Programmes Manager in Manchester

Location: Based within HMP Forest Bank, Manchester. Step Free access is not available at this service. You may be expected to travel to other services as required, including to Central London Central Office and for in-person meetings held off site. Hybrid working is permitted with an option of up to 2 days working from home when appropriate.

Salary: £36,000

Shift Pattern: 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday 07:30 - 17:30. You may be required to work outside these hours as per service and organisational requirements, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays and forming part of the out of hours on call rota for managers.

About the Role: We are seeking a Safe Ground Programmes Manager to lead our newest family service based in HMP Forest Bank. This is an ideal opportunity if you are seeking a hands-on role within a prison setting, are confident working in complex environments, and want to create meaningful change within punitive systems. You will lead a multidisciplinary team delivering high quality, therapeutically informed, arts-based work with men in prison and their families. You will work directly with participants to deliver structured group programmes and provide relational, anti-shame, anti-punitive support in a custodial environment.

In this role, you will support the leadership of the service, providing line management and oversight to ensure high quality delivery for our participants. The team delivers our NFI-approved national programmes, Fathers Inside and Man Up, designs bespoke visits and family interventions, and develops a new, dynamic counselling provision. The role requires leadership experience managing a diverse team, with line management responsibilities to support, enable, and empower staff to deliver high-quality support to participants and their families. You will work closely with prison and Sodexo colleagues, as well as internal SIG teams, to ensure innovative, safe, anti-punitive service delivery.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Line management and leadership of a small team, offering guidance and support throughout the employee lifecycle, and fostering a supportive leadership culture focused on staff wellbeing, learning and development
• Encourage productivity, engagement, and wellbeing through regular check-ins, training, meetings and supervisions
• Support day-to-day running of the service and programme delivery
• Ensure high-quality facilitation and counselling, and consistent participant engagement
• Monitor performance, reporting and KPI delivery
• Ensure risk management and compliance processes are followed
• Maintain quality standards in line with Safe Ground and NFI requirements
• Coordinate programme schedules, logistics, and delivery cycles
• Build effective working relationships with prison staff and partners that promote anti-shame, anti-punitive practice

About You: This is a role for you if you truly believe change happens through relationships, not control; you will lead with warmth and clarity, and hold care and accountability together. You will be part of a values-led organisation that takes people, reflection, and creativity seriously. You will be comfortable working within a prison setting, with regular interactions with people from all backgrounds and circumstances that have led to them being imprisoned.

We’re seeking someone who has a genuine passion for making a difference to lives and helping to create safer communities for all. You will be a proactive leader, with the ability to motivate and empower a team to drive excellence, both as individuals and as a team, whilst providing practical solutions to challenges that arise. You will be knowledgeable about the criminal justice system and have experience of delivering programmes within custodial or complex environments. We’re looking for someone who can build rapport, trust, and create an environment that allows individuals to grow their skills and experience, and develop as individuals.

Previous experience of programme delivery within the criminal justice or custodial settings essential

• Facilitation experience with groups of participants with complex needs
• Ability to provide high-quality leadership support and line management to staff
• Ability to motivate and empower a team to achieve KPIs
• Ability to challenge harmful practice and create culture shifts within the Criminal Justice System
• Confident in managing day-to-day service operations and supporting staff with daily tasks, caseloads and the overall running of the service
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the demands and needs of the service, for example providing an emergency on-call service as and when required
• IT proficiency - we use various systems so look for someone who can learn and navigate new systems including case management, Microsoft, ATS, HR systems, and other types of organisational software.
• Alignment with values such as anti-shame, anti-punitive practice, and relational working, alongside Ambition, Empowerment, Inclusivity, and Transparency

We are interviewing on an ongoing basis so this job role may close early. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

What we Offer:

• 25 days (Full time equivalent) annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Eligibility to register with Blue Light Discount Card
• Access to discounted tickets for music events, shows, sports and more
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing at work
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards
• EDI Ambassador programme

About Social Interest Group (SIG): SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings, probation settings, and hospitals. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, Kent and Liverpool. Our goal is to transform lives through empowering change. We believe good care and support improves lives with the vision to create healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities. Join us on our mission to empower independence through trauma-informed solutions and dynamic partnerships that keep people out of prison, out of hospital, and off the streets.

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Please note that as part of our process, we complete an enhanced DBS check, some roles may require further vetting. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship, please ensure you have full right to work in the UK prior to applying to our positions.