Criminal Justice Programmes Manager

The purpose of this role is to lead and manage a national, remote team to deliver Shared Reading sessions within a large number (currently 35) criminal justice and high security environments across England. The wide geographical spread of the justice settings and the delivery team involves substantial travel as part of this role. This contributes to the criminal justice recommissioning process, ensuring our work continues in this sector and benefits those that need it most. This role is responsible for the day to day operational management and delivery of an HMPPS contract which sees us deliver the enrichment programme for a nationwide body of Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs) as part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway.

Knowledge and Skills

• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the sensitivity of settings under this department, the specific needs of those residing within them, and the challenges of working within such settings.
• Work with The Reader’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy to ensure our offer, practices and people are representative of all communities
• Hold an overview of all UK CJ contracts and relationships, establishing excellent relationships in keeping with TR’s ethos, values and practice. Connect with a range of stakeholders, in line with strategic and operational plans, to meet agreed outputs and outcomes across operational geography as well as negotiate recommissions, leading with impact.
• Hold key organisational information regarding group, volunteer and participant location, activity and impact across the sector
• Plan and arrange presentations to raise the profile of our work amongst stakeholders
• Finding creative solutions to partner queries, needs and requirements within the parameters of the role and available resources
• Co-design cross-organisational structures, processes and working practices (eg through the gate model)
• IT Skills: responsibility for accurate CRM data regarding all stakeholders and activity; run regular reports to demonstrate progress against contractual obligations
• Literary Skills: a strong understanding of Shared Reading and how literature can work to improve people’s lives, along with the ability to articulate this well
• Contribute to The annual Reader Bookshelf, using your experience to suggest books, poems or plays you believe would work well in Shared Reading

Leadership & Management

• Manage a team of (currently 19) CJ Group leads, including objective setting and development reviews, staff support and supervision, ensuring CRM database records are up to date and that monitoring and evaluation takes place when required, while also dealing with day to day issues and concerns
• Plan and Deliver In Person Team Days to build connection across the team, share learning and diseminate organisational training/development opportunties
• Undertake The Reader’s Read to Lead training with a view to progressing to the Teaching Associate Pathway and holding responsibility for the literary expertise and quality of CJ team members as required

Communication

• Manage relationships with the Clinical and Operational Leads within settings, ensuring risk assessments are completed and up to date and Service Delivery Agreements drawn up and signed by both parties in a timely manner
• Communicate effectively, both internally and externally across diverse - potentially reluctant – audiences
• Report regularly to commissioners, colleagues and when required Board members both verbally and in writing via regular reports

Liaison & Networking

• Maintain excellent, fruitful relationships with funders, commissioners and partner organisations, and stay abreast of and contribute to sector trends, learning and subsequent programme (re)design.
• Identify opportunities for TR to raise the profile and/or reach of our activity and workshop with appropriate teams/individuals

Planning and Organising

• Monitor agreed operational targets and contract milestones across a broad geography and multiple contracts, ensuring delivery outputs do not fall below the required threshold, producing high quality reports on activity and findings for funders
• Implement organisation evaluation mechanisms to evidence project impact to commissioners

Initiative and Problem Solving

• Responsible for solving day to day problems from within the team, and also to respond to challenges with creative potential solutions for discussion with Director of Literature

Teamworking & Collaboration

• Work with the Director of Literature to ensure smooth project management, CJ programmes development, organisational learning and demonstrate impact/escalate difficulties as required
• Liaise and collaborate with other departments as required (ie Literary Content, Shared Reading Practice, Communications, Development) and external partners to good effect and ongoing improvement.
• Able to overcome geographical distance to create a supportive, productive and cohesive team working to timeline and agreed targets across multiple contracts Provide leadership and direction to the CJ Team, delegating tasks as appropriate
• Co-curate, plan and deliver creative events and experiences for diverse audiences and purposes audiences
• Carry out responsibilities in line with Teaching Associate role as/if required

Person Specification

• Can demonstrate an understanding of the sensitivity of settings under this department and the specific needs of those residing within them
• Excellent communication skills, across diverse modes, audiences and purposes
• Have good IT skills; you will be required to train others in our IT systems
• Have proven experience of managing people
• Are self-motivated and able to motivate others
• Able to work independently
• Experienced in dealing with difficult situations
• Can work flexibly as required Have emotional resilience and maturity, knows when to speak up
• Able to manage a demanding workload and assist others in doing the same
• Understands and able to model TR’s values
• Able to undertake nationwide travel
• Have IT facilities available for home working
• Able to establish and maintain excellent partner organisation relationships
• Can demonstrate a desire and capacity to go over and above ‘the basics’ in service of populations living in prison
• Have experience of working within the CJ sector and have an awareness of sector trends and policies affecting work in this sector
• Able to demonstrate a rich reading life and an understanding of the difference great writing can make within these services

To apply please visit https://www.thereader.org.uk/job/criminal-justice-programmes-manager/ to view a full job description and application form. All applications must be sent to [email protected]

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £29,512.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Enhanced maternity leave
• On-site parking
• Referral programme
• Sick pay
• Store discount

Work Location: Remote