Policy Advisor

The Policy Advisor works in the NOMS Agency policy function within HMPPS, supporting the Head of Policy on a two-year loan or detached-duty basis. The post develops policy and provides advice on complex issues, including drafting ministerial and parliamentary material and corresponding with legal representatives. It is a national, full-time role with hybrid working possible and an agreed MoJ office base.

Applicants must be existing Civil Service or accredited NDPB employees; the role is 37 hours a week and requires a Standard DBS check.

• Support the Head of Policy
• Advise and guide staff and managers on policy
• Provide day-to-day written and verbal advice to stakeholders and senior officials
• Contribute information for ministerial submissions and senior-official briefings
• Commission and analyse reports from colleagues, contractors and criminal justice stakeholders
• Analyse complex policy information and evidence, draft protocols and develop operational and non-operational policy
• Represent NOMS at meetings with external organisations, stakeholders and other government departments
• Draft legal correspondence and liaise with solicitors and legal representatives
• Attend ad hoc meetings for the team
• Provide secretariat support and act as Key Information Liaison Officer
• Check draft reports and correspondence for compliance with current NOMS and MoJ policy
• Draft or contribute to Parliamentary Questions, official letters and Freedom of Information responses, and prepare briefings in line with statutory requirements

• Excellent written and spoken communication to explain issues clearly and accurately to ministers, the MoJ, other government departments and the public

• Strong awareness of current policies and practices
• Writing suitable for legal correspondence and dialogue with solicitors and legal representatives
• Strong organisational knowledge and operational understanding of NOMS and the prison estate
• Ability to interpret and summarise complex information
• Ability to engage and influence senior staff and stakeholders
• Behaviours assessed include Seeing the Big Picture, Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Leadership and Working Together

• Existing Civil Service employee or employee of an accredited NDPB
• Eligibility under Civil Service nationality rules
• Standard DBS check and security and identity checks
• External candidates serve six months’ probation; internal candidates do so if they have not completed probation within HMPPS

• Declare membership of any group or organisation HMPPS considers racist

• Annual leave, calculated pro rata where applicable
• Nine days (66 hours 36 minutes) for bank, public and privilege holidays
• Choice of two Civil Service pension schemes
• Flexible working arrangements, subject to business needs and applicable conditions
• Season ticket advance after two months’ service
• Training and development opportunities
• Access to promotion programmes
• Security and diversity training and an individual induction