Policy Officer – Prisons and Probation Ombudsman(Ref: 80188)

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 role 

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) is an Arm’s Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and investigates: 

• complaints made by prisoners, young people in detention, offenders under probation supervision and individuals detained under immigration powers;
• deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, residents in approved premises and individuals detained under immigration powers;
• deaths of recently released prisoners that occur within 14 days of release from prison (except homicide). 

The Policy Officer supports the Ombudsman to deliver their terms of reference and ensure that the impact of the PPO’s work is recognised.  The post holder will gain a broad perspective of the PPO, the Ministry of Justice and wider Government.  

The post holder will be part of the Research, Strategy and Corporate Services function (RSCS), which is responsible for identifying the lessons to be learned from our investigations and ensuring they are shared with services in remit.  The post holder will report to a Grade 7 Head of Operational Learning and Impact. 

The post holder needs to be confident communicating with senior stakeholders and have strong organisation and prioritisation skills.   

Previous policy experience in a Civil Service environment will be advantageous but is not an essential requirement. 

This is a busy but very interesting post, which will suit someone who is able to work to tight deadlines on a varied workload and is able to tune into the thoughts and views of the Ombudsman.  

Previous experience of the Criminal Justice System is not required as training will be given on the job. 

The PPO is based at the HM Government hub at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London. Currently, staff are expected to attend the office two days a week (based on full time hours), with the rest of the time spent working at home or in commuter hubs. You will usually have flexibility to decide which days of the week you work in the office to enable you to manage your office attendance around your personal circumstances. There will be occasions when you will be required to attend the office (for example, office or function-wide meetings). 

If you are successful, you may need to attend the office more frequently in your first six weeks, to undertake key training and induction activity. 

Interviews will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams. 

External candidates joining the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum salary for the band, which is currently £37,174. 

Post Holder’s Duties 

The post holder will be responsible for the following: 

• Leading on policy projects that have a direct impact on the work of the PPO.
• Managing and responding to external policy consultations, which includes deciding on which consultations the PPO should become involved in and researching PPO findings to use as evidence.
• Drafting submissions to Parliamentary Committee meetings on behalf of the PPO.
• Working collaboratively with the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsmen to develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Representing the Ombudsman at external stakeholder meetings.
• Researching and drafting content for external policy or thematic publications/newsletters to share learning from PPO investigations with stakeholders. 

Essential criteria

• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, and able to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including experience of drafting accurate and concise material.
• Ability to communicate confidently with people at all levels and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Ability to consider the wider criminal justice landscape and identify and comment on emerging themes.

Desirable:

• Previous policy experience. 

The Application and Interview Process

The PPO is a Disability Confident Committed Employer, and we ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Please complete the application information on reasonable adjustments and disabilities if relevant.  Further information on the types of reasonable adjustment that can be provided can be found at https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/ 

This is a two-stage process.  

Stage 1: 

• Submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Submit a statement of suitability (250 words) setting out how your skills and experience match the essential requirements for the role as stated above.
• Provide an example of where you have demonstrated the skills required for the Civil Service Behaviours ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ and ‘Making Effective Decisions’. 

If we received a high number of applications for the post, we may complete an initial sift on the ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ behaviour.  We may not review the rest of the application for any candidate who does not meet the required benchmark for this behaviour, which we have set at four out of seven.  

Furthermore, to pass stage 1 and to be considered for an interview, a candidate will need to score a minimum of two out of three on their statement of suitability and four out of seven on each of the behaviours.  If we receive a high number of high scoring applications, we reserve the right to increase this minimum benchmark. 

The CV will not be scored but will be used to give context to the statement of suitability.  

Stage 2:  

Those who meet the required level at the application stage will be invited to an interview.  During the interview, you will be asked questions about the Civil Service Behaviours ‘Seeing the Big Picture’, ‘Making Effective Decisions’ and ‘Communicating and Influencing’, as well as strength-based questions relating to the role. 

You will also be required to complete a written test to demonstrate your ability to review existing information and express your ideas about this information without grammatical or spelling errors.  

To be considered appointable, you will need to score a minimum total of 12 for the behaviour questions, a minimum of four for the written test and a minimum of six for the strength questions.  If we receive a high number of high scoring interviewees, we reserve the right to increase this minimum benchmark.  

Recruitment across the Civil Service changed from July 2019 with the introduction of Success Profiles. Further guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. 

Seeing the Big Picture

Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work. Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. Remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area. Seek out and share experiences to develop knowledge of the team’s business area. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders. 

Making Effective Decisions

Understand own level of responsibility and empower others to make decisions where appropriate. Analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions. Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making. Display confidence when making difficult decisions, even if they prove to be unpopular. Consult with others to ensure the potential impacts on end users have been considered. Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks. 

Communicating and Influencing

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests. 

When answering questions about the behaviours, you might want to use the STAR approach to help you to present your evidence more successfully.  This approach provides structure and focus to your answers. 

The STAR approach stands for: 

Situation – briefly describe the context and your role.

Task – the specific challenge, task or job that you faced.

Action – what you did, how and why you did it.

Result – what you achieved through your actions. 

You should keep the situation and task parts brief, concentrating on the actions you took and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. STAR may help you to cover all the points you need to make. 

When using STAR, you should use one specific example per behaviour and you should explain what you did rather than others.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Written Test

• 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 5359

Recruitment team

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