Managing Chaplain, HMP Millsike, York
External Full-time vacancy
Ref: 68546
Salary: £54,500
Mitie Care & Custody (C&C) is driven by a bold vision: to establish HMP Millsike as a place of restoration and rehabilitation, where prisoners can unlock their full potential and make meaningful, positive changes in their lives. We are excited by the opportunity Millsike presents: a blank canvas on which we can paint a bright future for our prisoners. Our mission is clear: to create an environment that empowers, inspires, and supports individuals to re-enter society with hope, purpose, and a life plan. To achieve this, we will set a culture of rehabilitation and restoration underpinned by integrity and high expectations. Prisoners will experience a dramatic shift from traditional prison environments. Millsike will be a vibrant, bustling community, teeming with industry, activity and opportunities for personal growth. Above all, we will ensure our approach offers a deep sense of safety/respect, through a supportive, uplifting environment, that helps prisoners to see their potential and that unlocks a brighter future for all.
Job objectives and responsibilities
As a Senior Manager in the Safer Custody and Equalities Function, you will ensure compliance with contractual requirements, company policies, and HMPPS standards including all relevant Prison Service Instructions and Policy Frameworks. You will supervise and motivate staff to deliver effective services across the prison, supporting the Head of Safety and Equalities in creating a safe and rehabilitative environment.
You will lead the Multi Faith and Belief Chaplaincy Team, ensuring Chaplains are accessible to all prisoners and staff regardless of faith or belief and receive necessary training and support. Your responsibilities include providing pastoral care, organizing worship and events, and assisting with prisoner resettlement. You will also offer expert faith and belief advice and support the observance of religious holy days and festivals.
You will develop relationships with support and volunteer groups, plan workshops and meetings, and contribute to safeguarding and diversity initiatives. Additionally, you will deliver awareness programmes for prisoners and staff, work closely with Safer Custody on policies and procedures, and support prisoners through major life events regardless of faith or belief.
Daily duties include interviewing new prisoners, visiting those in the Care and Separation Unit and Transitional Support Unit, responding to applications, and preparing reports. You will ensure effective administration of Chaplaincy Services and provide mentoring and support for Chaplains and volunteers.
You will have oversight of the Team's involvement in many other aspects of prison life, playing their part in safer custody by visiting those being supported by Assessment, Care, Custody and Team Work arrangements weekly, violence reduction, equalities meetings, Good Order and Discipline reviews, as well as groups such as the Segregation Monitoring and Review Group meetings. Chaplains of all faiths and beliefs play an important role supporting counter-terrorism activity on a routine basis.
You will be responsible for ensuring the involvement of the Chaplaincy Team in resettlement issues as appropriate and engage and build contacts with faith/belief communities towards aiding the resettlement of prisoners and for the contact strategy with outside faith/belief-based agencies to help with the resettlement of prisoners including responsibility for leading on developing relationships with various support and volunteer groups.
You will contribute to the establishment's standards, budget, and People Plan, developing and implementing local and national policies for chaplaincy services. Ensuring health and safety compliance and delivering actions from audits and reports are also key responsibilities.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate will have appropriate managerial experience preferably but not necessarily in a custodial environment that caters to the predominant faiths and beliefs of the prisoner population. They must be an outstanding communicator with highly developed influencing skills and be innovative and forward-thinking. The role requires a high level of professionalism and competence in leadership, along with proven experience and skills in pastoral care and faith and belief leadership, especially during crisis events.
A working knowledge of other faiths and beliefs represented within a prison is essential to function effectively in a multi-faith and belief environment. The candidate should be a focused and dynamic team player, capable of rapidly adapting to changing priorities and circumstances. They must meet the HMPPS Chaplaincy and Faith Services' specified minimum faith eligibility requirements of their faith/belief tradition in the form of Faith/Belief Endorsement from the appropriate HMPPS Faith and Belief Advisor.
Additionally, the successful candidate must satisfy HMPPS and Mitie security and identity checks prior to taking up the post.
For more information and to apply for the post, please visit here.