Job Title: English Curriculum Lead (Reading Support Strategy)

Location: HMP Belmarsh

Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £32,834 per year

Role Summary:

Our client's vision is to ensure everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As the Reading Support Strategy Lead, you will develop and implement a person-centred reading strategy within HMP Belmarsh. This role involves creating new initiatives to inspire a culture of reading, collaborating closely with prison staff and inmates to develop engaging and meaningful activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategy Implementation: Coordinate and drive the implementation of the Prison Wide Reading Strategy.
• Promotion: Promote the benefits of reading through groups, initiatives, and events.
• Collaboration: Work with the Education Department and Neurodiversity Leads to support learners with specific needs.
• Awareness: Raise awareness of the reading programme, encouraging referrals from staff and inmates.
• Mentor Support: Ensure mentors are trained and supported to deliver the reading programme.
• Monitoring: Use systems for effective delivery, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Volunteer Supervision: Provide initial support and supervision to volunteers.

Planning:

• Review existing reading interventions and strategies within the prison.
• Collaborate with prison staff to identify new engagement ideas and understand current reading support.
• Develop a business plan with clear timeframes and priorities.

Delivery:

• Create new reading initiatives with inmates, ensuring ownership and engagement.
• Deliver phonics-based reading interventions to inmates.
• Work towards a 'whole prison approach' to support reading.
• Collaborate with prison education, library teams, and Neurodiversity Support Manager.
• Produce promotional materials, including a monthly newsletter.
• Attend and contribute to staff meetings and training sessions.

Reporting:

• Use systems to record activities and update case notes.
• Provide reports on reading interventions and learner progress.
• Contribute to quarterly contract review meetings.
• Support the preparation of evidence for inspections.
• Track educational progression outcomes.

Person Specification:

Essential:

• Relevant teaching qualification (Level 2 and above).
• Experience in phonics-based reading support.
• Ability to manage relationships and work collaboratively.
• Experience with neurodiverse learners.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and planning skills.
• Strong time management and ability to work autonomously.
• Understanding of barriers to education for inmates.
• IT literate with experience using Microsoft Office.

Desirable:

• Experience with Ofsted/HMIP inspections.
• Experience in the criminal justice system.
• Knowledge of the prison inspection framework.
• Experience of person-centred and co-designed interventions.

Personal Characteristics:

• Proactive, solution-focused, patient, and professional.
• Creative and willing to try new initiatives.
• Results-oriented with a focus on learner outcomes.
• Non-judgmental, inclusive, and approachable.
• Able to travel independently and pass security vetting.

For any expressions of interest or for more information, please call Robert Rowe on (phone number removed) or send CVs to (url removed).