Policy Advisor

**General Information**:

- Salary
- The national salary range is £50,303, London salary range is £53,490 - £55,150. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
- Working Pattern
- Full Time
- Vacancy Approach
- Cross Government
- Location
- Leeds, London
- Region
- London, North West
- Closing Date
- 11-Jun-2025
- Business Unit
- AGY - NOMS Agency
- Post Type
- Permanent
- Civil Service Grade
- SEO
- Number of jobs available
- 2
- Reserve List
- 12 Months
- Job ID
- 6337

**Descriptions & requirements**:

- Job description

Senior Policy Advisers - Prison Capacity Policy in the Joint Strategic Policy Unit

HMPPS Band 7

Prison Policy

**Location**:
1. 102 Petty France, London

2. 5 Wellington Place, Leeds

Our 5 Wellington Place office, located in the heart of Leeds’ legal district and to several other government departments, provides a modern environment for our growing community of policy professionals to collaborate and engage. We have well-established relationships with prisons, probation offices and courts across the city and Yorkshire, allowing for those designing policy to remain to the operational delivery of their work. Those working in our Leeds office are provided valuable L&D and networking opportunities to ensure they can grow their careers in the same way as their counterparts in London.

W appropriate, policy professionals based in either office are supported in travelling to work with colleagues in the other head office location. Our commitment to hybrid working continues to ensure that the geographical dispersion of talent drives exceptional policymaking.

In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result, staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.

Prison Policy Directorate

The Prison Policy Directorate is responsible for advising Ministers on all aspects of prison policy. Our key priorities include reducing the number of prisoners who reoffend on release from prison, ensuring that prisons are safe and secure, and developing a comprehensive strategy for the future of the prison estate and the recruitment and training of the prison workforce. Other important work includes the scrutiny of prison performance and developing policy that supports the effective management of Foreign National Offenders and other specific cohorts of prisoners.

Joint Strategic Policy Unit Division

The Joint Strategic Policy Unit was set up across MoJ and HMPPS to help shape the response to COVID 19. It has now been made a permanent team and takes on priority work identified by MOJ and HMPPS Senior Leadership Teams. This unit sits in both the Prisons Policy Directorate in MoJ and the Strategy, Performance and Corporate Delivery Directorate in HMPPS.

Our team provides advice to senior officials, Ministers, and across Government, on immediate challenges in the prison and probation system, as well as leading longer-term strategic planning and preparations. We work collaboratively across a wide range of policy and operational topics with colleagues across the MoJ, HMPPS and other government departments.

We are a friendly, enthusiastic and collaborative team with a strong emphasis on ensuring members feel happy, supported and engaged in their work. We are committed to delivering high-quality and impactful projects, working ly with partners, and supporting everyone to play their part to improve prison and probation services. We have a strong commitment to personal and career development, helping everyone to grow and fulfil their potential.

Senior Policy Adviser, Prison Capacity Policy - Capacity Options Taskforce

HMPPS and MOJ are facing rising demand for prison spaces. While we have an ambitious plan for expanding prison supply and reducing demand through the recently announced Sentencing Review, we are facing immediate capacity pressures and structural challenges around the rate of supply and demand increase.

The Director General-led Capacity Options Taskforce (COT) was set up in September 2022 to ensure that HMPPS and MOJ have a clear and cont plan to continue to match the supply and demand for prison places. COT continues to focus on the short-term challenge, while also looking at wider system outcomes and sustainability.
- Leading on operational policy areas which impact on prison capacity, including on the Open Estate.
- Working across the department on developing strategic responses to address prison capacity over the next two years;
- Working to design and implement operational responses to acute crises related to prison capacity;
- Working across the team to quickly respond to requests for briefing and advice as needed and other similar reactive work;
- Working flexibly to respond to arising issues and emerging priorities;
- Contributing to making the Joint Uni