22421 - Foreign National Offender Specialist in Leyland

This is a specialist administrative role within an establishment to support the needs of Foreign National Offenders (FNO) as part of the Offender Management function. FNOs often need support to understand and manage both their custodial and immigration journey, particularly if they are subject to deportation action. In this role, the job holder will identify and inform the Home Office (HO) such as FNO Returns Command (FNORC) of FNOs who wish to comply with their removal from the UK, enabling the job holder to contribute towards HMPPS work of managing prison capacity.

The role will provide a critical link to the Home Office, promoting awareness of Home Office returns and re-integration schemes and ensuring Home Office staff have access to FNOs for timely case progression. The job holder will proactively build relationships with internal and external stakeholders including the Offender Management Unit, Equalities, National HMPPS FNO team, Immigration Prison teams (IPT), and third sector organisations.

In this role, the job holder will analyse data on the FNO cohort in the prison including remand FNO cohort; compliant FNOs for removal; FNOs within their Early Removal Scheme (ERS) window, and the number of FNOs released to the UK/deported/released to Immigration Removal Centres (IRC). The job holder will disseminate this information to the prison’s Senior Management and to the HMPPS FNO Team for evaluation and decision-making purposes.

This is a non-rotational, non-operational post that will involve prisoner contact.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

• Provide specialist support to FNOs and guidance to prison staff as the establishment’s central contact for FNOs and Home Office Immigration Prison Teams.
• Build collaborative relationships and share good practice with a range of internal and external teams including Home Office Immigration Prison Teams, Embassies, Offender Management Unit, Key Workers, Resettlement, Safer Custody and Equalities, and FNO charities, for the effective management of FNOs.
• Promote staff awareness of FNO-specific topics; FNO resources from the Foreign National Offender information Hub and translation and interpretation services.
• Meet with FNOs newly arrived at the prison and provide support with specific challenges including language barriers, understanding immigration status, and awareness of removal schemes.
• Through collaboration with key teams including FNORC, organise and lead the FNO Forums on a regular basis; attend relevant meetings such as ACCT reviews.
• Identify and inform the HO FNORC of any FNOs who wish to voluntarily depart from the UK and highlight any vulnerability or barriers.
• Engage and support the Home Office to deliver immigration surgeries and provide access to FNOs in custody, including via CVP, where possible.
• Ensure swift service of immigration paperwork promptly on behalf of the Home Office, checking that the FNO understands the content and return relevant documents swiftly to support Home Office case progression.
• Issue time served FNOs being held in immigration detention in prison with relevant information, including accessing free legally aided legal advice and special weekly payments.
• Collate and analyse data for trends on the FNO cohort in the prison including remand FNOs who may be of Home Office Interest, compliant FNOs for removal, FNOs within their ERS window, and the number of FNOs released to the UK/deported/released to Immigration Removal Centres.
• Complete regular accuracy checks on P-NOMIS, ensuring all information is accurately recorded such as FNO Nationality, language spoken, and immigration status. Ensure relevant alerts are completed and any inaccuracies and gaps in information are rectified.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and are not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English is required.

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical requirements

Will need to keep up to date of knowledge/working practices in areas of specialism.

Ability

• Able to assertively communicate with staff and FNOs
• Able user of MS Word and MS Excel
• Information collation and analysis

Additional Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and/or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full-time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitably qualified staff. The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

• Annual Leave - The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non-standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment.
• Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays - You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.
• Pension - The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
• Work Life Balance - HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so.
• Season Ticket Advance - After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.
• Childcare Vouchers - For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.
• Training - HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes.

Eligibility

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS. All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace.

Diversity & Inclusion - The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans - The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria.

Redeployment Interview Scheme - Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

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).

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.