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Head of Learning, Development and Quality

Grade 7

One role

Closing date: 23:55 on Monday 23:55 on 10 January 2022

For further information and to apply, please visit the Ministry of Justice jobs website.

• Do you have a passion for learning and development and quality delivery?
• Do you have significant experience in leadership and management, learning and development and quality assurance?
• Are you looking for an interesting challenge to head up a new function within the Inspectorate?

About this role

We are setting up a new Learning and Development Team and we are looking for an experienced leader to head up the team and to set and deliver the strategic direction of our programme of staff development, including accreditation for our Certificate of Achievement in Inspection Skills programme. The post holder will lead on the implementation and delivery of arrangements for quality assurance of all inspection activity, including benchmarking of all the inspection standard domains. We are looking for someone with experience of planning and delivering training, successfully managing change, introducing and embedding new ways of working and who has a good understanding of the criminal and youth justice system and relevant policy context.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services.

About you

You must:

• have excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate confidently with a range of audiences and stakeholders
• have proven leadership and people management skills, including excellent interpersonal and mentoring and coaching skills
• have significant experience in leadership and management, learning and development and quality assurance
• have experience of coaching and mentoring staff to support their development
• have experience of planning and delivering training
• have experience of successfully managing change, introducing and embedding new ways of working.

We are offering a permanent contract to the successful candidate. The successful candidate will be allocated a notional office base, as close to their home location as possible, for the purposes of travel and subsistence, but in practice we are flexible in terms of where in the country you wish to work from.

The post holder will be responsible for the effective line management of the Learning, Development and Quality Managers who have responsibility for the effective line management of the Assistant Inspectors

We warmly welcome applications from minority ethnic and/or Welsh speaking candidates.

The option of part‑time or job-share contracts can be discussed individually.

Selection process
You must complete your application by no later than 23:55 on Monday 10 January 2022.

We will invite short-listed candidates to an assessment centre, which will be conducted remotely during the week of 7 February 2022. Candidates MUST be available to attend during this week, we are unable to offer alternative dates.

Candidates who are successful at part one of the assessment centre will be invited to part two, which will consist of a presentation and an interview, based on a blend of behaviours and strengths. Interviews will take place during the week of 7 March 2022.

Overview

The HM Inspectorate of Probation Learning, Development and Quality team is responsible for successful delivery of:

• professional and personal learning and development for all staff across HM Inspectorate of Probation
• development, delivery and maintenance of local assessor training
• the quality assurance of inspection, including strategy and implementation
• line management of the assistant inspectors

The Head of Learning, Development and Quality (LDQ) is accountable for the above function, and therefore responsible for the overall delivery and implementation. Whilst there is a strategic aspect to this role, in conjunction with the LDQ team, the Head is expected to be involved in delivery and implementation.

The Inspectorate is moving to a hybrid model of inspection (some remote, some on-site) and the work of the LDQ Manager will involve some travel and time away from home.

Key requirements of the role

Professional and personal learning and development for all staff across HM Inspectorate of Probation  

• Ensure there is an appropriate professional learning and development strategy, which is implemented across HM Inspectorate of Probation
• Ensure the implementation and on-going delivery of the Skills for Justice Certificate of Achievement in Inspection Skills for inspectors
• As part of the Skills for Justice Certificate, ensure arrangements are in place for co-ordinating and supporting assessors and internal quality assurers to work consistently to implement the certificate of achievement in inspection skills
• Work with the Head of Methodology and Head of Standards and Policy to ensure changes to methodology, tools, standards and working practices are embedded through training into effective inspection delivery
• Ensure the core skills training package for new starters includes the latest changes to standards and methodology
• Ensure appropriate benchmarking cases are available for on-going benchmarking training
• Takes responsibility for delivery of core skills training
• Working with the Heads of Programme co-ordinate and arrange the regular Inspection Staff Development (ISD) events
• Ensure provision of coaching and mentoring opportunities to support the development of all staff
• Maintain a database to capture all training, developmental and quality assurance activities that can be used to support a training needs analysis of professional skills and inform performance management and maintain the organisational training plan.

Development, delivery and maintenance of the local assessor training

• Ensure arrangements are in place for the delivery of all professional training, learning and development activity, for Local Assessors
• Work with the Heads of Programme to manage arrangements to recruit, train, and deploy Local Assessors.

The quality assurance of inspection, including strategy and implementation

• Maintain and update the quality assurance strategy in consultation with the Heads of Methodology and Programmes.
• Lead on the implementation and delivery of arrangements for quality assurance of all inspection activity, including benchmarking of all the inspection standard domains.
• Analyse findings from all quality assurance activity, and monitor case assessment judgements on inspection for trends.
• Line management of the Quality Leads and Learning, Development and Quality Managers who undertake quality assurance of inspection activity and delivery of inspection training.
• Ensure findings from quality assurance activity are reflected in the development and content of training and learning activity for inspectors, and development and revisions to inspection methodology.

