Prison Employment Lead - HMP Belmarsh (Ref: 10668)

Overview

HMPPS has invested in activities to help prisoners develop work skills and gain experience. Employment is managed as part of the Education, Training and Employment pathway, which provides prisoners with the skills and knowledge to live a law-abiding life after leaving prison. The role supports prison leavers into meaningful, sustained employment on release by working with employers in the community. The New Futures Network (NFN) is a national network of employment brokers and industry leads that establishes relationships with sector-based employers to increase the number of prison leavers entering employment on release. The Prison Employment Lead (PEL) identifies work-ready prisoners and matches them to jobs through face-to-face interventions. The PEL is principally responsible for: i) identifying work-ready candidates; ii) referring prisoners to work readiness support; iii) matching work-ready candidates to suitable vacancies supplied by NFN, DWP and other employment sources. This is a non-operational, non-rotational role with line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

• Engage with stakeholders within the prison to establish a system that identifies work-ready prisoners and highlights actions needed to support prisoners to achieve work readiness.
• Work with prison staff and DWP Prison Work Coaches to match work-ready candidates to job opportunities from the New Futures Network (NFN), DWP Employment Advisers and the National Employer and Partnership Team.
• Support contracted Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) and Education providers to ensure the prison induction process properly promotes employment, education and skills training opportunities to prisoners upon arrival, captures information relating to prisoner education, work experience and skills, and encourages prisoners to develop personal and social skills that improve employability.
• Manage an Employment Hub which centralises employment support services within the prison and promotes live vacancies to prison leavers within the resettlement period.
• Champion innovations in employment and industry-focused recruitment practices (e.g., hospitality/construction drives).
• Work in partnership with the Prison\'s Strategic Employment Advisory Boards to improve systems that support prisoners to develop employability and meet commercial needs/standards of employers.
• Contribute to the Local Partnership Agreement (LPA) with DWP detailing the responsibilities of the PEL, Prison Work Coaches and DWP Employment Advisers and how they will work together at the prison.
• 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 (COM) to ensure prison leaver information is supplied to relevant agencies post-release to remove duplication.
• Liaise with COM to ensure prison leavers who require further support on release are signposted to Education, Training and Employment Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) for continued support toward meaningful, sustained employment.
• The duties described are current at present and not exhaustive; reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level may be required, subject to Job Evaluation discussions with the employee.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• Experience of working with senior officials and across stakeholder groups and Other Government Departments, with excellent influencing skills and the ability to deliver objectives.
• Experience of setting goals and achieving targets; commercial experience and understanding of contract management; experience/understanding of recruitment processes/legislation (desirable).
• Ability to engage at Local and Regional Management levels, and to work in partnership with NFN Managers, communicating strategy and priorities to providers and stakeholders.
• Resilience under pressure; ability to articulate and defend decisions on behalf of HMPPS.
• Strong written and verbal (and non-verbal) communication skills; strong team-building and collaborative working skills.

Security, Nationality and Other Requirements

• Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet security requirements before appointment (counter-terrorist check as applicable). See the vetting charter and baseline personnel security standards.
• This job is broadly open to UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, certain Commonwealth nationals with right to work in the UK, and other categories under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as applicable.

Benefits

• Salary: £42,817 plus employer contributions to the Civil Service Pension scheme (total to be confirmed in official communications).
• Access to learning and development; flexible working options; inclusive and diverse working environment.
• Annual leave, public holidays, season ticket advance.