(HM Inspectorate of Prisons) - Research Officer

This post offers the opportunity for the successful candidate to utilise their existing research and analytical expertise and develop and put into practice their people and project management skills. Much of the day-to-day work of the 12-strong Research, Data & Thematics (RDT) team involves conducting surveys in places of detention and analysing the results for use by inspectors. Reporting to one of our Senior Research Officers, the post holder will also help to maintain HMIP's databases, conduct fieldwork and provide analysis for thematic and other reports, and act as an ambassador for the Inspectorate while on inspections. The job involves regular travel and time away from home carrying out surveys in places of detention (including transporting questionnaires) - on average one or two nights per fortnight.,

• Organising and attending visits to custodial establishments on a regular basis to conduct detainee surveys.


• Processing and analysing survey data, including from detainee and staff


• Checking survey findings for publication in inspection


• Contributing research expertise to thematic reviews and other HMIP publications. This could involve conducting literature reviews, developing research methodology (including cognitive testing), carrying out fieldwork, data analysis and contributing to the drafting of published reports.


• Acting as research lead for a specific policy This includes keeping up to date with relevant research, statistics and policy developments and providing ad hoc support to inspection and policy colleagues.


• Managing and supporting research assistants and research


• Updating and maintaining HMIP databases and providing analysis for governance meetings and annual reports.


• Supporting the work of the team in ensuring data and our research findings are utilised and presented in the most impactful and inclusive way.


Success Profiles

You will be tested against the Success Profiles used across the Civil Service at application and/or at interview stage. Additionally, candidates will need to be members of or meet the criteria of the Government Social Research or Government Statistician Group profession - see essential criteria below.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Technical Skills, Behaviours, and Strengths. Further information on Success Profiles can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Essential behaviours:

Delivering at Pace - Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team's efforts focused on the top priorities. Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation. Ensure the most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively. Regularly monitor your own and team's work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance. Allow individuals the space and authority to meet objectives, providing additional support where necessary, whilst keeping overall responsibility.

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.

Developing Self and Others - Identify capability gaps for self and team. Ensure development objectives are set and achieved to address any gaps and enable delivery of current and future work. Take time to coach, mentor and develop other colleagues to support succession planning. Promote inclusiveness by respecting different personal needs in the team and use these to develop others. Reflect on own work, continuously seek and act on feedback to improve own and team's performance., + User requirements - Proactively work with users to establish new uses of existing data sources taking ethical considerations into account. Share expert knowledge of familiar data sources to enhance the understanding of users and other analysts.
+ Collect and prepare data - Extract and manipulate data from multiple existing data sources to enable complex new analysis. Advise other analysts in best practice usage of familiar data Assist in designing data collection activities (gathering new data or combining existing data sources). Organises and manages own data sets according to best practice.
+ Data quality - Perform and document quality checks on familiar data and innovates new quality assurance processes to improve the quality of the team's data sources. Provide advice on whether data is suitable., The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ's terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy., Level of security checks required
Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC)
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

• You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government


• You were studying abroad


• You were living overseas with parents


In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles, o User requirements - Proactively work with users to establish new uses of existing data sources taking ethical considerations into account. Share expert knowledge of familiar data sources to enhance the understanding of users and other analysts.
o Collect and prepare data - Extract and manipulate data from multiple existing data sources to enable complex new analysis. Advise other analysts in best practice usage of familiar data sources. Assist in designing data collection activities (gathering new data or combining existing data sources). Organises and manages own data sets according to best practice.
o Data quality - Perform and document quality checks on familiar data and innovates new quality assurance processes to improve the quality of the team's data sources. Provide advice on whether data is suitable. - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered., o User requirements - Proactively work with users to establish new uses of existing data sources taking ethical considerations into account. Share expert knowledge of familiar data sources to enhance the understanding of users and other analysts.
o Collect and prepare data - Extract and manipulate data from multiple existing data sources to enable complex new analysis. Advise other analysts in best practice usage of familiar data sources. Assist in designing data collection activities (gathering new data or combining existing data sources). Organises and manages own data sets according to best practice.
o Data quality - Perform and document quality checks on familiar data and innovates new quality assurance processes to improve the quality of the team's data sources. Provide advice on whether data is suitable.
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Any candidate who has been assessed as being appointable to the role they applied for may be offered a similar, lower grade role, if one is available. Furthermore, any candidate who has just missed meeting the criteria for a particular role, may be appointed to a similar role at a lower grade if such a role is available, and if they have been assessed as meeting the criteria for the lower grade role. These appointments will also be made in merit order.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.


