DEPARTMENT: Operations and Service Support

Part 1: JOB PROFILE

DEPARTMENT: Operations and Service Support

JOB TITLE: Prison Support Officer

LAST UPDATED: January 2014

1.  MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

·  To support the delivery of a high quality and consistent approach to running Listener schemes in prisons.

·  To develop, coordinate and contribute to specific projects relating to the development and improvement of the Listener scheme.

2.  POSITION IN ORGANISATION

·  Reports into: Prison Support Manager

·  Line Manages: This role doesn’t have line management responsibility

·  Liaises with: All levels internally with staff and volunteers, especially the 13 Regional Prison Support Officers (RPSOs). Externally with representatives of NOMS, other Prison Services and statutory and voluntary agencies.

·  Works within a team of: Operations and Service Support

3.  SCOPE OF JOB

·  Project delivery and development of communications

·  Scheme support and service delivery

·  Partnership work

·  Support for Volunteer Leadership

·  Manage processes and office systems

·  General duties of a Samaritans staff member

4.  DIMENSIONS AND LIMITS OF AUTHORITY

·  Reports to the Prison Support Manager on the development and delivery of work within the Listener Scheme Workplan.

·  Authorises expenditure from Prison Support budget up to £1000 (per sanction).

·  Provides first line advice and support to volunteers, staff and external agencies on all matters relating to Samaritans work in prisons.

5.  QUALIFICATIONS

·  Educated to degree level or equivalent is preferable.

6.  SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Essential

·  Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

·  Excellent organisational and time management skills; ability to prioritise tasks and competing timeframes.

·  Experience of planning and leading on specific projects.

·  Experience of working with volunteers.

·  Experience of facilitating meetings and preparing papers to a high standard.

·  Good presentation skills and ability to deliver presentations to a range of audiences.

·  Good level of IT competency, including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable

·  Knowledge and understanding of suicide prevention, particularly in the prison context.

·  An understanding of Samaritans organisation and the Listener scheme.

7.  PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

·  Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and develop positive relationships, including with external partners and stakeholders.

·  Able to remain calm and objective under pressure.

·  Able to listen, empathise and offer practical support to volunteers dealing with difficult situations in prison support.

·  Adaptable and able to view change positively.

·  Able to work independently, use initiative and make decisions.

·  Empathises with Samaritans’ values and able to assertively defend them when challenged by external parties.

·  Has a customer-focused attitude and a desire to continuously improve the quality and relevance of their work.

·  Is willing and able to work some evenings and weekends, including travel within the UK and Ireland.

Part 2: DUTIES & KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project delivery and development of communications

·  Plan and deliver work to meet project objectives.

·  Set up, brief and coordinate working groups .

·  Provide expert input to project teams on prison related matters.

·  Support the Prison Support Manager and Functional Lead with the development of new guidance and procedures.

·  Gather information and write communications relating to Samaritans work in prisons, for both internal and external audiences.

·  Support the Communications team with the development of all new prison publicity material and prison related communications.

·  Prepare project documentation, updates and reports.

Scheme support and service delivery

·  Provide advice and support to the Regional Prison Support Officers and branch prison support teams, in particular with resolving any local operational issues and by attending Regional meetings.

·  Proactively intervene with situations which may indicate non-adherence to best practice, suggesting appropriate action and remedy.

·  Maintain the Guide to the Listener Scheme and edit and quality control all amendments and updates.

·  Maintain, update and promote the prison’s section of Samaritans intranet and website.

·  Keep abreast of relevant and pertinent issues in the broad arena of Safer Custody by reading publications, visiting specific websites and attending events.

·  Monitor volunteer (RPSO) expenses.

·  Support the Finance team with providing advice to branches about their NOMS grant.

Partnership work

·  Provide input to funding applications and progress reports for funders.

·  Liaise with staff from all the prison services and other external agencies regarding the operation of the Listener scheme.

·  Liaise with Coroners and Police Officers on Listener and volunteer involvement in inquests and investigations.

·  Support the Prison Support Manager with the planning and delivery of an annual (or biennial) Listener scheme conference jointly with NOMS.

·  Provide information and advice to external agencies, statutory bodies, and General Office staff about Samaritans work in prisons.

·  Represent Samaritans at relevant forums.

·  Develop and deliver presentations to internal and external audiences.

Support for Volunteer Leadership

·  Support the organisation and delivery of organisation wide Regional Prison Support Officer meetings.

·  Support Regional Prison Support Officers with their induction into the role.

·  With the Functional Lead, monitor the intranet regional prison report pages, prison support forums and the Branch Prison Support Annual Reviews, responding and intervening where appropriate.

Manage processes and office systems

·  Organise and manage electronic and paper filing systems for prison support work.

·  Ensure all relevant documentation is kept up to date, cross-referenced and distributed when necessary.

·  Ensure appropriate processes are in place for dealing with and recording specific situations such as inquests and police enquiries.

General Duties of a Samaritans’ Staff Member

·  Contribute to the effective and efficient running of the General Office as appropriate.

·  Participate, as appropriate, in staff forums and meetings.

·  Adhere to Samaritans’ policies and procedures.

·  Represent the General Office appropriately across the organisation and Samaritans to the wider community as appropriate.

·  Treat all colleagues, volunteers and members of the public with dignity and work within and adhere to Samaritans’ equal opportunities statement and polices.

·  Carry out reasonable requests made that are within the broad remit of the role.

Signed by employee:______Date: ______

This job description is a statement of requirements at the time of writing and is not contractual. It should not be seen as precluding future changes after appointment to this role.