Appointment details

Parole Board Psychologist recruitment campaign PAT170009

Summary

Organisation
Parole Board, with the exception of judicial members
Sponsor department
Ministry of Justice
Location
Various
Sectors
Judicial, Prisons & Policing
Skills
Judicial, Regulation
Number of vacancies
34
Time commitment
45 day(s) per annum
Remuneration
£345 to £375 per day
Length of term
5 years
Application deadline
11am on 10 December 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

  1. Opening date

    4 November 2024

  2. Application deadline

    11am on 10 December 2024

  3. Sifting date

    31 January 2025

  4. Interviews expected to end on

    31 March 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Chair

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Psychologist Member of the Parole Board. 

The Parole Board is an independent body whose aim is to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released back into the community. We play a vital role in the justice system, assessing a prisoner’s overall risk. Our work is of critical importance to victims and the safety of the public, as well as to prisoners and their families. It also has a wider role in maintaining public confidence in the justice system.  

Parole Board members come from a range of diverse backgrounds from all walks of life and can include psychologists, psychiatrists, judges, police. Every member plays a vital role in assessing parole reviews and significantly contribute to the efficiency, effectiveness and impartiality of every decision made.

All members are provided with special training and support throughout their time at the Board to assess parole reviews.

The work and training that new members undertake will be predominantly online, however there is expectation of some face-to-face hearings and in-person training sessions. Due to the amount of work that will take place online, we need to ensure that all new members are fully IT proficient. There is also a pressing need for all new members to be well equipped with the skills to Chair hearings within their first year. As such, part of the recruitment process will be testing these skills in the application form, written exercises and interview. Detailed eligibility requirements are explained in this candidate pack.

In this recruitment round, as well as increasing the proportion of members with expertise in psychology, we are also very keen to increase the diversity of our membership from ethnic minority backgrounds which currently sits at 17.6%

If you share our values of fairness, independence and transparency, and possess the competencies, skills and judgment to contribute to our important work, we welcome your application.  

This is a very exciting time to be joining the Parole Board. We have modernised our way of working, we are updating our rules and we are becoming more transparent.  If you believe that you have the experience and qualities that we are seeking, we hope you will consider applying for this important position. 

Caroline Corby, Chair of the Parole Board                                                                                                      Cecilia French CEO of the Parole Board          

Appointment description

The key task of all members of the Parole Board is to make rigorous, fair and timely risk assessments about individual cases which have the primary aim of protecting the public and which contribute to the rehabilitation of offenders where appropriate.

As a Psychologist Member of the Parole Board for England & Wales you will:

·       Analyse and critically evaluate information to identify continuing risks in parole cases referred by the Secretary of State, where information may come from a variety of sources including electronic dossiers and evidence given at oral hearings.

·       Apply psychological knowledge, skills of assessment and management of risk/dangerousness in offender populations and professional judgement to parole cases to decide whether a prisoner can safely be released into the community; to set licence conditions where release is appropriate; and, in relevant cases, to decide whether to recommend a prisoner is transferred to open conditions.

·       Be proactive to identify and resolve issues in all allocated cases at the earliest opportunity, applying the current relevant law, procedure and guidance. Seek advice from subject experts within the Board, including specialist members, and legal and practice advisors. Be proactive to manage case administration that arises both as a Chair and co-panellist. This will require regular email monitoring during the working week.

·       Assess parole cases on referral to conclude on the papers or set directions for effective case management of those to be considered at an oral hearing. 

·       Take an active part in oral hearings ensuring all areas of risk are identified and addressed by the panel, witnesses are questioned appropriately to inform the panel’s assessment of risk, and there is a full panel discussion of a case to properly weigh the evidence. 

·       Advise panels by clarifying specific psychological issues in a case that are relevant to risk.

·       Advise panels about psychological reports including qualifications and experience of author, specific assessment tools used, overall quality of assessment and conclusions drawn.

·       Advise panels when two or more differing psychology opinions exist.

·       Work collaboratively with other panel members to make judgements about the available evidence and to provide structured written reasons for the panel’s decision or recommendation in every case.

·       Use Parole Board IT effectively to access electronic dossiers, draft reasons for panel outcomes, communicate with the panel and colleagues and to undertake learning and development activity. 

·       Complete all mandatory continuing professional development in line with Parole Board policy. Take responsibility for personal development by accessing materials and opportunities provided by the Board to remain up to date with current law, procedure, guidance and developments. Reflect individually and collectively on experiences and practice.

·       Achieve accreditation and maintain an active mixed portfolio of casework including paper panels (MCA), oral hearings, duty cases and chairing. You will train as a Chair in year 7 and Oral hearing chair accreditation is required within the second term of your appointment (year 10 of appointment).

