Prison Based Social Worker
HMP Edinburgh
Salary: £39,-£46,
Hours: 36 per week
Social work staff are responsible for the effective application of these procedures. The Practice Team Manager is responsible for ensuring compliance with this procedure. The maintenance of this procedure is the responsibility of the Service Manager, Criminal Justice.
Statutory Tasks on Admission
The social worker will interview all prisoners subject to mandatory supervision within seven working days of allocated (five days for sex offenders) and will record the outcome on PR2. Contact will be made with the responsible authority within 14 days of receiving the relevant information from a court.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments will be completed by the social worker as per the Criminal Justice: Assessment and Management of Risk procedure. The risk assessments will be LSCMI, SA07 and RM (for sex offenders) and where appropriate SARA and/or HCR20.
The assessments will be completed in time for the initial ICM and reviewed at relevant points of the sentence thereafter - at parole stage, non-parole stage, progression stage and pre-release; or when directed by the RMT.
Integrated Case Management (ICM) / MAPPA duties
The Social Worker is required to carry out the relevant tasks which contribute to meeting the timescales as outlined in the ICM Manual, current ICM Standards (Requirements) document and MAPPA Guidance in relation to any Prisoner subject to Enhanced ICM. This specifically involves:
1. file review / preparation prior to a case conference
2. preparation or updating of a risk assessment using accredited risk assessment tools (as advised by national guidance issued through the Scottish Government Justice department
3. attendance at Prisoner Risk and Needs Meeting(s) prior to any scheduled case conferences
4. attendance and professional contribution at initial, annual, recall and pre-release case conferences
5. follow-up work
6. any relevant and agreed pre-release activities out-with the ICM process
7. inputting appropriate information to the SPS Prisoner Records System (known as PR2 or its successor) in accordance with the data standards outlined in the document: "PR2 Data Requirements for Prison Based Social Work".
Reports for Parole Board / Tribunal / Short Term Sex Offender Licence / Extended Sentence Reports / Recall reports
The social worker will, in accordance with National Outcomes and Standards, provide a completed report to SPS, for submission to the Parole Board, no later than six weeks following the date of any request or within shorter timescales whenever necessary (backdated sentences for short term sex offender reports, recall reports etc.)
Schedule 1 Offenders / Circular 18, Initial Tasks and Notifications
The social worker will meet with all prisoners who have committed a sexual Schedule 1 Offence and carry out an RM risk assessment. After further assessment an SA07 risk assessment may also be completed. The social worker will ensure that all aspects of Circular 18 are adhered to and that Governors, the Parole Board, local Offender Management Units and relevant local authorities are informed about possible danger to children posed by individual Schedule 1 prisoners on release.
This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. Anunconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre-employment checks being deemed satisfactory.
We're committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits that a diverse workforce with different values, beliefs, experience, and backgrounds brings to us as an organisation.
As part of our goal to improve our organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure that we're bringing the best people into our roles, not just in their skills and experience but also in their approach to work.
To help achieve this, we're changing the way we interview and assess candidates by moving from a competency-based interview approach to a behavioural and technical (skills for the job) based approach. This new way of interviewing will allow us to assess how you think and how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page