Lead Teacher of Literacy

We’re recruiting for a Literacy Lead to join our fantastic team at HMP Dovegate - a Category B adult male facility near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire where we care for up to 1160 male adult prisoners over the age of 21 serving a range of sentences including trial, remand, those awaiting sentence and convicted men serving long and short term sentences.

Our vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a Reading Strategy Lead, your role is to make this a reality by ensuring that there is a clear, person-centred plan for reaching all learners to engage them with reading and to create new initiatives to inspire a culture of reading within the prison. We want you to be creative and innovative to develop engaging and meaningful initiatives that have shared ownership between people in prison and prison staff.

You will be working onsite at the prison and will work closely to collaborate with people in prison, prison officers, prison education staff, library staff, workshop/industry staff, Shannon Trust team members and programme manager. This is a non-operational role for someone with experience working with adults in a learning environment.

If you have worked in the criminal justice system (prison, probation or voluntary sector) or have experience of Ofsted/HMIP inspections and knowledge of current prison inspection framework we would love to hear from you!

You must hold a relevant teaching qualification and have experience of supporting people to learn to read using a phonics-based approach. You will deliver on accountabilities such as:

• Coordinate and drive the implementation of the Prison Wide Reading Strategy
• Promoting the importance and benefit of reading across all areas of the prison, to both prisoners and staff by developing reading groups, initiatives and celebration events
• Working in collaboration with the Education Department and Neurodiversity Leads to support learners who have specific learning needs
• Raise awareness of the Shannon Trust programme, encouraging referrals from staff and people in prison
• Ensure mentors are trained, equipped and supported to deliver the reading and programme
• Case manage prisoners who require additional reading and literacy support to ensure it is both appropriate and helpful
• Complete reading assessments, manage and implement interventions and monitor progress
• Provide, manage, run reading groups for all tiers of the reading strategy
• Provide training on reading and literacy to all education and industries staff
• Manage the Dovegate Newspaper

What you’ll need to do the role:

Firstly, and foremost you must hold a relevant teaching qualification (Level 2 and above, or equivalent e.g. Cert Ed, DTTLS, PGCE) and have experience of supporting people to learn to read using a phonics based approach. You will be expected to utilise systems to ensure effective delivery, monitoring and evaluation producing reports for QIG, HMPPS and QEF.

You must have:

• Experience managing a wide range of relationships at different levels, including building partnerships and working collaboratively with colleagues and external agencies
• Experience of creating new initiatives and leading on projects independently, managing your own workload
• Experience of working with adults (or post 16’s) in a learning environment and people who are neurodiverse or may have other types of specialist learning needs

Reading in prison is recognised by Ofsted and HMIP as an essential skill that must be developed and encouraged for all people in prison and in this role you will play a key part in being able to help drive this in a way that really works for people in custody. You will be adept with creating new initiatives and leading on projects independently whilst managing your own workload.

A place you can make an impact - The nature of our business means you will do interesting work that matters – delivering essential services that touch people’s lives.

A place you can count on - Our diverse UK-wide operations offer unrivalled opportunities to learn and develop. You’ll be able to broaden your experience and apply your skills in new ways.

A place for you - We are a motivated team who will encourage you and help you to succeed within a supportive and safe culture.

What we offer:

• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Free onsite parking
• Exclusive access to onsite fitness facilities
• Subsidised meals
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Health Cash Plans, free flu jabs and more
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco
• A safe and supportive culture
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion

About Serco:

At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Apply:

Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas.

We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.