Prison-based Restorative Justice Practitioner

Belong's restorative justice serivce at HMP The Mount, a Category C male prison in Hemel Hempstead, provides hope, rehabilitation and recovery for prisoners. The service enables prisoners to peacefully resolve conflicts that they have in prison, whether conflicts are with other prisoners or with staff members. It also helps individuals to build positive relationships, healthy conflict resolution skills and access support with disadvantages they face. HMP The Mount prison holds sentenced men aged 21 years and over, with sentences ranging from a few weeks to life.

As part of the service, Belong  offers prisoners the chance to take part in restorative justice to move forward after violent or antisocial behaviour incidents at the prison. For prisoners who have committed violence or antisocial behaviour at HMP The Mount, restorative justice is a chance to take responsibility for their harmful behaviour and to receive support to tackle the root causes of this behaviour. For prison staff members or prisoners who have been victims of violent or antisocial behaviour incidents, restorative justice provides a safe space to share with harmers the impact of that violence and antisocial behaviour has had on them. It also gives victims of violence and antisocial behaviour support to cope and recover after these incidents. 

Our restorative justice practitioner position provides an exciting opportunity for a reliable, organised, compassionate person, with experience of working within the criminal justice sector and preferably within prisons, to deliver restorative justice interventions as part of this programme and assist in ensuring the project’s effective, day to day operation.

Place of work: HMP The Mount

Hours of work: Full-time, with occasional evening and weekend work required

Pay scale: £30,000 per annum, on a fixed-term 9 – 12month maternity cover contract

Reports to: Service Manager

Prison Security Vetting Required: Enhanced

Annual leave and benefits:

• 28 days holiday per annum, plus Bank Holidays
• 3 days training leave per annum
• Fully funded monthly Clinical Supervision
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Regular, funded learning and development

How to apply: Click the Apply button below. You'll be asked to submit a CV and covering letter - please use your covering letter to outline how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification. 

​Interviews will take place during w/c 2nd December or before this if mutually agreed with candidates. 

Responsibilities

• Publicise the restorative justice service and its potential benefits, to prisoners and prison staff  via outreach work on prison wings and via presentations and briefings to prison staff.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with staff at HMP The Mount, including senior management, case workers and prison officers.
• Attend and contribute to multi agency meetings, including on safer custody, interdepartmental risk management, reducing reoffending.
• Co-deliver restorative justice training and provide support for prisoners and prison staff members to enable them to become skilled restorative justice facilitators.
• Participate actively in line management meetings with the Service Manager and, in between line management meetings, update management of progress and of any issues arising, in order to receive advice and guidance.
• Analyse complex, sensitive and potentially disturbing information from PNMOIS and Oasys, databases regarding prisoners; victims and prison staff in order to undertake dynamic, written risk and needs assessments regarding the delivery of restorative justice interventions, on a case-by-case basis.
• Assess the suitability of prisoners, individuals harmed and their supporters for participation in  restorative justice interventions.
• Provide preparatory and follow up support to all participants in restorative justice interventions and make referrals to other agencies inside and outside of the prison, as appropriate.
• Make practical arrangements for restorative justice interventions to take place within the prison, including organising room bookings, refreshments provision, visitors passes, appropriate prison staff escorts.
• Facilitate restorative interventions as appropriate in accordance with the Restorative Justice Council’s Best Practice Guidance for Restorative Practice and with the policies and procedures of  Belong and His Majesty’s Prison Service.
• Maintain detailed, accurate and up to date records of work undertaken with parties involved in restorative interventions and share information according to protocols agreed by Belong and His Majesty’s Prison Service.
• Assist with the collection and electronic storage of data relating to the evaluation of the programme.
• Adhere to Belong’s Code of Conduct and its policies on Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children, Anti – Corruption, Anti – Bribery, Complaints and Comments, Confidentiality and Single Equality.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• At least two years’ experience of working within the criminal justice sector, preferably including work in prisons.
• At least two years’ experience of building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders relating to a given project.
• Experience facilitating restorative justice and/or mediation interventions.
• Awareness of the issues that may be faced by adult men who are serving prison sentences.
• Understanding of the challenges prison staff deal with in responding to conflicts and violent incidents in prison.
• Good knowledge of individuals' emotional and mental health needs.
• An understanding of the principles of confidentiality and of instances when this should be breached.

Skills and abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication and listening skills.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to process sensitive, complex information.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders e.g. voluntary sector organisations, prison service teams, local police teams.
• Ability to form relationships with and offer information and guidance to people serving prison sentences.
• Ability to work as a member of a team and when necessary to use initiative
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with service users and to work in a manner that safeguards personal safety and overall prison security.
• Ability to produce and file records of work completed.
• Ability to develop and maintain office management systems.
• Willingness and ability to work effectively within prisons.