About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

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.

 

Rydym yn croesawu ac yn annog ceisiadau gan bawb, yn cynnwys grwpiau sydd wedi’u tangynrychioli yn ein gweithlu ar hyn o bryd, ac rydym yn ymfalchïo mewn bod yn gyflogwr o safon uchel sy’n denu llawer o ymgeiswyr. Ewch i https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

 gael rhagor o wybodaeth am sut rydym yn hyrwyddo amrywiaeth a chynhwysiant yn y gweithle.

HMPPS in Wales:

Preventing victims by changing lives

HMPPS in Wales works in an integrated way to keep communities in Wales safer and to give the people we work with the opportunity to change their lives. We commission and provide offender management services in the community and in custody to deliver the orders of the courts and support rehabilitation. Our aim is to deliver outstanding, seamless offender management services in Wales that protect the public, reduce reoffending, deliver value for money and support our partners.

The Welsh Language Scheme

Welsh Language skills for this post are desirable.

HMPPS yng Nghymru:  

Atal pobl rhag dod yn ddioddefwyr trwy newid bywydau

Mae HMPPS yng Nghymru yn gweithio mewn ffordd integredig i gadw cymunedau yng Nghymru yn fwy diogel, a rhoi cyfle i’r pobol rydym yn gweithio â hwy i newid eu bywydau.  Rydym yn comisiynu a darparu gwasanaethau rheoli troseddwyr yn y gymuned a’r carchar i weithredu gorchmynion y llysoedd a chefnogi adsefydlu.  Ein nod yw darparu gwasanaethau rheoli troseddwyr ardderchog ac esmwyth yng Nghymru sy’n gwarchod y cyhoedd, lleihau aildroseddu, cynnig gwerth am arian a chefnogi ein partneriaid.

Y Cynllun Iaith Gymraeg

Mae sgiliau iaith Gymraeg yn ddymunol ar gyfer y swydd hon.

This role at the Probation Service is through a scheme called Going Forward into Employment (GFiE). It is specifically available to people who have previously had a Substance and/or Alcohol dependency and have been or are involved in the Criminal Justice System. This could be people in the community who have finished a sentence (community or custodial) within the last 10 years. 

We want you to join us, learn new skills and bring your experience to our organisation. We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference, and we want to ensure that all our staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to do so. As part of your employment, you will have access to a range of learning and development, and a buddy who can help you to understand the Civil Service and enable you to make the most of the opportunities it offers. 

The Probation Service is a statutory Criminal Justice Service that supervises individuals released from custody into the community on licence and those subject to community orders. The Probation Service’s aims relate to three groups - those that commit crime, victims of crime and the public. 

The post holder will work directly with cases to: 
●    Support engagement with statutory services and non-statutory support services 
●    Support the team to deliver risk reducing strategies
●    Deliver low level interventions
●    Provide signposting / advice and information regarding other support services 
●    Delivering a range of holistic support tailored to individual requirements and rehabilitative pathways
●    Prepare reports for courts, to help them select the most appropriate sentence
●    Assess individuals in prison to get them ready for release into the community, where they will be supported by the probation service
●    Help all individuals serving sentences in the community to meet the requirements of the courts
●    Support the arrangement and delivery of purposeful activities / interventions
●    Seek out opportunities to create effective change and create an enabling environment conducive to change

Offence Considerations    

We cannot currently accept application from individuals with the following offences: Life sentences, Arson, Hate/Terror crime or Sexual offences.  

About the job    

We have an exciting opportunity for people who have lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and substance use to join our Reducing Reoffending Team as a Substance Use Officer. Some of the most meaningful work can be done with someone who understands because they have been there and have similar life experience.

The job holder will undertake a range of work with People on Probation before and after sentence. This will include assessment, sentence implementation, interventions and producing reports. You will receive full training and be buddied with a practitioner for additional support as you gain experience in the role. 

This role involves working with complex individuals to reduce the risk of harm to themselves, others, and the wider society, by providing tailored support and diversionary interventions that motivates and encourages the want to address complex needs in relation to substance use. With this role you’ll be working alongside other Probation Practitioners to provide a more specialist support to people on probation’s existing support network that promotes rehabilitation.

There is a peer mentoring aspect to this role on a 1:1 or group basis to encourage engagement and goal focused change that supports abstinence and relapse prevention. The job holder will have the opportunity to support individuals in a personalised way to help them on their unique path to recovery. The role will also require the job holder to advocate for people on probation helping their voice to be heard and influencing the shaping of practice. 

Experience – In addition to your life experience the role also requires the job holder to demonstrate experience in: 

●    Being attentive to detail – Demonstrate precision and how you ensure your work is accurate and error free.
●    Organised – Demonstrate your ability to organise your time and plan in advance. 
●    Communicator - Show how you can communicate your thoughts and ideas in a simple way, whilst listening and respecting others views.
●    Spinning plates - Can you demonstrate your experience in how you keep one task progressing when you've been stopping another from crashing
●    Starter/finisher - Taking ownership of delivering on a task whether on your own or working with others
●    Working Together - someone who can demonstrate their experience and ability in engaging with others and bringing people with them on their journey
●    Computer literacy - experience in the use of systems including Microsoft applications

Skills
●    Strong communication skills (verbal and written) and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals, including those who may present difficult or aggressive behaviour
●    Listens carefully and asks questions to clarify understanding, expressing own views positively and constructively
●    Ability to use and work on own initiative
●    Solution focused and self-motivated to problem solve using innovative and creative approaches
●    Engage with people on probation in a pro-social manner. Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes
●    Seek out opportunities to create effective change and create an enabling environment conducive to change
●    Courteous, polite and considerate, showing empathy and compassion
●    Deals with people as individuals and addresses their specific needs and concerns
●    Treats people with respect and dignity, dealing with them fairly and without prejudice regardless of their background or circumstances
●    Driven and enthusiastic in supporting people 
●    Responsive and flexible to people’s needs 
●    Role modelling the HMPPS values; Purpose, Openness, Humanity and Together

Offered benefits
●    Learning and development tailored to your role
●    An environment with flexible working options
●    A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
●    A Civil Service pensions

Contract Length    

Until 31st March 2025 (with potential for extension)

Hours    

Monday-Friday (normal office hours but may involve some out of hours work). 

Requirements and Timeline    

The Statement of Suitability should say why you would like the role, what you feel you can bring to the role and anything you feel is relevant to support their application. 

If you have any questions regarding the post or application process please contact Emma Saha, Substance Use Project Manager via Emma.saha@justice.gov.uk

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,228, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £6,420 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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 (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.