Communications Lead (Ref: 17483)

Job summary

Please refer to the Job Description

Job description

About Independent Monitoring Boards

Members of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) are unpaid public appointees (volunteers) who provide statutory, independent scrutiny of the treatment and care of people in prisons and immigration detention. There are approximately 1100 IMB members, organised into around 130 Boards, each with its own Chair. They are appointed by ministers and operate in prisons and young offender institutions (run by HM Prisons and Probation Service - MOJ), in immigration removal centres, various short-term holding facilities and on repatriation flights for those being removed from the UK (run by the Home Office).

Lay Observers (LOs) are also unpaid volunteers appointed by ministers, whose responsibility it is to check on the welfare of individuals in court custody suites and while they are traveling in the care and custody of escort contractors.

As independent scrutiny bodies, IMBs and LOs have a growing public profile and play an increasingly crucial role in providing assurance to ministers and the public on the conditions and treatment of those held in detention. They are members of the UK’s National Preventive Mechanism, under the UK’s international human rights obligations to prevent torture and other ill-treatment of people in detention. They work closely with HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, who also play a key part in the oversight and assurance of places of detention. The findings of IMBs and LOs are fed into the performance and scrutiny information used by government to contribute to prisons and immigration detention policy and process changes, in line with the government’s commitment to ensuring safe, humane and effective places of detention.

About the role

The Communications team sits within the Impact team, alongside colleagues working in policy and publications. We work closely together and support one another as needed, ensuring a joined‑up and collaborative approach across the team. We welcome new ideas and encourage thoughtful and practical ways of developing and improving our work. We’re looking for someone who is keen to learn, works well with others, and is happy to share ideas and contribute positively to the team’s work.

This role will work closely with the Communications Manager to support the delivery of both internal and external communications across the organisation. You will play a key part in helping to ensure our messaging is clear, consistent, and effective, supporting engagement with members and stakeholders.

We are looking for a confident and versatile communications all‑rounder who is able to operate effectively from the outset and support a wide range of communications activity. You will be comfortable working across different channels and formats and able to adapt your approach to meet the needs of varied audiences, from internal colleagues to external stakeholders.

You will be organised and proactive, able to manage competing priorities, and confident working independently while also contributing positively as part of a team. You will have a good understanding of how clear, timely, and well‑judged communications support organisational objectives, and be keen to learn, develop, and take on new challenges.

The role requires a degree of flexibility in working hours on occasion, for example to support external events or engagement activity. There may also be occasional travel to places of detention when required, to support relationships with IMB members and to develop an understanding of the context in which members carry out their work.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our teams and welcome applications from less represented groups. We do not require you to have experience of working in either immigration detention or prison settings.

Key Responsibilities

Will include, but may not be limited to:

• Working with volunteers to draft and finalise press releases to accompany annual reports
• Ensuring annual reports are published to the IMB website on the expiry of the non-publication embargo and managing the circulation of annual reports to contact lists, via online platform Brevo
• Managing the receipt of, and publication of ministerial responses to reports
• Supporting the Communications Manager with media enquiries
• Providing advice to Boards, on media queries, this includes presenting at bi-annual Board leaders training events
• Organisation and running of virtual recruitment events
• Support drafting and publishing the monthly CEO update for IMB members and newsletters for the Lay Observers
• Supporting colleagues with the circulation of ad-hoc communications to volunteers
• Leading on ensuring our external facing websites (IMB and Lay Observers) contain appropriate information for stakeholders and members of the public
• Working with colleagues to adapt and develop appropriate content for internal members’ intranets (IMB and Lay Observers)
• Management of shared advertising materials to raise awareness of IMBs in prisons and immigration detention facilities
• Supporting regional colleagues with recruitment outreach, including scheduling radio interviews, creation and editing of magazine adverts and press releases focused on local publications
• Monitoring of media coverage relating to the IMB and Lay Observers and maintaining an awareness of media coverage of the justice system, in particular places of detention
• Acting as a shared point of contact for day-to-day communications matters, dealing with a wide range of queries from external organisations and IMB members
• Working with colleagues to design a calendar of member learning and engagement events, covering relevant issues to volunteers
• Working collaboratively with the IMB staff group and supporting the Publications Team and Policy Team when necessary
• Creation of digital imagery to support social media
• Manage the IMB Instagram and Facebook page
• Occasional support to colleagues with in-person events
• Occasional visits to Boards to support relationships with members.

Essential criteria

• Experience of using content management systems, primarily WordPress, or willingness to learn
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Experience working with the media, preferably within the criminal justice sector
• Ability to tailor messages to specific audiences to maximise impact and effectiveness
• Experience of creating material to attract attention and pass on key messages
• Ability to work well as part of a team
• Experience of managing multiple responsibilities and working with numerous teams
• Ability to engage with a range of stakeholders, and deal with difficult situations and challenging relationships
• Ability to manage multiple projects, work to tight deadlines and under pressure
• Good all-round IT skills and ability to take advantage of technology including Canva and social media
• Experience of working with volunteers to deliver a service, or a genuine interest in being involved in such work
• Experience of writing and editing for websites and newsletters desired, or adapting copy for different audiences

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,014, Ministry of Justice contributes £11,592 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/17483?entityId=17483