Bail Information Service

at  Ministry of Justice

Salary
£31,995
Number of jobs available
5
Detail of reserve list
12 Months
Region
South East
City/Town
Lewes , Sheerness
Building/Site
HM Prison Elmley, ME12 4AY, HMYOI LEWES LEWES, BN7 1EA
Grade
EO
Organisation Grade for HMPPS
Band 4
Post Type
Permanent
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Role Type
Operational Delivery
Will the successful applicant have line manager responsibilities?
No
Job description

WHAT WE DO

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent, and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:

• courts
• prisons
• probation services
• attendance centres

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

SUMMARY

Contribute towards the provision of the National HMPPS Bail Information Service by providing a Bail Information Report to Magistrate and Crown Courts across England and Wales at hearings where release on bail is being considered.
Gather all required and available information and prepare factual and objective reports to be delivered to the judiciary in written format prior to hearings taking place.

EXPERIENCE

• The job holder will need to demonstrate an understanding of prison and/or community-based Offender Management processes; have experience working in the criminal justice system or a similar community-based setting.
• Working with a diverse range of individuals in a prison or community setting.
• Establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Planning, coordinating and prioritising work.
• Knowledge and understanding of the work of the criminal justice system.
• Experience of accurately recording data and resource outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES, ACTIVITIES AND DUTIES

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Responsible for preparing written, BIRs concerning defendants appearing at second and subsequent bail hearings in Magistrate and Crown Courts following an initial period of remand into prison custody.
• Interview defendants held in prison establishments, either in person or via Video Link, to gather information relevant to bail applications. Verifying information provided wherever possible.
• Ensure proposed accommodation availability checks are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Extract and interpret information relating to defendants from available systems and databases. Including where available NDelius, the Digital Prison System (DPS) and the Offender Assessment System (OASys). Identify previous offending behaviour and instances of non- compliance as well as previous engagement with Probation supervision. Liaising with Community Offender Managers where applicable.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders involved with BIS. Obtaining information relevant to the defendant and their application for release on bail. This will include, but is not limited to, solicitors, Probation Service, mental health teams, substance misuse services, and court staff.
• Ensure referrals to community organisations for defendants are completed to assist in addressing any identified support needs and to access ongoing support if released on bail.
• Analyse and accurately interpret complex Police records to identify any public protection or safeguarding concerns and submit necessary referrals/requests for information to Probation, Local Authorities, Police Forces and any other appropriate agencies.
• Liaise with Local Authorities, and where identified, share Safeguarding concerns and relevant information.
• Provide ongoing support and through-care to defendants remanded into custody in preparation for subsequent hearings at which release on bail is to be considered.
• Where there is an identified need for accommodation support, ensure referrals to Community Accommodation Services (Level 2) are completed and contribute towards referrals to Community Accommodation Services (Level 1) in line with National HMPPS Policy.
• Liaise with Immigration Teams or Home Office to gather information on defendants identified as Foreign Nationals.
• Contribute to the support of defendants identified as potential victims of modern-day slavery through liaison with the National Referral Mechanism Team.
• Ensure all relevant IT systems are updated to fully reflect the end-end process of BIS.
• Responsible for working collaboratively with colleagues across BIS to ensure it meets its aims and objectives. Supporting peers and maintaining effective and productive team relationships.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

ROLE PURPOSE

The role of a Bail Information Officer (BIO) is varied, diverse, time critical, and demand led.
Working with defendants and key criminal justice stakeholders, (including the Judiciary, legal professionals, police, probation, voluntary sector and statutory support services), BIOs gather information to produce factual and objective reports in preparation for bail hearings at Magistrates and Crown courts.
BIOs will also prepare and suggest effective bail packages, they will pro-actively make relevant referrals to the Community Accommodation Service (CAS) Tier 2 accommodation (formerly Bail Accommodation Support Service) and any other appropriate support services, in addition to conducting necessary safeguarding enquiries.
The job holder will look to undergo additional specialised training to deliver the role.
This is a non-operational role with no line management responsibilities. Reporting to a designated manager within a BIS Region.
The job holder will look to have regular interaction, both in person and virtually, with defendants.
BIS operates between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. The job holder will be required to work between these hours as demand requires.

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent, and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:

• courts
• prisons
• probation services
• attendance centre