• Job Description

  Req#: 87806
  Approved Premises - Residential Worker - *ANNUALISED CONTRACT*
  

  Salary: £25,310 to £30,208 plus unsocial hours allowances

  Helping to keep the public safe. Giving people the chance to turn their lives around. Building a rewarding professional career. It’s an extraordinary role. There are many reasons to join the Probation Service. What will yours be?

  About Approved Premises

  Approved Premises are primarily for offenders who have been released on licence and who require a high level of supervision.

  About the role

  As a residential worker in an Approved Premises, you will play a crucial role in supporting the management of offenders in their transition from custody into the community, to achieve successful resettlement.

  You will assist with the well-being and supervision of Approved Premises residents, helping them to stick to their license conditions and supporting them to keep themselves and others safe. You will carry out inspections, monitor behaviour and positively engage with residents, working closely with colleagues and partner agencies.

  About you

  You do not need a degree for this role. We are much more interested in your personal qualities. Ideally with experience of working with people who have social or personal difficulties, you will be empathetic, patient, and resilient. A good level of numeracy and literacy is also required as the role involves some report writing.

  About us

  The Probation Service works with offenders who are pre or post-release from prison or serving community sentences. Our role is to support their rehabilitation and protect the public.

  People come from all walks of life to form one team in the Probation Service. Join us and you will be part of a supportive team that thrives on sharing knowledge and expertise.

  Pay and benefits

  The starting salary is £25,310 for a 37 hours a week plus a London weighting of £4,249 where this applies.

  Additional payments are made for working unsociable hours:

  • Monday to Friday: 7pm to 8am premium payment of 30%
  • Weekend: 8am Saturday to 8am Monday premium payment of 50%
  • Public/Bank Holidays: 8am to 8am premium payment of 50% as well as time off in lieu for actual hours worked

  This is in addition to the great Civil Service benefits you’ll get as part of the Probation Service.

  Annualised Hours Contracts:

  This post is for an Annualised Hours contract, therefore this means that employees have to work a certain number of hours over the year but they have some flexibility about when they work. There are sometimes ‘core hours’ which the employee regularly works each week, and they work the rest of their hours flexibly or when there’s extra demand at work.

  Overview of the job

  The job holder will work as part of a team providing 24 hour cover at an Approved Premises (AP) including security and monitoring services. The job holder will undertake a full range of work with the people on probation whilst resident at the Approved Premises. This will include; providing support in contributing to the risk management and sentence plan objectives and reporting any significant changes relating to risk and/or re-offending to any non-compliance within agreed enforcement procedures to ensure that people on probation resident at an AP and the fabric of it are kept safe and secure throughout their shift.

  Summary

  The job holder will assist in the well-being and supervision of residents, maintaining discipline, adherence to Approved Premises rules, licence conditions, sentence plan objectives specific to residency in the Approved Premises and court orders. In addition, will contribute to the management of residents’ risk. This post will involve substantial out of hours work, both waking night duty and weekend work. The post holder may be required to cover duties at other Approved Premises at times of staff absence.

  In line with PS policies and procedures, the job holder must at all times demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion and an understanding of their relevance to the work they do.

  The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position.

  Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

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

  • Contribute to effective team practice, communicate and collaborate effectively with colleagues to ensure consistency of work practices and positive working environment.
  • Effectively communicate key risk issues to colleagues at handover and throughout the shift. It will also, at times, require communicating with Offender Managers, Stand-by Manager and partner agencies e.g. Police, Health professionals and drug/alcohol services.
  • Undertake regular inspections of the building, including cellars and grounds throughout the period of duty, recording any occurrences/damage or defects, and monitor CCTV equipment.
  • Maintain an active presence in the AP at all times. Regularly engage with residents in a pro-social manner. Contribute towards the protection of the residents through observation to ensure adherence to their risk management plans and general wellbeing.
  • Actively engage with and monitor behaviour of high risk residents and motivate residents to ensure compliance. Challenge and manage appropriately abusive or aggressive behaviour.
  • Contribute to the risk management plans of residents by observing and reporting any significant changes relating to risk and/or re-offending to any non-compliance within agreed enforcement procedures.
  • Contribute to the sentence plan objectives of the residents through active engagement in purposeful activities as agreed by the AP Manager and Offender Manager.
  • Ensure that the AP is locked and secure during curfew period. Confirm the presence and wellbeing of all residents overnight.
  • Facilitate the function of the AP as a first/emergency point of contact out of hours.
  • Through observation and/or engagement with residents, provide accurate information, analysis of situation and risk assessment to the Offender Manager and/or escalate to Out of Hours Manager, which may lead to enforcement and/or compliance with court orders, licences, AP rules.
  • Support, create and maintain a safe working environment for staff, residents and visitors by adhering to Health and Safety legislation, ensuring Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) and Risk Assessments are followed reporting incidents to Manager.
  • Undertake Health and Safety, fire alarm, curfews and room curfew checks in line with procedures.
  • Undertake pre-arranged or initiate room searches based on concerns around risk.
  • Pack up residents’ possessions as directed.
  • Set up and/or deliver purposeful activities linked to residents’ sentence plan
    objectives as agreed by the Offender Manager and AP Manager.
  • Supervise residents’ meals.
  • Undertake effective induction of residents.
  • Follow prescribed medication procedures including the issuing of medication to residents and both weekly and nightly audit of medication sheets.
  • To carry out drug and alcohol tests in line with risk management plan which may include times when job holder believes that the resident maybe under the influence and therefore increase in risk.
  • Undertake First Aid if a resident is injured or self-harms.
  • Maintain Approved Premises records and files as required, including data entry as necessary and contribute to the completion of incident reports.
  • Carry out safeguarding children duties in accordance with the PS statutory responsibilities and agency policies.
  • Deal with visitors and telephone calls, and monitor the work of visiting contractors in accordance with health and safety.
  • Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes and challenging anti-social behaviour and attitudes.
  • To work within the aims and values of PS and HMPPS.

  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

  • Working Together
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Delivering at Pace

  Experience

  • Experience of working with a diverse range of people who have experienced a range of social/personal difficulties.

  Technical

  • Minimum 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above (including English and Maths), or equivalent qualification, or relevant work experience with the ability to evidence high level numeracy and literacy skills required to read, understand and interpret policies and the ability to write reports and correspondence for internal and external stakeholders.
  • IT Skills: Microsoft: Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

  (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

  Additional payments are made for working unsocial hours.

• About the company

  The UK Ministry of Justice is responsible for a transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.

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