Assistant Inspectors

• Responsible for the effective line management of the Learning, Development and Quality Managers who have responsibility for the effective line management of the Assistant Inspectors
• Work with the Head of Operations Management to ensure there is a rolling programme of secondment of Assistant Inspectors and ensure the recruitment and training of new inspection staff is a smooth and efficient process over time. Address retention issues and ensure these are addressed in the operations resourcing strategy.

Other key requirements

• Recognise and promote diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of work.
• Work effectively with colleagues across the organisation to deliver the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• Act as an ambassador for HM Inspectorate of Probation supporting speaking engagements, events and media work as needed.
• Model and promote a culture that respects the Inspectorate’s values of integrity, accountability, effectiveness and inclusion.

Learning, Development and Quality Managers

Grade 7

Two roles

For further information and to apply, please visit the Ministry of Justice jobs website.

Closing date: 23:55 on Monday 10 January 2022

• Do you have a passion for learning and development and quality delivery?
• Do you have experience of creating and delivering training and quality assurance?
• Are you looking for a role that is interesting, challenging and makes a difference?

About these roles

We are setting up a new Learning and Development Team and we are looking for people to deliver and implement our learning and development strategy, contribute to the implementation and delivery of the programme for our Certificate of Achievement in Inspection Skills, including being an assessor and internal quality assurer for the accredited certification process. They will also be responsible for the line management of the assistant inspectors.

The post holder will develop and deliver all professional training, learning and development activity and contribute towards the quality assurance strategy, including the design and delivery of quality assurance activity. They will be responsible for benchmarking, across core and thematic inspections, but in particular across domain one of the adult and youth core programme.

We are looking for someone with experience of planning and delivering training, successfully managing change, introducing and embedding new ways of working and who has a good understanding of the criminal and youth justice system and relevant policy context.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. We promote excellence in these services.

About you

You must:

• have excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate confidently with a range of audiences and stakeholders
• have proven leadership and people management skills, including excellent interpersonal and mentoring and coaching skills
• have experience of coaching and mentoring staff to support their development
• have a good understanding of the use of inspection standards with rating and grading systems
• have experience of successfully managing change, introducing and embedding new ways of working
• have a good understanding of the criminal justice/youth justice system and relevant policy context.

We are offering a permanent contracts to the successful candidates. The successful candidates will be allocated a notional office base, as close to their home location as possible, for the purposes of travel and subsistence, but in practice we are flexible in terms of where in the country you wish to work from.

The post holder will be responsible for the effective line management of Assistant Inspectors

We warmly welcome applications from minority ethnic and/or Welsh speaking candidates.

The option of part‑time or job-share contracts can be discussed individually.

Selection process
You must complete your application by no later than 23:55 on Monday 10 January 2022.

We will invite short-listed candidates to an assessment centre, which will be conducted remotely during the week of 14 February 2022. Candidates MUST be available to attend during this week, we are unable to offer alternative dates.

Candidates who are successful at part one of the assessment centre will be invited to part two, which will consist of a presentation and an interview, based on a blend of behaviours and strengths. Interviews will take place during the week of 14 March 2022.

Overview

The HM Inspectorate of Probation Learning, Development and Quality function is responsible for:

• professional learning and development for all staff across HM Inspectorate of Probation
• development, delivery and maintenance of the local assessor training
• the quality assurance of inspection, including strategy and implementation
• line management of the assistant inspectors

The Learning, Development and Quality Managers will have responsibility for the line management of the assistant inspectors and responsibilty for delivery and implementation of all aspects of the function as outlined above.

While the Inspectorate is moving to a hybrid model of inspection (some remote, some on-site) the work of the LDQ Manager will involve some travel and time away from home.

Key requirements of the role

Professional learning and development for all staff across HM Inspectorate of Probation

• Contribute to and deliver the learning and development strategy
• Implement and deliver the learning and development strategy across HM Inspectorate of Probation
• Contribute to the implementation and delivery of the Skills for Justice Certificate of Achievement in Inspection Skills for inspectors
• Be an assessor and internal quality assurer for the Skills for Justice Certificate

Development, delivery and maintenance of the local assessor training

• Contribute to the arrangements and delivery of all professional training, learning and development activity, for Local Assessors

The quality assurance of inspection, including strategy and implementation

• Contribute towards the quality assurance strategy
• Design and deliver quality assurance activity, including benchmarking, across core and thematics, but in particular across domain one of the adult and youth core programme
• Ensure findings from quality assurance activity are reflected in the development and content of training and learning activity for inspectors, including the Skills for Justice Certificate of Achievement in Inspection Skills for inspectors, and development and revisions to inspection methodology.

Line management of the Assistant Inspectors

• Responsible for the effective line management of the assistant inspectors
• Ensure seconded Assistant Inspectors are supported through continued liaison and engagement with their home employers

Other key requirements

• Recognise and promote diversity issues in all aspects of work.
• Work effectively with colleagues across the organisation to deliver the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• Act as an ambassador for HM Inspectorate of Probation supporting speaking engagements, events and media work as needed.
• Model and promote a culture that respects the Inspectorate’s values of integrity, accountability, effectiveness and inclusion.