Business Change Lead Project Roof on Release (PRoR)Ministry of Justice

HMPPS Band 8

12 Month Loan/Detached Duty/Fixed Term/Secondment

Overview of the job

The Strategic Housing Specialist central team is responsible for leading and coordinating the new, national programme of 48 Strategic Housing Specialists based regionally in prison groups across England and Wales.

The programme contributes towards two key HMPPS performance measures (i) accommodation on first night of release and (ii) settled accommodation 3 months after release. The HMPPS Target Operating Model (TOM) has a target to ensure 80% of prison leavers are in settled accommodation 3 months post-release by the end of 2023/24 F/Y.

Summary

The postholder is responsible for offering specialist support and guidance to the 48 Strategic Housing Specialists spread across England and Wales and ensure postholders are delivering against agreed strategic priorities.

The postholder will be the strategic and expert bridge between the national programme of Strategic Housing Specialists and central HMPPS.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•    They are responsible for supporting the 48 Strategic Housing Specialists, across England and Wales; for example: co-ordinating the national network of Strategic Housing Specialists to ensure consistent communications and adherence to policy, chairing regional team meetings leading joint initiatives across regions, sharing best practice and offering consultancy.

•    As the programme of Strategic Housing Specialists expands from 20 to 48 posts nationally, they will oversee the regionally led recruitment from a central perspective and offer advice to regions as required.

•    They will support the line management arrangements as the Strategic Housing Specialist posts shift from establishment-based to regional, promoting their value within regions and establishments.

•    Support development of an evaluation approach to ensure learning is captured long term and to inform wider Reducing Reoffending Directorate workstreams.

•    Conduct diagnostic reviews with each Strategic Housing Specialist, for each establishment they are responsible for seeking to capture the barriers to delivery, opportunities and target areas that this project and policy leads seeks to address.

•    Work with policy leads to take forward and implement their initiatives through Strategic Housing Specialists, understanding their requirements and the action points they want to achieve.

•    Support Strategic Housing Specialists in women’s prisons to adopt a trauma-informed and gender specific approach to their role.

•    Work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including representing the directorate, some at a senior level, to ensure successful delivery of the programme.

•    Act as a business-as-usual consultant (will be seen as a subject matter expert) and will be required to provide advice and guidance on all elements of the relevant policy to all stakeholders (e.g., Directors, senior managers, trade unions, Shared Services staff).

•    Oversee the drafting of formal instructions and practical guidance.

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.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Behaviours

•    Making Effective Decisions

•    Delivering at Pace

•    Working together

•    Changing and Improving

Experience

•    Experience of handling sensitive relationships diplomatically whilst influencing and negotiating.

•    An ability to work independently, setting direction and working with autonomy to deliver objectives.

•    The candidate is required to have some understanding of:

The Justice System, including the roles and responsibilities of prisons and probation.

Housing support that exists within prison and probation, including the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) and Duty to Refer (DtR) and Offender Pathway (Wales).

•    Resettlement pathways and potential related needs of prison leavers.

•    Experience working within probation and prisons is desirable but not essential.

•    Knowledge of Housing legislation.

•    Management experience (desirable).