CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Judicial (retired Circuit Judge) Parole Board Members
You must be a Circuit Judge, who retired in the two years preceding the closing date for applications, or serving judges who will be retired by November this year.
Reference number: PAT150017-PAROLEBOARD-MEMBERS-iv
Closing date for these posts is: 13:00 on Friday 24 June 2016
Applications should be submitted via: https://jac.judiciary.gov.uk/vacancies/PAT150017-PAROLEBOARD-MEMBERS-iv/apply
Please note that the post of Parole Board Member is a public appointment and that the application process is being supported by the Judicial Appointments Commission on-line application service.
If after reading the material and looking at the website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/parole-board you have further questions about any aspect of this post, you can contact the Public Appointments Team either by e-mail or on 020 3334 4014.
Alternative format versions of this candidate information pack are available on request from the Public Appointments Team.
Twitter Follow us to keep up to date with public appointments vacancies
Contents Page
1. A message from the Chair 3
2. Diversity and equality of opportunity 4
- Arrangement for candidates with a disability
- Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
3. About the Parole Board 5
4. Role of a Judicial Parole Board Member 6
5. Eligibility and criteria 7
6. Terms of appointment 7
7. Indicative timetable and how to apply 10
8. Complaints Process 12
Appendices
Appendix 1 - HM Prison Establishments by Region 13
Appendix 2 - Terms of appointment 15
Appendix 3 - Parole Board Members’ Fees 19
Appendix 4 - The seven principles of public life 21
1. A Message from the Chair of the Parole Board
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Judicial Member of the Parole Board.
You may already have some idea about the important work ofthe Parole Board and the following pages will tell you more aboutthe Board’s purpose and the nature of therole.
The Parole Board is an independent body whose main aim is to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released into the community. Our work is of critical importance to individual prisoners and their families of course, but also has a wider role to play in contributing to the prison reform process while maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
We are now looking to appoint a number of members; people with a genuine interest in the work we do and who possess the competencies, skills and judgement to make an effective and critical contribution to the Board’s work. This is an exciting time for the Board. There is new leadership of both members and staff and we are looking forward to being joined by a significant number of new members. Members’ role will develop in response to reforms in the prison system, we are moving to a digital case handling process and we are introducing new ways of working with partners across the criminal justice system.
We have some eligibility or qualifying criteria for this role, which are set out later in this document, together with a description of the types of cases we deal with, to give you a feel for the nature of our work. Please read these carefully before you submit an application.
If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking and want to join us as we develop our role, I very much look forward to hearing from you.
Professor Nick Hardwick CBE
2. Diversity and equality of opportunity
Diversity of opportunity is something the Ministry of Justice and the Parole Board care passionately about.
Applications are encouraged from all candidates regardless of ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or gender identity. We particularly welcome applications from women, those with a disability and those from a black or ethnic minority background.
We would also particularly welcome applications from those currently working in, or with experience of, the private sector, and those who have not previously held public appointments. We want to explore the widest possible pool of talent for these important roles.
Arrangements for candidates with a disability
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
The Ministry of Justice operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for disabled people. The Equality Act 2010 defines a person as disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Under the GIS a disabled candidate will be selected for interview if they meet the minimum criteria for the role decided by the selection panel at shortlisting. To ensure fairness, the panel will not be informed of who has applied under the GIS until they have set the minimum criteria at the start of the sift meeting. If you wish to be considered under the scheme, please complete the on-line Guaranteed Interview Scheme Declaration.
Adjustments
If you have a disability and require adjustments to help you attend interview, should you be called, you may wish to contact:
· Phil Ramsden within the Public Appointments Team (by e-mail or on 020 3334 4014).
To discuss any adjustments you may require should you be appointed you may wish to contact:
· Stephanie McIntosh at the Parole Board (by e-mail or on 020 3334 4436).
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
The online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form is for monitoring purposes only. By collecting and analysing the data of those applying and obtaining an appointment, we can improve our diversity strategy. This form is not part of the selection process and will be treated in confidence. It will be kept separate from your application and not be seen by the selection panel.
3. About the Parole Board
The Parole Board aims to:
· Make risk assessments which are rigorous, fair and timely with the primary aim of protecting the public and which contribute to the rehabilitation of prisoners where appropriate.
· Demonstrate effective and accountable corporate governance by maintaining strong internal control, setting clear objectives and managing corporate risk as well as delivering best value by optimum use of resources.
· Promote the independence of and public confidence in the work of the Board, while effectively managing change.
The Parole Board for England and Wales was established in 1968 under the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It became an independent Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) on 1 July 1996 under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The Parole Board's role is to make risk assessments about prisoners to decide who may safely be released into the community.
A NDPB is an independent public body which has a role in the process of national Government. It is not a government department or part of one. It operates at arm's length from Government. Appointments to the boards of these public bodies are known as public appointments.
The Parole Board has responsibility for considering the following types of cases:
Indeterminate sentences
These include life sentence prisoners (mandatory life, discretionary life and automatic life sentence prisoners and Her Majesty's Pleasure detainees) and prisoners given indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP). The Parole Boardconsiders whether prisoners are safe to release into the community once they have completed their tariff (the minimum time they must spend in prison) and also whether they are safe to re-release following recallto prison for a breach of their life licence conditions (the rules which they must observe upon release).
