Deliver Excellent Outcomes and Value for Money for Our Commissioners

JOB DESCRIPTION
POST: / Head of Community Services
(Penrose Criminal Justice Services)
RESPONSIBLE TO: / Deputy Director of Criminal Justice Services
LOCATION: / Offices in Wembley, Islington and Elephant and Castle. Regular travel around London and occasional travel outside London required.
MAIN PURPOSE OF POST: / To be responsible for all managerial aspects of your business areas. To ensure that each of your services deliver excellent outcomes for service users and commissioners and provide a culture of learning and development for staff. To ensure that each service is delivered to budget and to support the growth and sustainability of CJS by identifying and securing new business.
SALARY: / £40,000 pa
HOURS: / Full-time (37.5 hours per week). Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.
SERVICE AND ROLE OVERVIEW:
We are looking for a talented, passionate and ambitious Head of Community Services to join our Criminal Justice division and provide leadership across our community work by ensuring that we:

Continue to support our clients towards meaningful change, healthy lives and desistance from crime
Deliver excellent outcomes and value for money for our commissioners
Create a working environment in which all staff can fulfil their potential
Continue to grow by identifying and securing new business

Penrose Criminal Justice Services (Penrose CJS) deliver a wide array of services across London. In custody, we deliver immediate needs and resettlement support for men in four London prisons. The Head of Community Services role will oversee all of our criminal justice projects outside of prison, which include:

Our Post Sentence Supervision service, supporting over 2,000 adult men per year as part of our contract with London Community Rehabilitation Company (LCRC)
Redbridge services - an 8-bedroom property for male service users alongside a floating support service working with the Borough’s Integrated Offender Management (IOM) clients
Aspire (Sutton) – an 8-bedroom property for male service users and a further 10 independent living properties for men and women dispersed across the Borough
Our employment support service, including organising quarterly Job Fairs and continuing to develop our network of ‘offender-friendly’ employers

The role will lead a team of 36 staff, including frontline Responsible Officers and Resettlement Workers, Team Coordinators, Service Managers and Data Officers. The role currently has two direct reports (Service Managers) and will report to the Deputy Director of Penrose CJS.
You will be responsible for leading each of your services, ensuring they meet or exceed performance targets and achieve positive outcomes for their residents and clients. You will be responsible for reporting our performance to our commissioners in a clear and timely fashion and taking swift action to address any areas of underperformance. You will also be required to contribute to reports to Penrose’s Board of Trustees.
You will support your Service Managers to make sure each service is adequately staffed, and maintain a culture of learning and development through supervisions, appraisals and continuing professional development processes. The role will also be responsible for delivering each service within its budget so an understanding of financial management and budgeting processes will be necessary.
Knowledge of the Criminal Justice System, excellent communication skills and being able to develop strong working relationships with your teams, commissioners and other key stakeholders will be vital to the role. You will have some experience of business development and will support Penrose CJS to identify and secure new sources of income.
You will have a passion for working with people with experience of the criminal justice system and/or with other marginalised groups, and a belief that everyone can turn their life around regardless of past or present circumstances. You will have some previous management experience, an ability to motivate and inspire, and a keen eye for detail.
If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact Adam Moll, Deputy Director of Penrose CJS, for an informal discussion on 07805 739123 or at
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Operational Management, Service Delivery & Quality:
To be responsible for the management, improvement and growth of Penrose service delivery and quality by:-

Ensuring Penrose services meet and remain relevant to local and/or national Government strategies and needs
Ensuring that that all partner policies and procedures are adhered to, including those of HMPPS, London CRC and relevant local authorities
Ensuring the Penrose brand and its services are known positively by local decision makers, partners, potential partners, local network and local communities.
Building partnership work that advances Penrose and the services we offer
Ensuring Penrose services are in line with the organisation’s strategic plan and business plan
Ensuring growth is undertaken in a needs-led and planned way
Maintaining required quality standards of service delivery
Contributing to and implementing action plans to address under-performance whether through quality or financial reasons
Delivering continuous improvement in service quality and performance.
Participating in maintaining and utilising management information and data collection systems as appropriate
Identifying possible development of policies, frameworks and systems to improve performance
Maintaining in depth and thorough knowledge and understanding of best practice to contribute to development of new ideas and solutions
Supporting the implementation of new innovations,drive change through own business area
Ensuring the business is retained within Penrose