·       Work will be allocated based first on the business needs of the Parole Board and then on the availability provided by members and their accreditations.

·       Be an effective ambassador whenever representing the Parole Board. Contribute positively to the effective running of the organisation through non-casework activity including mentoring, quality assurance, governance, training and participation in consultation, working groups and development roles. 

·       Travel in line with Parole Board policy to attend oral hearings in prisons throughout England and Wales. Also travel to the London office and other venues to attend Parole Board events, including training. Occasional overnight stays may be required, and expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the prevailing policy. 

Organisation description

The Parole Board is an independent body that works with other criminal justice agencies to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can safely be released into the community. Their work is of critical importance to public safety, as well as prisoners and their families but the Parole Board also has a wider role in maintaining public confidence in the justice system Full details about the Parole Board and its work is at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/work-with-us#what-is-being-a-member-like

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ HOW TO COMPLETE THE SUPPORTING STATEMENT SECTION BELOW

Candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Ability to conduct effective evidence-based decision making, bringing independence of mind and making sound judgements through:
    • weighing facts and evidence;
    • analysing and critically evaluating large volumes of complex information; and
    • identifying key issues, within tight deadlines and working on own initiative. 
  • Report writing skills including:
    • the ability to condense multiple documents with complex and potentially conflicting information into an accessible and legally justified document;
    • ability to work collaboratively to assist colleagues in the drafting and review of these reports;
    • ability to draft well-formed written accounts which accurately document, analyse and summarise evidence in support of a decision or recommendation; and
    • able to work collaboratively to produce written reasons that accurately reflect how the panel came to its decision or recommendation.
  • Case management skills, effective time management, organisational and administrative skills. Ability to identify and resolve issues at an early stage taking proactive steps to ensure cases are concluded at the earliest opportunity.
  • Evidenced IT skills, ability to use templates and spreadsheets, review and comment on documents online and to conduct meetings online with multiple people. Ability to adapt to new technology and a willingness to learn.
  • Strong commitment to professional and personal development.
  • Effective communication and interpersonal skills including;
    • Ability to gain respect and maintain rapport through effective communication and influencing skills;
    • Confidence to challenge opinions, work collegiately and resolve differences to reach sound decisions;
    • Ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with a wide range of individuals, varying the approach as necessary, treating others with respect, listening actively and evaluating replies to probe issues; and
    • Ability to communicate expert knowledge in a manner a lay person can readily understand.
  • High standards of corporate and personal integrity and conduct, including a strong desire to serve the public, evidence of commitment to equality and diversity, resilience and reflection in decision making, and personal accountability.

Completing your Supporting Statement

Within this online application (under the How to Apply section), you will be asked for a Supporting Statement. To complete the Supporting Statement, candidates should:

  1. Provide, in no more than 250 words, clear examples which evidence how they meet the eligibility criteria; and
  2. Answer the three behaviour questions below (limit of 250 words per behaviour).

1.         1.    Eligibility

Candidates must first meet the eligibility criteria, including the professional qualifications and registration to meet the technical skill requirement.

Please provide clear examples which evidence how you meet the eligibility criteria below in no more than 250 words:

  • Registered as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC);
  • With forensic experience through the Criminal Justice System or through the Forensic Mental Health Services or other relevant services;
  • With knowledge and understanding of forensic risk assessment;
  • With training in at least one Structured Professional Judgement Tool; and
  • Have no outstanding fitness to practice matters
2.       Behaviours

To demonstrate the potential to adopt the required behaviours in the role of a Parole Board Psychologist Member please answer the following three questions below, each within a limit of 250 words.

In your response to these questions, you should refer to the essential criteria and job description and:

Limit your answers to 250 words for each of the three questions; Ensure your own role in the example is clear and that your answers are specific and tailored to cover the essential competency criteria that we are testing.

Behaviour One – Making effective decisions

Parole Board members must analyse and critically evaluate information to identify continuing risk in a parole case. Information may come from a variety of sources including written dossiers, verbal evidence and electronic updates to decide whether it is necessary for the protection of the public that a person remains confined in prison. All decisions are made by panel of 1, 2 or 3 Parole Board members.

ANSWER THIS QUESTION:

Please give us an example of when you had to use risk assessment tools to make a decision/recommendation which had a positive impact on public safety.

In no more than 250 words, please outline: the situation and your role; what you wanted to achieve; how you went about making your decision; what evidence you considered when making your decision and what the outcome was.

Behaviour Two – Delivering at Pace

Parole Board members are required to use a range of IT effectively to access documentation, share and comment on written decisions and communicate with other panellists and staff. Hearings are conducted in person, by telephone and by video. Other cases are completed remotely on the papers without the parties being present. Parole Board members need to plan their time carefully to ensure they are fully prepared and meet deadlines whilst being flexible to accommodate changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond their control.

