Prison Monitoring Coordinator in Edinburgh

Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding role where you can use your analytical, communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills to make a real difference? If so, this could be the role for you.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) independently inspects and monitors prisons to assess the treatment and conditions of people in custody, promote human rights, and drive improvement through public reporting and accountability.

We are recruiting four Prison Monitoring Coordinators as part of a planned restructure to strengthen our monitoring function. These roles will sit within a team responsible for supporting approximately 100 volunteer Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs), delivering monitoring activity across Scotland’s prisons, and contributing to reporting and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Participate in prison visits to maintain operational insight and credibility.
• Share responsibility for report writing and Case Management System (CMS) activity.
• Support and develop Independent Prison Monitors (IPMs).
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of monitoring activity.

In addition to these core responsibilities, each role will take the lead in one of the following thematic areas:

• Monitoring Standards and Quality Assurance.
• Volunteer Development and Training.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communications.
• Data, Reporting and Regional Operations.

These posts form part of a new and evolving structure. Flexibility will be expected as the roles develop and responsibilities are shared across the monitoring team. As the new structure continues to evolve, you will have the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing development and help shape future ways of working within the monitoring function.

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Experience

• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, with strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Strong communication skills, including report writing, using a range of evidence to ensure well informed reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience delivering work in an operational or service-focused environment, with demonstrable experience of building effective working relationships.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing - Level 3
• Developing Self and Others - Level 3
• Managing a Quality Service - Level 3

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 750 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and written analysis. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 24th August 2026 however this may be subject to change.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered

Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

Qualifications

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits.

Working pattern

This role is based in Saughton House, with hybrid working arrangements where staff should aim to work 40% of the time either in the office or other agreed work locations, this includes prison visits. HMIPS have a weekly 'anchor' day in the office, a Thursday, unless otherwise agreed with line management.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, and read about the Government Vetting Charter, or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. Apply before 23:59 on 5th August 2026. This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only. External candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy.