with a variety of stakeholders to identify, request and upload the relevant documentation that each person needs to help them on their release from prison. You will ensure the passport is shared with the prison leaver and necessary staff on release.

Essential skills and experience:

You will need to have great people and organisational skills and this post would be ideal for a high-calibre administrator. You will need to:

• Possess excellent organisational skills and attention to detail;
• Be a clear and confident communicator;
• Be comfortable working collaboratively, with partners and colleagues across the criminal justice system;
• Be able to work independently and at speed, effectively managing your workload;
• Have strong IT skills;
• Be genuinely interested in the resettlement needs of prisoners and a desire to improve their chances of success.

Overview of the job

This is a non-operational job in a benchmark establishment.

Summary

The job holder will support prisoners, ensuring all services are provided to a high standard, adhering to local and national policies.

The specific duty of the job holder is to provide resettlement support for prisoners at reception and prior to their release, including through the issuing of Resettlement Passports. The job is built around the delivery of the ‘seven pathways’ to resettlement including Accommodation, Children and Families, Finance Benefits and Debt and Education Training and Employment (ETE).

This is a non-operational job with no line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Working to the Head of Reducing Reoffending (or other designated senior lead in the HoRRs team if applicable), provide administrative support to implement, maintain and issue resettlement passports. Follow policy and procedure to ensure information is handled and stored correctly, and passports are issued on time.

To support collation of resettlement passports, work with relevant leads across the prison to ensure information is collated ahead of release and provide administrative assistance in preparing prisoners for release where appropriate. This includes:

• Liaising with reception staff to understand personal circumstances including financial commitments, family relationships, housing commitments, recording the information given and ensuring relevant systems are updated as required (including Resettlement Passports).
• Liaising with Prison Work Coaches to ensure benefits are cancelled on arrival and reinstated on release, and that relevant systems are updated to reflect this (including Resettlement Passports).
• Liaise with external agencies and internal partners (e.g. local authorities, Commissioned Rehabilitative Service providers and Community Offender Managers) to ensure accommodation arrangements are in place on release, and that relevant systems are updated to reflect this (including Resettlement Passports).
• Liaise with external bodies and internal partners to deal with financial commitments, for example, mortgages or rental payments and that relevant systems are updated to reflect this (including Resettlement Passports).
• Liaise with relevant teams to ensure family contact is developed and maintained where appropriate, and that relevant systems are updated to reflect this (including Resettlement Passports).
• Liaise with partners (e.g., Information and Guidance provider, Prison Employment Leads) to ensure tutorial assistance is provided on writing job applications, Curriculum Vitae (CV), preparation for interviews, delivering pre-employment courses and basic vocational courses. Ensure that relevant systems are updated to reflect this (including Resettlement Passports).

Chair discussion groups around family relationships with the prisoner and family members and manage the security aspects associated with these activities.

Gather initial categorisation pre-information, sit on Re- Categorisation Boards and make recommendations on individual cases.

Provide assistance for issues and problems with family debt.

Compile and check reports on prisoners’ eligibility for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and contribute to their reports, e.g., parole and sentence planning.

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

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

Technical Requirements

• Job holders must complete specific training in their specialism once they take up post.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week.

Salary

£24,067 - £25,342

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). 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 working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

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 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-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. 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 SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.