Sussex Pathways Restorative Justice (RJ) service based at HMPPS Lewes, a Category B male prison in Lewes, enables prisoners to give victims a voice via RJ conferencing, Letters or Shuttles, along with peacefully resolving 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 Lewes prison holds sentenced men aged 18 years and over, with sentences ranging from a few weeks to life.

We particularly welcome applications from people from Global Majority ethnicities, with lived experience of the criminal justice system, and/or with current enhanced prison security vetting.

Place of work: HMP Lewes 

Hours of work: 5 days per week (Mon-Fri)

Pay scale: £25,000 

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Prison Security Vetting Required: Enhanced - Vetting will be completed after successful interview process

Annual leave and benefits:
•    28 days holiday per annum, plus Bank Holidays
•    3 days training leave per annum
•    Monthly  Supervision
•    Access to pension

How to apply: Please submit a CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification. Apply as soon as possible, as we will be shortlisting and inviting candidates to interview on an ongoing basis until the closing date.

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Closing date: Friday 9th May 2025

Interviews will take place on an ongoing basis up to and including 19th May.

 

 

Responsibilities:

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•    Publicise the RJ services and their potential benefits to funders, prison staff and prisoners. This could be through outreach work on prison wings, and/or in person or remote presentations. 
•    Provide supportive, empowering line management to  RJ practitioner and other team members as appropriate. 
•    Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with staff at HMP Lewes, including senior management, case workers and prison officers.
•    Liaise with Sussex Pathways management and staff teams to plan and develop the strongest possible relationships with partners.  
•    Attend and contribute to multi agency meetings in prisons, including on safer custody, interdepartmental risk management, reducing reoffending.
•    Analyse complex, sensitive and potentially disturbing information from PNMOIS, OASys databases regarding prisoners to undertake dynamic risk and needs assessments regarding the delivery of RJ interventions, on a case-by-case basis.
•    Assess the suitability of prisoners, individuals harmed and their supporters for participation in RJ interventions.
•    Provide preparatory and follow up support to all participants in RJ interventions and make referrals to other agencies inside and outside of the prison, as appropriate.
•    Make practical arrangements for RJ interventions to take place within the prison, including organising room bookings, refreshments provision, appropriate escorts and care plans. 
•    Facilitate restorative interventions in accordance with the RJ 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 the Sussex Restorative Justice Partnership and His Majesty’s Prison Service.
•    Collect, collate and analyse monitoring data relating to the evaluation of the RJ programmes, producing high quality monitoring and evaluation reports for Sussex Pathways and external stakeholders.
•    Participate actively in line management meetings with the OMU and, in between line management meetings, update management of progress and of any issues arising, to receive advice and guidance.
•    Adhere to Sussex Pathways Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics and its policies on Safeguarding, Single Equality, and Confidentiality.
•    Undertake any other duties as may be appropriate to the level and nature of the post.

 

Person Specification:

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Essential Qualifications, Experience and Knowledge
•    Knowledge and understanding of restorative justice processes, psychological principles, and trauma informed approaches.
•    Understanding of the intersecting disadvantages that may be faced by men serving prison sentences, such as substance misuse problems, trauma histories, mental health diagnoses, poor literacy and numeracy, gang affiliation.
•    Minimum one years’ experience of working and supporting colleagues in an office environment. 
•    At least one years’ experience of delivering rehabilitative interventions in prisons or related area.  
•    Experience of writing project reports and presenting information effectively to others.
•    Experience of using Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint. 
•    Experience of liaising confidently and professionally with a range of stakeholders at different levels of seniority and from diverse backgrounds. 
•    Strong awareness of appropriate boundaries to be maintained and of personal safety considerations whilst working in prisons.
•    A strong understanding of the principles of confidentiality and of instances when this should be breached.

Essential Skills and Abilities 
•    Ability to work with and  team members in a collaborative and empowering manner, enabling them to achieve programme objectives and effectively deliver interventions.
•    Ability to develop excellent working relationships with other professionals and with men serving prison sentences.
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
•    Strong organisational, multi-tasking and team working skills.
•    Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries with participants and manage personal safety whilst working in prisons.
•    Proficiency in using Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
•    Ability to consider and respond to participants psychological, non-verbal and symbolic expression as meaningful communications where appropriate.

Desirable Knowledge and Experience 
•    Understanding of the specific issues faced by people from Global Majority Ethnic Backgrounds in contact with the criminal justice system.
•    Ability to be attune to and process transference and countertransference feelings and work with emotional projections from individuals.
•    Knowledge and experience of the charity sector.
•    Knowledge and experience of writing funding applications for grants and/or contracts.
•    Knowledge and experience of using design and publicity software such as Canva, MailChimp.

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Desirable Skills and Abilities 
•    Creative skills in assisting with the design of publicity materials and planning content for newsletters and social media posts.