People Management:
To lead, manage, and motivate teams by:

Directly manage the Service Managers within own business area
Leading, managing, and motivatingusing a participative style. Ensuring a culture is developed and sustained within the team that is conducive to continuous improvement and learning
Ensuring that all communication channels are open and that information flows up, down and across the business with appropriate access upwards
Leading by example in participating in the performance management system and ensure it is embedded within the team and staff have the time to actively participate
Coaching direct reports in appropriate management and motivation techniques to ensure the required culture in embedded across all strands of the team
Ensuring robust resource management processes, ensuring all staff structures are adequate to deliver quality standards, and participating in the recruitment process as required
Ensuring the appropriate application of HR policies and procedures and effectively manage the disciplinary, grievance and complaints processes, supporting other services where necessary
Effectively managing sickness and other absence ensuring any underlying root causes are addressed
Undertaking effective change management ensuring that robust consultation processes are utilised, that the required changes are achieved in a timely manner and that the results are monitored and evaluated
Ensuring all staff participate in learning & development activities appropriate to their role and the needs of the organisation
Taking responsibility for own self development
Delivering training as appropriate in own area of specialism

Financial Management:
To be responsible for the budget and expenditure, maximising and meet financial targets by:-

Supporting the Project Service Managers to achieve financial targets and reporting results within area of responsibility
Contributing to the preparation and management of the budget for areas of responsibility
Ensuring financial reporting systems are maintained and used during monthly reviews, forecasting, looking for cost savings and efficiencies, adhering to procurement policies e.g. preferred supplier agreements for agency workers, stationery, travel and accommodation, etc.

Health, Safety & Risk Management:
To ensure Health and Safety standards are maintained and risk is mitigated to the lowest level possible by:-

Ensuring that task-based risk assessments and reviews are undertaken, and that identified risks are managed and mitigated where possible
Ensuring full compliance with all Health and Safety requirements
Ensuring implementation and regular review of the business continuity plan where appropriate
Ensuring staff take personal responsibility for their own and others’ safety e.g. vaccinations, eye sight tests, work place assessments
Ensuring staff comply with partner H&S policies and procedures where appropriate
Managing the formal reporting process for serious untoward incidents and accidents

Project Management:
To ensure Penrose projects within own business area provide customer and stakeholder satisfaction, manage risk and to meet contracted outcomes and regularity requirement by:

Monitoring all output and outcome project data against project key performance targets, general staff performance management ensuring all targets are met
Overseeing the management of service level agreements ensuring the terms are complied with

Managing project information ensuring it is shared with Penrose Executive Team

Co-ordinating Project staff forums and conferences
Constructing Project businessplans
Ensuring smooth running of Project’s through appropriate delegation and utilisation of resources
Supporting the identification of Project training needs.
Ensuring identified training needs are shared with the work force development manager
Ensure full service user involvement in the implementation of services, monitoring, reviews, training and staff recruitment etc.
Ensure service and commissioner requests and demands on the service are met effectively.

Project Quality:
To put frameworks in place that effectively monitor quality and highlight concerns by:-

Implementing Project quality control systems
Monitoring qualitative returns from Project e.g. Key Performance Indicators, Serious Untoward Incidents, Complaint and Compliments
Ensuring compliance with external quality standards
Ensuring compliance with National frameworks by monitoring and identifying trends in performance and report content
Ensuring a consistent standard of information is produced with minimum duplication
Ensuring the project stays in alignment with, and relevant to local and national strategy
Ensuring stakeholder feedback is obtained and outcomes are used to continually improve the project and services delivered

Business Development:
To contribute to and support business development and growth by:-

Generating additional income by undertaking opportunities for targeted growth of Penrose CJS in the geographical areas the projects are based in
Contributing to organisational strategic and business development plans and undertaking analysis to identify gaps in provision and growth opportunities in your sector
To identify and work with the Development Team on responses to tenders and funding opportunities
Keep abreast of relevant policy developments and any impact or opportunities they may produce
Develop and maintain excellent relationships with key funders and commissioners
Participating in local and national forums as required

