Prisons and Probation Ombudsman PAT160019
- Body
- Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
- Appointing Department
- Ministry of Justice
- Sectors
- Prison & Policing, Regulation
- Location
- London
- Skills required
- Legal / Judicial, Regulation
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- £100,000 per annum plus civil service pension
- Time Requirements
- 37 hours per week
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
02/12/2021
-
Closed for Applications
10/01/2022 at 09:00
-
Panel Sift
21/03/2022
-
Final Interview Date
23/05/2022
-
Announcement
TBC
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Amy Rees
- Added
- 02/12/2021
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- Director General of Probation and Wales Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Michael Lockwood
- Added
- 02/12/2021
- Positions
- Director General, Independent Office for Police Conduct Other Panel Member
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- Panel Member
- Peter Clarke, CVO, OBE, QPM.
- Added
- 02/12/2021
- Positions
- Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange Other Panel Member
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- Panel Member
- Sir Peter Spencer
- Added
- 02/12/2021
- Positions
- Former Chief Executive, Action for M.E Senior Independent Panel Member
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Vacancy Description
The PPO’s remit is determined by Terms of Reference set by the Secretary of State for Justice. The role is impartial of the services in remit, which include those provided by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the immigration estate and the National Probation Service for England and Wales.
The PPO is responsible for:
- providing unconstrained and effective investigation of complaints falling within the PPO’s Terms of Reference;
- investigating all fatal incidents occurring in the services in remit, as per the Terms of Reference;
- making recommendations to the services in remit and the Secretary of State;
- providing more general findings to the services in remit and the public at large;
- building effective working partnerships with other scrutiny bodies and other relevant agencies;
- leadership and management of the PPO’s Office; and
- producing an annual report, to be laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State for Justice.
In carrying out the duties of the office, the PPO has responsibility for around 100 members of staff and in 2021/2022 a budget of circa £5.8 million.
On occasion, Ministers will invite the PPO to undertake investigations which fall outside of the usual remit.
The PPO is also a key member of the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody, which brings together Ministers, senior officials, experts and practitioners to enable better learning and sharing of lessons across the custodial sectors.
Further information can be found on the website: www.ppo.gov.uk.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:
- Ability to maintain the independence of the Ombudsman from, and to make judgements independently of, the investigated agencies, Ministers, the Ministry of Justice and others;
- Commitment and ability to drive significant improvements in the investigation of deaths in custody and complaints, and to improve professional standards;
- Ability to provide strong leadership skills and demonstrate the potential to steer an organisation of a similar size and complexity;
- Ability to deliver strategic vision and drive successful improvement and transformation at senior levels within a complex organisation; and
- Excellent communication and relationship management skills with the ability to engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders including the media, politicians, senior government officials, inspectorates and other scrutiny bodies.
Desirable criteria
- An understanding of the Criminal Justice System in the UK or comparable jurisdictions;
- Interest, knowledge and experience of the issues faced by those in custody or under supervision and those who manage them on a day to day basis; and
- An ability to provide a strong insight into the health and educational needs of offenders, including those with additional needs and disabilities.
Additional Information
Eligibility
There must be no employment restrictions, or limit on your permitted stay in the UK.
We welcome applications from all those who are eligible.
However, as the PPO was established to carry out an independent function at arm’s length from the Government, we are mindful that appointing someone who is employed by a government department might compromise that independence – or perception of independence – as well as diminishing the confidence of stakeholders and the general public.
If you are in receipt of a salary from a government department and wish to apply, you should expect that – if selected for interview – the Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP) will explore whether any perceived or real conflicts of interest might exist if you were to be appointed and, if so, how this might be managed or mitigated. The latter might include an undertaking to resign from government employment, if appointed, and – if considered appropriate – for there to be an interval between resignation and taking up appointment to the PPO