Restorative Justice in Prisons Service Manager

Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
BELONG LONDON

Belong’s restorative justice (RJ) service at HMP The Mount, a Category C male prison in Hemel Hempstead, enables prisoners to peacefully resolve conflicts that they have in prison, whether conflicts are with other prisoners or with staff members. It also helps individuals to build positive relationships, healthy conflict resolution skills and access support with disadvantages they face. HMP The Mount prison holds sentenced men aged 21 years and over, with sentences ranging from a few weeks to life.

As part of the service, Belong offers prisoners the chance to take part in RJ to move forward after violent or antisocial behaviour incidents at the prison. For prisoners who have committed violence or antisocial behaviour at HMP The Mount, RJ is a chance to take responsibility for their harmful behaviour and to receive support to tackle the root causes of this behaviour. For prison staff members or prisoners who have been victims of violence or antisocial behaviour, RJ provides a safe space to share with harmers the impact that this has had on them. It also gives victims of violence and antisocial behaviour support to cope and recover after incidents.

Our Service Manager position provides an exciting opportunity for a reliable, organised, compassionate person, with experience of working within prisons, to lead this service and ensure its effective implementation. The successful applicant will also assist with leading, evaluating and fundraising for Belong’s other restorative justice in prisons programmes, for example at HMP Coldingley and HMPYOI Isis.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Global Majority ethnicities, with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and/or with current enhanced prison security vetting.

Place of work: HMP The Mount (2 days per week) and HMPYOI Isis, HMP Coldingley, Central London or remotely (2 days per week)

Hours of work: 4 days per week

Pay scale: £40,000 per annum, pro rata’d on a fixed-term 12 month maternity cover contract, with reasonable travel costs to/from HMPYOI Isis, HMP Coldingley or Central London to be reimbursed.

Reports to: Head of Programmes

Prison Security Vetting Required: Enhanced

Annual leave and benefits:

• 28 days holiday per annum, plus Bank Holidays
• 3 days training leave per annum
• Fully funded monthly Clinical Supervision
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

How to apply: Please submit a CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification. Apply as soon as possible, as we will be shortlisting and inviting candidates to interview on an ongoing basis until the closing date.

Closing date: Monday 28 th April 11.30pm

Interviews will take place on an ongoing basis up to and including 6 th and 7 th May.

Responsibilities

• Publicise the RJ services and their potential benefits to funders, prison staff and prisoners. This could be through outreach work on prison wings, and/or in person or remote presentations.
• Provide supportive, empowering line management to Belong’s RJ practitioner and other team members as appropriate.
• Lead and develop training and support for prisoners and prison staff members to enable them to become skilled RJ facilitators.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with staff at HMP The Mount, HMPYOI Isis and HMP Coldingley including senior management, case workers and prison officers.
• Conduct research into grant and contract opportunities to identify potential funders for Belong’s RJ programmes in prisons.
• Write tailored, inspirational, high-quality applications to trusts, foundations and public bodies, to support with expanding and continuing Belong’s RJ programmes in prisons.
• Liaise with Belong’s management and staff teams to plan and develop the strongest possible funding applications and build relationships with funders.
• Attend and contribute to multi agency meetings in prisons, including on safer custody, interdepartmental risk management, reducing reoffending.
• Analyse complex, sensitive and potentially disturbing information from PNMOIS, Oasys, DELIUS databases regarding prisoners to undertake dynamic risk and needs assessments regarding the delivery of RJ interventions, on a case-by-case basis.
• Assess the suitability of prisoners, individuals harmed and their supporters for participation in RJ interventions.
• Provide preparatory and follow up support to all participants in RJ interventions and make referrals to other agencies inside and outside of the prison, as appropriate.
• Make practical arrangements for RJ interventions to take place within the prison, including organising room bookings, refreshments provision, appropriate prison staff escorts.
• Facilitate restorative interventions in accordance with the RJ Council’s Best Practice Guidance for Restorative Practice and with the policies and procedures of Belong and His Majesty’s Prison Service.
• Maintain detailed, accurate and up to date records of work undertaken with parties involved in restorative interventions and share information according to protocols agreed by Belong and His Majesty’s Prison Service.
• Collect, collate and analyse monitoring data relating to the evaluation of the RJ programmes, producing high quality monitoring and evaluation reports for Belong and external stakeholders.
• Participate actively in line management meetings with the Head of Programmes and, in between line management meetings, update management of progress and of any issues arising, to receive advice and guidance.
• Adhere to Belong’s Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics and its policies on Safeguarding, Single Equality, and Confidentiality.
• Undertake any other duties as may be appropriate to the level and nature of the post.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications, Experience and Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of restorative justice processes, psychological principles, and trauma informed approaches.
• Understanding of the intersecting disadvantages that may be faced by men serving prison sentences, such as substance misuse problems, trauma histories, mental health diagnoses, poor literacy and numeracy, gang affiliation.
• Minimum one years’ experience of line managing, training and/or supporting colleagues.
• At least three years’ experience of delivering rehabilitative interventions in prisons or related area.
• Experience of writing project reports and presenting information effectively to others.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Experience of liaising confidently and professionally with a range of stakeholders at different levels of seniority and from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong awareness of appropriate boundaries to be maintained and of personal safety considerations whilst working in prisons.
• A strong understanding of the principles of confidentiality and of instances when this should be breached.

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Ability to line manage and support team members in a collaborative and empowering manner, enabling them to achieve programme objectives and effectively deliver interventions.
• Ability to develop excellent working relationships with other professionals and with men serving prison sentences.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organisational, multi-tasking and team working skills.
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with participants and manage personal safety whilst working in prisons.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to consider and respond to participants psychological, non-verbal and symbolic expression as meaningful communications where appropriate.

Desirable Knowledge and Experience

• Understanding of the specific issues faced by people from Global Majority Ethnic Backgrounds in contact with the criminal justice system.
• Ability to be attune to and process transference and countertransference feelings and work with emotional projections from individuals.
• Knowledge and experience of the charity sector.
• Knowledge and experience of writing funding applications for grants and/or contracts.
• Knowledge and experience of using design and publicity software such as Canva, MailChimp.

Desirable Skills and Abilities

• Creative skills in assisting with the design of publicity materials and planning content for newsletters and social media posts.