Regional Employment Broker – New Futures Network – North East Prisons Group (Ref: 77734)

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview of the job    

The role of New Futures Network (NFN) Regional Employment Broker is to create employment opportunities for prisoners in custody, through release on temporary licence (ROTL) and on release from custody. This will be achieved by building strong relationships between Prison Governors and Commercial employers within their designated regions.

The Employment Brokers will be directly managed by the Prison Group Director (PGD) but will be centrally supported by the NFN Hub to ensure that the national approach remains commensurate with Ministerial direction. The Hub will provide up to date labour market intelligence that will drive targeted commercial engagement in Industry sectors where skills gaps and vacancies are the most acute. Skills gaps will be identified on both a National and Regional basis.

The Regional Broker will be responsible for working with Employers, Governors and Regional Executive Teams to inform and shape training and education curriculums within establishments to match employer requirements and maximise prisoner employment pathways.

The NFN Central Hub will target 5 key sectors which will be reviewed annually. A senior Sector Ambassador from a commercial background will be appointed within each sector and will advocate NFN delivery, provide expertise within their field and unlock potential contacts and engagement on a National and Regional level.

In line with the above model, Regional Employment Brokers will also assume expertise in one of the designated 5 Sectors linking in with the Hub Sector Ambassador. This will ensure that across the national network of Regional Brokers, expertise is in place to guide and take forward initiatives with key employers on a national basis.

To offer informed judgement to Commercial Stakeholders on prisoner employment placements through ROTL or release, the Regional Employment Brokers will be required to understand the Security category of prisons within their Region, the activities, education and training delivered there.

Employment Brokers should also understand the activity capacity within the prisons in their designated regions and remain alive to potential commercial opportunities that could sit within such sites. Should such opportunities be identified the Business Development arm of NFN should be notified to take forward and develop new initiatives.

Having developed and strengthened relationships between establishments and key employers the Regional Broker will hand on day to day running of engagements to the most appropriate point of contact within the establishment. They will however continue to assess and measure employment outcomes and report this data into the Hub.

Where outcomes or engagements with external stakeholders are being adversely affected the Regional Employment Broker will flag this with Establishments, address and resolve. Where resolution cannot be achieved they will escalate to PGD and NFN Hub for resolution.
 
The Regional Broker will need to develop a good underpinning knowledge of Probation Service delivery and key contacts within. This will ensure that flexible working arrangements that meet the needs of the employer and employee can be set post release. Where employment outcomes are adversely affected post release, this should flagged by the Employment Broker and signposted to the relevant point of contact within the Probation Service for resolution. The Employment Broker must remain positioned and maintain the positive relationships with key employers.

The roles will be regionally based with the expectation that post holders will travel as and when required.
The post holder will have line management responsibility for staff at a local level. This is a non-operational post.

Summary    

The New Futures Network (NFN) is a national network, created to increase the number of prisoners in employment on release and working in prisons in England and Wales.

New Futures Network will operate a ‘Hub and Spoke’ Model.

The Regional Employment Brokers will act as the ‘Spokes’, they will be supported and directed by the HQ NFN ‘Hub’ and improve employment opportunities by:

•    Targeting employment sector bodies and large and small employers within their designated regions to promote the benefits of employing ex-prisoners on release.
•    Building partnerships between employers and prisons, linking the work prisoners do in custody with jobs on release.
•    Identifying and feeding back messages from employers about the training and development that prisoners will need.

The Employment Brokers will develop employment pathways for prisoners by strengthening relationships between employers and Governors. Once such initiatives are developed they will be cascaded to key establishment personnel to deliver and maintain. Where employment outcomes are adversely affected it is the Employment Broker’s responsibility to identify and address issues or escalate to the NFN Hub and PGD for resolution.
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties    The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•    Develop and maintain strong relationships with Governors of Establishments, national and local employers and Probation counterparts within Region.
•    Develop relationships and explore prisoner employment opportunities working with Chambers of Commerce, Business in the Community, Local Enterprise Panels, Police and Crime Commissioners and Regional Criminal Justice Boards.
•    Develop and maintain strong relationships with Resettlement providers, Department of Work & Pensions Job Centre Plus staff, Prison Work Coaches and Across the Gate services.
•    Liaise with the NFN Hub to maintain an up to date Market Intelligence picture, remain positioned on the key skills gaps within industry nationally and regionally driving employment engagement aligned to these areas.
•    Support Governors within the region/areas of responsibility to ensure that delivery in the workshops supports the needs of potential employers including the delivery of transferable to meet employer needs.
•    Introduction of the Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway to potential employers.
•    Take responsibility for providing expertise in one of the five key Industry Sectors set by the NFN Hub. Liaise with the Sectors Ambassadors in this field to unlock potential within Region.
•    Form part of a network of Regional Brokers able to engage, identify and support employment opportunities nationally for prisoners released to other parts of the country.
•    Be familiar with regional prisons security category activities and capacity within Region. Remain alive to new commercial opportunities within establishments linked to key industry sectors and signpost to the NFN Business Development Team.
•    Work with Privately Contracted Prison within your Region and engage with Long Term High Security and Female Estate ‘Employment Brokers or counterparts’ to maximise employment opportunities.
•    Form part of your Regional Prison Group SMT and contribute to development of the Regional Business Plan/Delivery Plan. Attend SMT meetings and communicate NFN delivery where required.
•    Attend/Chair relevant meetings or Governance Boards within Region.
•    Ensure data is effectively captured and communicated to the NFN Hub, particularly around employment outcomes.
•    Have a detailed understanding of the Accommodation and Banking support services available centrally and be able to signpost to support prisoner employment opportunities.
•    Line manage staff as requested and endorsed by regional PGD/NFN Hub.
•    Be familiar with contract management principles and NFN Codes of Practice.
•    Remain alive to financial and training opportunities that will improve employability on release. Be familiar with the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and its ability to deliver bespoke training to meet employer need.

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.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com