Determinate sentence prisoners
These include discretionary conditional release (DCR) prisoners serving more than 4 years whose offence was committed before 4 April 2005; prisoners given extended sentences for public protection (EPP) for offences committed on or after 4 April 2005; prisoners given an extended determinate sentence (EDS) after 3 December 2012; and prisoners given a Sentence of Particular Concern (SOPC) on or after 13 April 2015, who have committed a qualifying offence. The Parole Board directs the release of those who have completed the minimum time they must spend in prison and whom the Parole Board has considered safe to release into the community. The Parole Board also decides whether determinate prisoners referred by the Secretary of State following recall to prison for a breach of their licence conditions (the rules which they must observe upon release) are safe to re-release into the community.
Location
You will sit on both paper and oral panels. Paper panels are single member and usually take place at home. Oral hearings can be 3, 2 or 1 member panels. The oral panels mainly take place in prisons, although some take place through a video link with the panel situated in the Parole Board’s offices at 52 Queen Anne’s Gate, London, or elsewhere, as needed. The hearings generally consider release or re-release after recall of life sentence and high-risk prisoners. Primarily you will undertake oral hearings with colleagues and may do paper panels individually but you will also have the opportunity to develop other roles within the Parole Board. You will be expected to travel as required to hear cases or attend related Parole Board events. This may entail an occasional overnight stay, for which expenses will be reimbursed at the prevailing rates.
The Parole Board manages the caseload on a regional basis across England and Wales. There are four regions:
· North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside
· East Midlands, West Midlands
· South, South East, East Anglia and London
· South West, South Central and Wales.
Although there are vacancies across all regions, we are particularly seeking members in the North (region 1) and Midlands (region 2). The prisons located within each region are listed at Appendix 1.
4. Role of a Judicial Parole Board Member
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 Judicial Member of the Parole Board for England & Wales you will:
· Analyse and critically evaluate information in order to identify continuing risk/dangerousness in an individual offender’s case, where information may come from a variety of sources including electronic and paper dossiers, electronic updates and evidence given at oral hearings.
· Apply knowledge and judgement to offenders’ cases in order to decide whether they can safely be released into the community and to set conditions where release is appropriate.
· Assess cases when they are first referred to the Parole Board and set directions, where necessary, to ensure effective management of those cases that are sent to oral hearings.
· Take an active part in oral hearings as a panel member, questioning witnesses as appropriate, weighing evidence to inform the panel’s assessment of risk.
· Work collaboratively with other panel members in order to make judgements about the available evidence and to provide a concise and structured summary of relevant factors in reaching a decision or recommendation.
· Use Parole Board IT effectively to access electronic dossiers, draft reasoned summaries and decisions, to communicate with other panellists and executive staff, and to keep up-to-date with current case information, relevant developments and best practice guidance.
· Be responsible for your own personal development by accessing training, guidance and information offered by the Parole Board and contributing positively wherever possible to the effective running of the organisation.
· Carry out all casework for which you have been trained and accredited, keeping up your practice in these areas, whether carrying out work on paper panels, case management, oral hearings or any other casework.
· Be an effective ambassador for the Parole Board when representing it at hearings or any other event.
· Travel as required to the headquarters in London or Prisons throughout the country, or for other Parole Board related events, with the occasional overnight stay.
5. Eligibility and criteria
Eligibility
You must be a Circuit Judge, who retired in the two years preceding the closing date for applications, or serving judges who will be retired by November this year.
Essential criteria
The essential criteria below will be tested throughout the recruitment process.
· Demonstrable experience of and ability to conduct effective evidence-based decision making, weighing facts and evidence, analysing and critically evaluating large volumes of complex information and identifying key issues, within tight deadlines and working on your own initiative.
· Demonstrable independence of mind and sound judgement, with the ability to make evidence based decisions that are accurately documented.
· Excellent interpersonal skills: the ability to gain respect and maintain rapport through effective communication and influencing skills – with the confidence to challenge opinions where necessary, work collegiately and resolve differences to reach sound decisions.
· Excellent communication skills, both written and oral: the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with a wide range of individuals, varying your approach as necessary and treating others with respect, to listen actively and evaluate replies in order to probe issues.
· Excellent written skills: the ability to draft well-formed written accounts which summarise evidence in support of a decision or recommendation.
· Demonstrable high standards of corporate and personal integrity and conduct, such as a strong commitment to equal opportunities, and the ethos of supporting the wider public or community good through your contributions.
· High levels of time management, organisational and administrative skills, together with strong personal motivation and commitment to professional self-development.
· Evidence of experience of any aspect of the criminal justice system and an understanding of the importance of the victim’s perspective.
6. Terms of appointment
Remuneration and allowances
· This is a fixed term appointment, initially for three years with the possibility of re-appointment at the discretion of Ministers. Terms of appointment are at Appendix 2.
· The work is fee paid. Remuneration is taxable and fee-paid members have no pension rights. Details of the fee structure is at Appendix 3.
· Retired judicial members will be required to provide at least 69 days annually and will be supported with ongoing training and development. You may give more time if there is work available. There is no guarantee of work, although at the present time we are particularly busy. 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 will also be required to attend prisons for oral hearings during office hours.