Contract Delivery Manager - Performance & Service Improvement Lead in Peterborough

Senior Leadership role with responsibility for the PECS performance and service delivery management. It will require regular travel and external meetings attendance across England & Wales.

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Head of Operational Contract Management when requested.
• Develop partnership brokering approach:

• Manage a team of CDMs who are based throughout England and Wales.
• Accountable for effective liaison with local, regional and national CJS stakeholders on matters affecting delivery of contracts managed by the Unit.
• Liaise with all partners to effect the timely delivery of prisoners to court by the agreed times and work towards the concept of the "perfect day".

• Chair regular meetings with the escort contractors to challenge poor performance and reinforce good security practice.
• Ensure that action plans set out in escape investigation reports are completed as necessary.

• Ensure contractors' compliance with agreed instructions on the management of at-risk prisoners and work to minimize the number of self-inflicted deaths.

• Work with all partners to ensure that effective discharge processes are in place to ensure timely delivery of prisoners to court and to prisons.

• Ensure contractors report and investigate incidents in accordance with contract and that these are appropriately challenged.
• Conduct investigations as directed by the Head of Custodial Contracts and PECS.
• Disseminate best practice amongst contractors and other partners to learn from incident management.
• Ensure appropriate penalties are applied for failures to comply with operating standards.

• Assist in providing drafts and letters to CJS partners and ministers in accordance with the Unit Communication Policy.
• Participate in and ensure communication of the contract change procedures.
• Provide support and management of communications and submissions, ensuring the timely management of requests for information from HQ/Ministers and that information provided is accurate and of the highest standard.

• Ensure contractors undertake annual prisoner care survey.
• Ensure stakeholders monitor and work to improve the conditions in which prisoners are held at court.

• Act as a resource for management and staff - providing strategic support to senior management and technical support within area of responsibility.
• Contribute to the strategic planning process for the Directorate and participate in the team approach to the day to day management of the Directorate.
• Provide data for submissions to ministers and senior officials as required.

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. 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.

Behaviours and assessments

Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together.

Interview stage assessments: In Person Interviews to take place at Unit 6, Forder Way, The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8GX. Dates TBC. Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. Other assessments will include: Candidates will complete an exercise responding to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) using sample data provided. The exercise will be sent one week before the interview.

Level of security checks required: DBS Standard.

Qualifications

• Ability to excellent interpersonal skills to influence senior internal and external stakeholders (e.g. Police, YJB, HMCTS, etc.) outside of a line managed relationship.
• Good written and oral communication.
• Good numerical skills.
• Ability to work with data.
• Significant experience of managing large scale commercial contracts or SLAs with external providers.
• Experience of Multi-disciplinary partnership working.
• Experience of HMPPS Incident Management Process as part of a Silver Command Team.
• Knowledge and experience of the external scrutiny procedures for all custodial services including HMIP, PPO and Audit bodies.

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

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. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period.

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.

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.

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 to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are "at risk of redundancy".

This role requires regularly working unpredictable and unsocial hours and be on call to attend their place of work at any time. A 20% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evening, nights, weekends and Bank / Public holidays.