Project Worker (Violence Reduction)

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'. We achieve this in two ways. First, we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. In Justice, we work with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing a range of services including offender management and resettlement, mentoring, veterans in custody, victim services, gangs work and youth justice. We believe that with effective support mechanisms and the correct interventions, we can change service user’s ideology, helping them desist from crime and reach their true potential.

We are seeking dedicated and passionate Project Workers to join our Violence Reduction Service at one of three Prisons; HMP Feltham, HMP Pentonville, & HMP Wandsworth. As a Project Worker, you will have experience and knowledge of prison estates and the processes and procedures within the prison environment. You will work across the spectrum of this delivery, holding a caseload of referrals and supporting prisoners via a range of interventions including one-to-one support and group work. As part of the team working alongside Catch22’s existing footprint within the prison cluster, the role will involve collaborative work across service offerings such as Exploitation Gangs and Debt, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Peer Mentoring, and Purposeful Activity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute towards the delivery of activities and interventions that will deter prisoners from involvement in violence and related activities working alongside colleagues from Catch22, Security, Residential and other partners, ensuring communication remains fluid and adherence to agreed joint working processes.
• Manage a caseload of prisoners and ensure support meets their needs through undertaking appropriate needs and risk assessments.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, prison staff, and external stakeholders to reduce violent incidents within the prison environment.
• Conduct individual assessments and develop action plans using smart targets.
• Work with statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure the work is part of a pathway of activities available and adds value to existing provisions.
• Support the delivery of training, events, workshops, and seminars to professionals to raise awareness and develop the capacity of partners in the areas of gangs and serious youth violence, vulnerability, exploitation, conflict resolution and mediation.

What does good look like for this role?

• A confident professional who is responsive to pressure and change.
• Able to be adaptable, working in what can be a challenging environment whilst maintaining a motivational approach and achieving performance targets.
• Ability to build and manage relationships, and share knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.
• Working collaboratively with a variety of partnership organisations to deliver a great service to service users.
• Attention to detail particularly relating to performance and meeting deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt messages to the audience receiving them and always retain confidentiality.
• Ability to complete timely performance and management reports as directed, collating information as agreed from all prison sites.

Qualifications

• Awareness of the needs of young adults, knowledge of gangs, exploitation and violence reduction and an understanding of the reasons why individuals may become involved in associated activities.
• Knowledge and awareness of the local context of London and the areas in the city involved in gang activity.
• Good understanding of agencies working within the following sectors: criminal justice, secure estate, social care, housing, health, ETE and voluntary sector and the relevant referral processes.

Additional Information

• Contract: Permanent
• Hours & work pattern: Full time, 38 hours per week.
• Salary: £31,582 per annum
• Location: The current vacancy is for service based at HMP Feltham.
• Screening: Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check, prison vetting check, and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK.

To Apply: Please provide your CV and cover letter, along with the completion of the screening questions to express your interest in this opportunity. Please note, in the interest of safer recruitment and ensuring that applicants are a right fit for the role, submitted applications must contain a CV, satisfactory responses to the screening questions, and information detailing interest in the role, to be considered for this position.

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Catch22 Justice requests no contact from agencies or media sales. Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.