Job description
The job holder will be responsible for providing supervision, knowledge and skills to prisoners in a specialist work area so they can improve their skills and future employment prospects with a view to reducing reoffending.
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- May participate in the selection process of prisoners for the workshop/area of work
- Induct prisoners to the workshop/area of work and train them in aspects such as health and safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage
- Provide support for prisoners where required; tailor learning and training requirements to individual needs
- Set work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements
- Assess and evaluate skills of prisoners up to national qualification standards
- Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners within workshop/area of work, responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners
- Maintain regular communications via radio net in accordance with Local Security Strategy (LSS)
- Open and complete Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports
- Will conduct a metal detector scan or rub down search of prisoners attending and leaving their own workshops
- Provide quality assurance against product specification
- Log attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages including recording piece work where appropriate
- Carry out fabric and tool checks of workshops and maintain security of areas, logging any tool/equipment faults
- Undertake planned maintenance programme on machinery
- Contribute to prisoner reports including parole and sentence planning
- Complete regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records
- Contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments relating to the workshop/work of area and specialist areas
- Request materials and estimate usage in order to meet work targets
- Initiate product development reviews to maintain workshop/area of work output levels, and to provide variety of work and experience for prisoners
- Participate in self‑audit and in achieving Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs)
- Complete administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is 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. Significant adjustments may require re‑examination under the Job Evaluation scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
Eligibility
All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. All external candidates are subject to 6-month 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.
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. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.
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: 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. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ.
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. There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts. All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles.