ANSWER THIS QUESTION:

Please give us an example of when you had to deal with an unexpected challenge whilst delivering a piece of work to a tight deadline which had consequences for you and other people or organisations.

In no more than 250 words, please outline: the context; what the challenge was and how you dealt with it; your role and what you did to increase the chances of success against the tight deadline; the outcome; and what you learned in the process.

Behaviour Three - Communicating and Influencing

Parole Board members are required to take an active part in oral hearings as a panel member or panel chair. They work collaboratively with other panel members in order to make judgements that have a fundamental impact on the lives of others. An oral hearing panel can have 1, 2 or 3 members. They each need to be receptive to others’ views, prepared to be challenged on their own views, communicate effectively and work well as a team.

ANSWER THIS QUESTION:

Please give us an example of when you had to work with a colleague with opposing views to reach a decision.

In no more than 250 words, please outline: the context, how you adapted your communication style to reach the decision, how you adapted to better understand the opposing arguments, how you approached the situation, what the outcome was.

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

  • a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • a supporting statement (containing evidence of how you meet the eligibility and answers to the 3 behaviour questions)
  • equality information
  • information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
  • Referees - please provide names and contact details of two people who may be asked to act as referees for you.  You should send this to Public AppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk (being clear to quote your name and PAT170009 in any correspondence). At least one referee must have knowledge of your work relating to your most recent professional and/ or voluntary activity. They will be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of your achievements in a professional or public service capacity. 

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

Assessment Framework

Candidates will be assessed using success profiles which will assess your behaviours, strengths and experience against the essential criteria for the role. More information on the framework and how it is used elsewhere in government is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles 

This post is a public appointment, not a civil service post. Success profiles is a flexible framework and the Civil Service example has been adapted to reflect behaviours that are both specific to the Parole Board and generic to a public appointment.  Success profiles assess candidates against a range of elements using a variety of selection methods. This blended approach, based on behaviours and strengths, will allow candidates to discuss both their experience and their motivation and engagement. 

Candidates must first meet the eligibility criteria, including the professional qualifications and registration to meet the technical skill requirement.

Assessment thereafter will be in two parts; the sift stage and the interactive stage.  A total of four behaviours and seven strengths will be assessed by the time of final selection.  All behaviours and strengths relate to the essential criteria for the role. 

Supporting statement

Within the online application, you will be asked for a Supporting Statement. 

To complete the Supporting Statement, candidates should:

  1. Provide, in no more than 250 words, clear examples which evidence how they meet the eligibility criteria; and
  2. Answer the three behaviour questions below (limit of 250 words per behaviour).

1.       Eligibility

As mentioned above, you must first meet the eligibility criteria, including the professional qualifications and registration to meet the technical skill requirement.

As part of your supporting statement, and in no more than 250 words, you should provide clear examples which evidence how you meet the eligibility criteria below: 

·       Registered as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC);

·       With forensic experience through the Criminal Justice Service or through Forensic Mental Health Services or other relevant services;

·       With knowledge and understanding of forensic risk assessment;

·       With training in at least one Structured Professional Judgement Tool; and

·       Have no outstanding fitness to practice matters

1.       Behaviours

To demonstrate the potential to adopt the required behaviours in the role of a Parole Board Psychologist Member, in the supporting statement, please answer the following three questions, each within a limit of 250 words.  

In your response to these questions, you should refer to the essential criteria and job description and: 

·       Limit your answers to 250 words for each of the three questions; 

·       Be aware that you may draw on your personal life experiences as well as any voluntary or paid work experience; 

·       Select your strongest examples, these do not need to involve the criminal justice system, we are looking for evidence of transferable knowledge, skills and qualities in the examples that you give; 

·       Ensure your own role in the example is clear and that your answers are specific and tailored to cover the essential competency criteria that we are testing.

Behaviour One – Making effective decisions

Parole Board members must analyse and critically evaluate information to identify continuing risk in a parole case.  Information may come from a variety of sources including written dossiers, verbal evidence and electronic updates to decide whether it is necessary for the protection of the public that a person remains confined in prison. All decisions are made by panel of 1, 2 or 3 Parole Board members.

ANSWER THIS QUESTION: 

Please give us an example of when you had to use risk assessment tools to make a decision/recommendation which had a positive impact on public safety.

In no more than 250 words, please outline: the situation and your role; what you wanted to achieve; how you went about making your decision; what evidence you considered when making your decision and what the outcome was.  

