At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead family services at HMP Send, ensuring effective delivery and positive relationships.
- Company: Pact, a respected charity supporting prisoners and their families across England and Wales.
- Benefits: Generous holiday, pension scheme, training opportunities, and supportive team environment.
- Other info: Equal opportunity employer welcoming diverse applicants, including those with criminal convictions.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of prisoners and their families while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing services, strong relationship-building skills, and understanding of criminal justice challenges.
The predicted salary is between 40500 - 49500 £ per year.
About the role
We're looking for an experienced Family Services Contracts Manager (internally called a Programme Manager) to lead the delivery of our family and significant others services at HMP Send, while overseeing service delivery and line managing staff across HMPs Downview, Highdown and Coldingley. This is a hands-on management role. You'll be responsible for ensuring our services are delivered effectively, that positive family relationships are maintained and strengthened, and that family work is fully integrated within prisoners' care and rehabilitation plans. You'll manage teams of paid staff, volunteers, students on placement and serving prisoners acting as family champions — supporting, supervising and developing them to deliver consistently high-quality services.
What you'll be doing
- You'll manage day-to-day operations across your allocated sites, contributing to operating plans and performance monitoring, and providing regular reports to your line manager.
- You'll play a key role in ensuring contractual targets are met and that the needs of prisoners, family members and carers are at the heart of everything we do.
- You'll lead on recruitment, selection and induction for your teams, and support training and development for practitioners.
- Building strong working relationships will be central to your success — with HMPPS, prime contractors, healthcare providers, and other voluntary sector partners — to strengthen referral pathways and improve continuity of service.
- You'll also embed learning into programme delivery, drawing on performance data, frontline experience, lived experience, feedback from families and prisoners, Pact's own research, and relevant external evidence and policy.
What we're looking for
- Experience of managing services and staff across multiple sites, ideally within the criminal justice, social care or voluntary sector.
- A strong understanding of the challenges facing prisoners and their families.
- The ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including statutory and voluntary sector partners.
- Experience of performance monitoring, reporting and using data to drive service improvement.
- Confidence in recruiting, inducting and developing staff, volunteers and peer supporters.
- A collaborative approach, with the ability to work across organisational boundaries and share learning and best practice.
- A commitment to involving the voices of people with lived experience in service design and delivery.
Organisation: Pact is a highly respected independent charity, working across England and Wales to develop and deliver a range of innovative services. We provide practical and emotional support to prisoner’s children and families, to prisoners and those who have resettled back into the community. Our work is founded on core values, the first of which is a belief in the innate dignity of every human being, and our work focuses on human relationships, family and community. We are committed to achieving high standards of quality in all that we do.
What we offer:
Pact offers a range of benefits including a free advice, information and counselling service, contributory pension, corporate eye care scheme, cycle to work scheme and generous holiday entitlement. You will have the opportunity to attend training events to further develop yourself as a professional training and interventions worker. You will undergo a thorough induction process and be supported by a friendly and enthusiastic team.
How to apply:
If you feel that you meet the requirements of this exciting new role please complete an application form by clicking the 'apply now' button. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Other information:
Pact is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all applications including those with a criminal conviction (appointment to post is subject to a risk assessment). This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period, verification of identity and proven right to work in the UK, satisfactory references from previous employers covering a 3-year period, declaration of any unspent criminal convictions (and where appropriate a satisfactory risk assessment), Prison Vetting and a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Please note that being bankrupt or having County Court Judgements may affect your ability to be successfully vetted to work in a prison.
Family Services Manager in Surrey employer: PACT
Pact is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the charity sector while working remotely. With a strong commitment to employee growth and a collaborative work culture, staff are empowered to lead innovative data initiatives that enhance engagement with supporters and service users. Join us in our mission to transform lives through data-driven insights and enjoy the benefits of a supportive environment that values diversity and inclusion.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Family Services Manager in Surrey
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at PACT.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from PACT!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like PACT, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at PACT or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Family Services Manager in Surrey
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to PACT:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to PACT! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at PACT
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