• A member of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession or a member of the Government Statistician Group (GSG) profession, or meet the criteria for those professions (see below). Please state which you are applying under in your application., + Has good knowledge of research methodology, methods, and the latest techniques (i.e. demonstrated through qualifications and/or experience) and ability to apply these in small scale research projects.

+ Able to design small scale and less complex research projects, defining research questions and writing draft specifications.
+ Able to summarise and interpret information accurately, making use of different sources and to conduct basic analyses of key data sets utilising a working knowledge of relevant data analysis packages.
+ Has good working knowledge of departmental procurement procedures, quality assurance processes, legal and ethical issues and principles relating to social research. Uses ability to critically assess and evaluate information and evidence, to support team members in managing more complex external research projects (judging merits of research tenders, assessing research findings, evaluating new ideas or methodologies).
2. For GSG candidates: Statistical Strand 1: Acquiring data and understanding customer needs (HStO),
• Experience in questionnaire and survey design


• Experience of using IBM SPSS or R or other statistical analysis package


• Experience in analysing performance data


• Experience of using MS Office applications, specifically Word, Excel, OneNote and Outlook


• Interest in the criminal justice system


• Commitment to the values of HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit

Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Developing Self and Others - 250 word limit, o Has good knowledge of research methodology, methods, and the latest techniques (i.e. demonstrated through qualifications and/or experience) and ability to apply these in small scale research projects.
o Able to design small scale and less complex research projects, defining research questions and writing draft specifications.
o Able to summarise and interpret information accurately, making use of different sources and to conduct basic analyses of key data sets utilising a working knowledge of relevant data analysis packages.
o Has good working knowledge of departmental procurement procedures, quality assurance processes, legal and ethical issues and principles relating to social research. Uses ability to critically assess and evaluate information and evidence, to support team members in managing more complex external research projects (judging merits of research tenders, assessing research findings, evaluating new ideas or methodologies). - 250 word limit

• For GSG candidates: Statistical Strand 1: Acquiring data and understanding customer needs (HStO), Delivering at Pace

Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
Technical Skills

• For GSR candidates: Research Officer Technical Skills Summary:

o Has good knowledge of research methodology, methods, and the latest techniques (i.e. demonstrated through qualifications and/or experience) and ability to apply these in small scale research projects.
o Able to design small scale and less complex research projects, defining research questions and writing draft specifications.
o Able to summarise and interpret information accurately, making use of different sources and to conduct basic analyses of key data sets utilising a working knowledge of relevant data analysis packages.
o Has good working knowledge of departmental procurement procedures, quality assurance processes, legal and ethical issues and principles relating to social research. Uses ability to critically assess and evaluate information and evidence, to support team members in managing more complex external research projects (judging merits of research tenders, assessing research findings, evaluating new ideas or methodologies).

• For GSG candidates: Statistical Strand 1: Acquiring data and understanding customer needs (HStO)
  
  HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI Prisons) for England and Wales is an independent inspectorate which reports on the treatment of, and conditions for, those in prison, young offender institutions and court custody suites in England and Wales, and immigration detention facilities in the United Kingdom. HMI Prisons also inspects Border Force customs custody (jointly with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) and secure training centres (jointly with Ofsted). By invitation, HMI Prisons inspects some military detention facilities, as well as prisons in Northern Ireland and in other jurisdictions with links to the UK, such as the Isle of Man.


The role of HM Inspectorate of Prisons is to provide independent scrutiny of the conditions for and treatment of prisoners and other detainees, promoting the concept of 'healthy establishments' in which staff work effectively to achieve positive outcomes for those detained and for the public.

The Inspectorate's work constitutes an important part of the United Kingdom's obligations under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment. This Protocol requires signatory states to have in place regular independent inspection of places of detention.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an Arm's Length Body (ALB) of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Chief Inspector of Prisons is a Crown Appointee, while the staff of the Inspectorate are civil servants employed by the MoJ. The established values of the Inspectorate are:


• Independence, impartiality and integrity are the foundations of our work.


• The experience of the detainee is at the heart of our inspections.


• Respect for human rights underpins our Expectations.


• We embrace diversity and are committed to pursuing equality of outcomes for all.


• We believe in the capacity of both individuals and organisations to change and improve, and that we have a part to play in initiating and encouraging change.
  
  The MoJ offers a range of benefits:


Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years' service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of 'Family Friendly' policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.


• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.


• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.


• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.


• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.


Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);


• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);


• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)


As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Interview dates
Expected W/C 4th November 2024
Assessment centre dates
GSR Testing W/C 14th October 2024
Closing Date