Project Compliance:
To ensure Project wide compliance with policies and procedures by:-

Monitoring each service’s compliance with internal Health & Safety, Finance, Operational and Human Resources policies and procedures
Managing the information cascade within your services of new Health & Safety, Finance, Operational and Human Resources policies and procedures.
Co-ordinating training for staff on Health & Safety, Finance, Operational Procedures and Human Resources
Ensuring non-compliance or breaches of procedure are appropriately reported and an improvement plan is established to ensure future compliance ensured
Ensuring terms of service contracts and service level agreements are met and all outcomes are achieved within budget.
Ensuring Inform case management system is used effectively by all service staff

Governance:
To ensure effective governance within your services by:-

Managing service governance procedures (including elements of practice governance) and monitoring compliance across your services
Reporting non-compliance with governance framework and working with your staff to develop action plans to improve compliance where necessary

Please note that this job description is subject to change (following consultation) depending on the needs of the organisation.

Person Specification

Head of Community Services

Person Specification

Qualifications/Knowledge and Experience

Technical / Professional Skills, Expertise and Qualifications

Strong Leadership and people management skills – ability to inspire and motivate others building a cohesive team
In depth management experience – preferably within a criminal justice setting
Good numeracy skills and experience of setting and managing budgets
Good verbal and written communication skills
Computer literate
Knowledge of appropriate quality standards and regulatory requirements
Knowledge of criminal justice and other relevant legislation
Participative leadership and management style in normal circumstances
Educated to degree level or equivalent (desirable but not essential)

Additional Skills and Experience

Criminal Justice service experience
Experience of strategic and business planning
Experience in developing and maintaining performance monitoring systems
Experience of developing and maintaining management information systems
Extensive knowledge of effective ways of working with vulnerable adults who have chaotic life styles and challenge services
Excellent organisational abilities
Ability to deliver to challenging deadlines and achieve targets and outcomes
Exceptional leadership and people management skills, experienced in leading multi-disciplinary, multi-site teams
Experience of growing the business through organic growth and new business development
Professional acumen, with excellent senior level influencing and stakeholder management skills
Ability to work openly and collaboratively at all levels, internally and externally
Strong interpersonal, communications and motivational engagement skills
Excellent negotiation skills, based on strong commercial/financial acumen
Capable of translating strategic intent into successful delivery
Experience of change management

Competencies
Head of Community Services – Penrose CJS
Competency / Definition / Level
Oral communication / Communicates in a way that is unambiguous using appropriate terminology and non-verbal communication, providing accurate data that influences and informs the recipient. / Level C - Communicates effectively in all situations and environments and supports others to effectively express themselves
Written communication / Expresses ideas clearly in a well structured manner, using correct grammar and appropriate terminology. Uses a variety of media. / Level C - Actively supports others in their written communications. Corrects and amends texts of others.
Coaching and motivating / Directing and guiding others in the performance of their tasks. Establishing a spirit of working together to set and achieve goals. / Level C - When collaborating with others, stimulates and contributes actively to the provision of mutual feedback and support aimed at fostering individual development
Planning and organising / Use good planning skills to deliver results. Stipulating the time and resources needed to achieve the results / Level C - Demonstrates good project management skills to deliver on cost, quality and timescales. Encourages and coordinates others to effectively plan and organise effectively
Commercial / Demonstrating business and commercial awareness when making decisions. / Level B - Applies business acumen to own decision making including an awareness of new opportunities
Leadership / Directing and guiding employees in the performance of their jobs; employing management styles and methods which are tailored to the employee/team and situation in question. / Level B - Provides independent direction and guidance to others in the performance of their tasks
Results Orientation / Actively focused on achieving results and objectives. / Level B - Manages priorities to achieve agreed outcomes and takes timely action to ensure no delays
Sensitivity / Shows awareness of the diversity of those they work with and for and is aware of their own influence both. Recognises the impact of own behaviour on others. / Level C -Give others feedback on the effectiveness with which they respond to differences in needs and feelings and raises the issue sensitively when considering the skills of team members.