18728 - Prison Employment Lead

Prison Employment Lead (PEL)

Responsible for improving employment outcomes for prison leavers by identifying work-ready prisoners and matching them to suitable jobs.

Responsibilities

• Identify work‑ready prisoners and refer them for work‑readiness support.
• Match work‑ready candidates to vacancies supplied by NFN, DWP and other partners.
• Engage with stakeholders within the prison to establish a system that identifies work‑ready prisoners and highlights actions needed to support them.
• Collaborate with prison staff and DWP Prison Work Coaches to match candidates to job opportunities from NFN, DWP Employment Advisers and the National Employer and Partnership Team.
• Support contracted IAG and Education providers to ensure the prison induction process promotes employment, education and skills training opportunities to prisoners upon arrival, captures relevant information, and encourages development of personal and social skills.
• Manage an Employment Hub that centralises employment support services within the prison and promotes live vacancies to prison leavers throughout the resettlement period.
• Champion innovations in employment and industry‑focused recruitment practices (e.g., hospitality/construction drives).
• Partner with the Prison’s Strategic Employment Advisory Boards to improve systems supporting prisoners to develop employability, ensuring they meet employers’ commercial needs and standards.
• Contribute to the Local Partnership Agreement with DWP detailing responsibilities of the PEL, Prison Work Coaches and DWP Employment Advisers, and how they will collaborate.
• Organise regular opportunities for NFN, DWP and other stakeholders to bring employers into the prison and facilitate prisoner forums.
• Work in partnership with Community Offender Management to ensure prisoner leaver information is supplied to relevant agencies post‑release, reducing duplication.
• Liaise with COM to signpost prisoners requiring further support on release to Education, Training and Employment Commissioned Rehabilitative Services.

Qualifications and Experience

• Ability to fulfil spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English; Welsh language proficiency if specified for Wales.
• Experience managing lines of staff and delivering training programmes.
• Strong interpersonal skills to engage with employers, stakeholders and prison staff.
• Knowledge of employment services, DWP structure and national programmes such as NFN.

Other Information

This role is non‑operational and non‑rotational, with line management responsibilities. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level.