Head of Service – Criminal Justice, Engagement, Inclusion & Wellbeing

The Criminal Justice Patient Engagement Service has been commissioned since 2019 by NHS England to be the patient engagement provider across the prisons in the North of England. This means engaging with prisoners about the health services that they receive, and this feedback is then provided to the commissioners to help with commissioning decisions, policy making, and site-specific service design and delivery. The engagement is conducted via focus groups, outreach 1:1 session, surveys, in-cell telephone calls and many other ways. We also support with the procurement of health services in prisons, enabling a serving prisoner to be involved in the process from start to finish.

In 2022, the service won an additional contract in the Southeast and Isle of Wight, providing patient engagement to the prisons in the region and Gatwick Immigration Removal Centre. In 2025, this service was re-commissioned and includes a further Immigration Removal Centre.

In 2023, the Northern service was re-commissioned and additional sites were added to our portfolio where we provide the service user feedback regarding health. The service now extends to Immigration Removal Centres, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, Liaison & Diversion support, Mental Health Treatment Requirements and Secure Children’s Homes.

The postholder will be responsible for coordinating and supporting staff to facilitate effective patient engagement across the service, managing resources and, where required, delivering patient engagement activities directly. They will collect and analyse service user feedback, identify trends and prepare reports to inform NHS commissioning decisions, while planning and scheduling service delivery to ensure targets and contractual requirements are met. The role will involve working closely with NHS commissioners, preparing for and attending quarterly contract review meetings, monitoring project deliverables against KPIs and service specifications, and ensuring quality assurance across staff delivery, data collection and record keeping. The postholder will also monitor service performance, identify and implement improvements, delegate actions to achieve service objectives, and coordinate all procurement activities involving service users. In addition, they will present performance reports covering service activity, delivery plans and financial expenditure, provide line management and supervision to staff, and develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, including Governing Governors, Heads of Healthcare, Patient Engagement Leads, Public Health Leads and NHS Health & Justice commissioning colleagues. The postholder will also contribute to business development by identifying opportunities to expand and improve the service, while representing the organisation at networking events, conferences and relevant training sessions to strengthen knowledge, partnerships and the reputation of the service.

Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing at all levels with individuals, groups, organisations and the public.

Excellent knowledge of the challenges individuals in The Criminal Justice System face regarding health inequalities.

Ability to deal calmy and effectively with conflict.

Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to communicate information clearly.

Ability to work with groups from different backgrounds and cultures.

Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively and meet deadlines amid a range of competing demands.

Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work flexibly to overcome challenges.

Ability to collate and analyse data to ensure the effectiveness of service outputs.

Proven IT Skills.

Ability to adhere and support relevant governance policies.

• Birthday Day off
• Flexible Annual Leave scheme
• Employee Referral scheme
• 37.5 hours working week
• Flu jabs
• Blue Light Card
• Cycle to work scheme
• Leadership and staff away days
• Training and Development

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role