About this role
Job description
HMPPS Band 3
Introduction to the role
The Improvement Support Group (ISG), within the Directorate of Prison Operations, plays a key role in supporting prisons and probation services to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of frontline delivery across HMPPS.
Working alongside operational colleagues, ISG identifies opportunities for improvement, develops practical guidance and evidence-based tools, shares effective practice, and provides targeted specialist support. Through this work, ISG helps frontline services achieve better outcomes for staff, service users and the wider organisation.
The Programme Support Officer is part of the Project Support Unit (PSU), which sits at the centre of ISG's delivery function. The PSU provides the coordination, governance and assurance required to manage a diverse portfolio of projects, programmes and priority business-as-usual activity. It ensures work is effectively planned, prioritised and delivered in line with organisational needs, applying proportionate oversight based on scale, complexity and risk.
As a strategic enabler, the PSU supports informed decision-making, promotes evidence-based practice, drives consistency and efficiency, and helps ISG respond effectively to changing organisational priorities.
Role purpose
As a Programme Support Officer, you will play an important role in supporting the delivery of ISG's projects, priority work and governance activity.
Working within the Project Support Unit (PSU), you will provide high-quality administrative, coordination and secretariat support across a diverse portfolio of projects, programmes and business-as-usual activity. You will help ensure that governance processes operate effectively, meetings are well managed, and information, actions and documentation are maintained accurately and efficiently.
The role requires close collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders across ISG, bringing structure, organisation and consistency to a wide range of activities. You will support formal governance forums, coordinate key business processes, maintain effective information management practices, and help ensure that decisions and actions are tracked through to completion.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities and enabling others to deliver effectively. Through your contribution, you will help strengthen governance, improve coordination and support the successful delivery of ISG's priorities across HMPPS.
Key responsibilities
Programme and Priority Work Support
- Provide administrative support across a range of projects, programmes and priority initiatives, helping to ensure work is organised, coordinated and delivered effectively.
- Maintain project documentation, action logs, trackers and records, ensuring information is accurate, up to date and readily accessible.
- Support the collection, collation and maintenance of information and data to enable effective reporting, assurance activity and informed decision-making.
- Ensure electronic filing systems are well organised and managed in line with information governance requirements, version control standards and agreed ways of working.
Business Administration and Operational Support
- Provide high-quality business administration support across ISG, helping teams manage documentation, records, correspondence and routine business processes efficiently.
- Coordinate meetings and other business activities, ensuring arrangements, materials and records are prepared and managed effectively.
- Provide administrative and note-taking support for HR-related activity where required, handling sensitive information appropriately and maintaining confidentiality at all times.
- Support a range of ISG-wide administrative activities that contribute to the effective day-to-day operation of the directorate.
Governance and Secretariat Support
- Provide high-quality secretariat support for boards, reference groups and governance forums, including coordinating meetings, preparing agendas and papers, recording discussions and producing accurate meeting notes.
- Maintain action logs and decision records, monitoring progress and following up with colleagues and stakeholders to support timely completion of agreed actions.
- Coordinate the preparation and circulation of papers, updates and supporting information for governance meetings, working with colleagues across ISG and the wider organisation as required.
- Ensure meeting outputs, decisions and updates are published and stored appropriately using agreed systems and platforms.
Delivery and Coordination Support
- Provide administrative support to delivery activity, helping to coordinate diaries, meetings, visits and other arrangements that enable successful delivery.
- Support the planning and coordination of activity associated with external scrutiny, inspection and assurance processes.
- Assist colleagues in monitoring actions, milestones and key activities to help maintain delivery momentum and support effective coordination across priorities.
Working Relationships and Continuous Improvement
- Develop positive and collaborative working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, providing professional, responsive and customer-focused support.
- Handle sensitive information with discretion, ensuring confidentiality and information security requirements are consistently maintained.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of administrative processes, tools and ways of working, helping to increase efficiency and support effective delivery across ISG.
- Act as a reliable and professional member of the Project Support Unit, supporting colleagues and contributing to a positive and collaborative team culture
Desirable Experience
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience providing secretariat support to meetings, including agenda management, note‑taking and tracking actions.
- Experience of working in a matrix‑management environment, supporting multiple teams and handling competing priorities to tight deadlines.
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise work, keep accurate records, and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
Additional Information
Working Arrangements & Further Information
The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.
For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.
If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.
The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.
Benefits
Annual Leave
-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.
Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays
-You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays.
Pension
-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Work Life Balance
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ
Season Ticket Advance
-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work
Childcare Vouchers
For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
Training
HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes
-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts
-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles
Eligibility
-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS
-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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 . Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) );
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team ( [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) );
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/) )
As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.
For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos .
Diversity & Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
Civil Service Nationality Rules
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fsettled-status-eu-citizens-families&data=05%7C01%7Cchristopher.jeffery%40soprasteria.com%7C8a2293860362402c15da08dbf4cff146%7C8b87af7d86474dc78df45f69a2011bb5%7C0%7C0%7C638372946312587803%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=s%2BxUsev%2BGeeK%2FLgTUjpjfTJu%2FjpKQZ%2BQPJXNduvik3Q%3D&reserved=0)
- 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
### Contact Information
MoJ:
If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected]
Please quote the job reference
HMPPS
If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected]
Please quote the job reference 21909
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy please contact [email protected]
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