Behaviour Two – Delivering at Pace

Parole Board members are required to use a range of IT effectively to access documentation, share and comment on written decisions and communicate with other panellists and staff. Hearings are conducted in person, by telephone and by video.  Other cases are completed remotely on the papers without the parties being present. Parole Board members need to plan their time carefully to ensure they are fully prepared and meet deadlines whilst being flexible to accommodate changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond their control. 

ANSWER THIS QUESTION: 

Please give us an example of when you had to deal with an unexpected challenge whilst delivering a piece of work to a tight deadline which had consequences for you and other people or organisations.

In no more than 250 words, please outline: the context; what the challenge was and how you dealt with it; your role and what you did to increase the chances of success against the tight deadline; the outcome; and what you learned in the process.  

Behaviour Three - Communicating and Influencing

Parole Board members are required to take an active part in oral hearings as a panel member or panel chair.  They work collaboratively with other panel members in order to make judgements that have a fundamental impact on the lives of others. An oral hearing panel can have 1, 2 or 3 members.  They each need to be receptive to others’ views, prepared to be challenged on their own views, communicate effectively and work well as a team.

ANSWER THIS QUESTION:   

Please give us an example of when you had to work with a colleague with opposing views to reach a decision.

In no more than 250 words, please outline:  the context, how you adapted your communication style to reach the decision, how you adapted to better understand the opposing arguments, how you approached the situation, what the outcome was.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

  1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

  2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

  3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

  4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

  5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

  6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

  7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

  8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, following sift and interviews who meets the published selection criteria for the role; in other words, who is appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to consider determine merit and make the final appointments. 

The Parole Board Chair, Caroline Corby, and HH Peter Rook QC, the PB Vice-Chair, and a Senior MoJ Official will provide oversight of this campaign and will report to Ministers.  

There are 3 interview panels for this campaign: 
Panel 1 
Jo Bailey, Lead Psychologist, HMPPS - Panel Chair
Joanne Lackenby - Parole Board Representative
William Kennedy - Independent Panel Member
Panel 2
Angela Cossins, Regional Probation Director, South West, HMPPS - Panel Chair
Claire Thompson/Tally Basra - Parole Board Representative
Jacqui Francis - Independent Panel Member
Panel 3
Paul Norris, Deputy Director, Scrutiny Performance and Engagement, MoJ - Panel Chair
Fiona Ainsworth - Parole Board Representative
Camilla Poulton - Independent Panel Member
Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.
AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

  • you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

  • have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

  • your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

  • you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

  • you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)
If you need further advice, please contact  publicappointments@justice.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.
When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.
Some examples of common changes are:
  • ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
  • making adaptations to interview locations;
  • allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
  • giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
  • allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
  • making provision for support animals to attend.
When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.
1. Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 
  • any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
  • any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
  • and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 
which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.
You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 
Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 
You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

At present casework fees range between £345 and £375 per day, depending on the type of work undertaken. Member fees are currently under review and a revised fee package is expected after April 2025.

All remuneration is taxable and subject to Class 1 National Insurance contributions. If you currently receive a salary from the public purse your remuneration for the Parole Board role may be subject to abatement. (any queries you may have about how this may affect you, will need to be taken up by you with your pension provider). You will be entitled to statutory sick and parental leave and the role is not pensionable.

At present you should be prepared to provide a minimum of 45 days. Please note that 10 days out of the 45 days per year minimum requirement will be set aside for training. You will be supported with continuing professional development. All work is allocated on a business need and then on availability and accreditation. The time commitment includes preparation time for panels, which can be undertaken at home and in the evenings, to fit in with your other responsibilities. You may also be required to attend prisons for oral hearings during office hours. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.
Please contact Maggie Garrett at the public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointmentsteam@justice.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

In accordance with the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019(4)(5), we will process your application in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Ministry of Justice’s Information Charter, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/personal-information-charter.

Your data will be held securely and access will be restricted to those dealing with your application or involved in the recruitment process. Your data may also be shared with the Commissioner for Public Appointments and other relevant government departments, including the Cabinet Office, as part of a complaint investigation or review of the recruitment process. Cabinet Office will handle data in accordance with their Privacy Notice https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/privacy-notice.   Your data may also be disclosed as required by law or in connection with legal proceedings.

Your data will be stored for up to two years and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process, diversity monitoring and, if successful, your personal record. If appointed, your data will be stored for the duration of your tenure and may be shared with the organisation to which you are appointed, unless you specifically request us not to.

Should you wish your data to be removed from our records, please contact publicappointmentsteam@Justice.gov.uk.

Contact details

For queries on the assessment process please contact Colin Barker at: publicappointmentsteam@justice.gov.uk 
For queries on the role please contact: memberengagement@paroleboard.gov.uk