Ministry of Justice UK
22803 - Specialist Production Instructor - Printing Services - HMP Maidstone

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DESCRIPTIONS & REQUIREMENTS
Job description
Overview of the job
The job holder will be responsible for providing supervision, knowledge and skills to prisoners in a specialist workshop so they can improve their employment prospects on release with a view to reducing reoffending.
The role will be required to teach prisoners towards achieving nationally recognised qualifications which may be supported by external organisations such as local colleges.
This job description is not for use by job holders in basic assembly/packing workshops, instead the Mentor: Instructor role should be used. However, on an exceptional short term basis job holders can supervise prisoners in more basic workshops.
This is a non-operational job in an establishment with workshop and prisoner management/supervision responsibilities. This is a non-rotational role.
Summary
This is a combination of printing roles carried out by instructors including:
- Lithographic Machine Minder
- Finishing and Binding
- Pre-press and Digital Print
The job holder will be committed to prison printing workshops being places of structure and discipline, providing prisoners with a work experience that better mirrors the employment experience outside of prison, reflecting the external labour market where employers and employees have obligations. With the possibility of gaining or working towards nationally recognised qualifications.
Be committed to interaction with prisoners to make a difference and contribute to reducing re-offending, rehabilitation and increasing desistance opportunities for prisoners.
The job holder will ensure that all services are provided to a high standard and that security and control is maintained at all times.
Responsibilities, Activities and Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Be committed to a whole prison approach towards a safe, secure and respectful working environment where Every Contact Matters. Interacting with prisoners in a way which can make a difference and contribute to reducing reoffending, rehabilitation and decreasing desistance opportunities for prisoners.
- May participate in the selection process of prisoners for the workshop/area of work. Taking a more pronounced lead in recruiting and dismissing prisoners from the workshops based on performance, attendance and conduct.
- Contribute to workshop employment decisions and prisoner development needs. Providing the prisoner with an objective supervisory view on their progress and get them used to similar types of appraisal upon release.
- Induct prisoners to the workshop/area of work and train them in aspects such as health and safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage. Delivering understanding and consequences of an employment compact, Industry related regulations para 49 Responsible for the prisoner compact, to ensure each prisoner understands and signs the compact and updates compact as necessary.
- Deliver training to prisoners to enable them to gain nationally recognised qualifications within the workshop with the assistance of assessors and local colleges, NVQs or equivalent. Provide quality assurance against product specification.
- Assess and evaluate skills of prisoners up to national qualifications standards and complete all relevant documentation pertaining to the gaining of qualifications, including signing and completing witness testimonies and specialist testimonies. Setting work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements where required.
- Will especially work closely with resettlement teams and stakeholders to provide each prisoner with sufficient support to have employment opportunities upon release from custody. Contributing to maximising the opportunities for prisoners to attend work, programmes and purposeful activity. At times working with new employment providers.
- Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners within workshop/area of work, responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners.
- Maintain regular communications via radio net in accordance with Local Security Strategy (LSS).
- Contribute to prisoner reports including parole and sentence planning. Opening and completing Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports. Complete OFFICIAL regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records. Logging attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages including recording piece work where appropriate.
- Contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments relating to the workshop/work of area and specialist areas, carrying out fabric and tool checks of workshops and maintain security of areas, logging any tool/equipment faults. Undertake planned maintenance programme on machinery with responsibility for planning and requesting material and consumables to meet work targets.
- Participate in self-audit and in achieving Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs). Completing administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop as well as conducting a metal detector scan or rub down search of prisoners attending and leaving their own workshops.
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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
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Developing Self and Others
Essential Experience
- Must have relevant work experience in a production environment
- Preferable for candidate to have some supervisory experience
- Should have experience of using industrial standard machinery and equipment
Technical Requirements
- Currently hold or be prepared to work towards Level 3 or equivalent in print related production
- The ability to read, understand and work from technical specifications
Ability
- IT Skills
- Basic Maths
- Basic English
Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances
37 hour working week (standard).
Additional Information
Working Arrangements & Further Information
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). 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.


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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.
Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS 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 HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.
If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.
The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.
Benefits
Annual Leave
- The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.
Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays
- You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.
Pension
- The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Work Life Balance
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ.
Season Ticket Advance
- After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.
Childcare Vouchers
For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.
Training
HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes.
- There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts.
- All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles.
Eligibility
- All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
- All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
- All staff are required to declare whether they are a member
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