12456 - Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit: – Head of Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit
| Posting date: | 04 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £88,444 to £102,329 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The national salary range is £88,444 - £97,288, London salary range is £91,458 - £102,329. Your salary will be dependent on your base location |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 December 2025 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 12456 |
Summary
HMPPS Band 11 - Head of Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit
The Rademaker review on Professional Standards (bullying, harassment, discrimination victimisation – BHDV) was published on 6 May 2025 and marks a pivotal moment for HMPPS. It makes clear that more must be done to uphold the high professional standards our vital work demands. It challenges us to do better – with practical recommendations to support and build on the work we are already doing to tackle these issues.
As part of implementing these recommendations, HMPPS is establishing an independent channel outside of the line management structure for reporting, investigating and decisioning BHDV complaints where a dedicated team of well-trained personnel can handle matters in a ring-fenced, confidential, and standardised process. The Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit currently provides investigation support, a confidential helpline, mediation services and climate assessments for HMPPS. The remit of the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit is being strengthened and expanded to include an independent reporting channel, which will launch as IRRIS: Independent Review, Resolution and Investigations Service in January 2026.
The post holder leads and sets the direction and strategy for IRRIS. The post holder is accountable for ensuring IRRIS delivers its aims and objectives to support the business in driving the right behaviours to deliver and embed sustained positive behaviour change across HMPPS. The post holder will represent and lead for HMPPS in collaborative working with stakeholders to increase understanding of prevalence, themes and patterns of unacceptable behaviour and to determine and deliver successful strategies to bring about positive behaviour change. This requires a strategic and operational understanding of HMPPS, the differing operational environments and how those may impact on behaviour.
Ability
Highly developed skills to apply a detailed knowledge of policy and strategic developments in relation to staff support and mediation, culture change, investigations.
Ability to use authority influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders (both internal and external) within an environment where there are likely to be conflicting interests/a need to personally challenge senior leaders.
Ability to provide senior leadership to direct, lead and manage teams to achieve demanding objectives across geographically dispersed area.
Well-developed ability to analyse issues of risk arising from Climate Assessments and other intelligence and managing these effectively and sensitively.
Well-developed ability to develop, nurture and foster mature, productive relationships as a senior leader with internal and external stakeholders and providers in a complex and multi?layered delivery landscape.
Substantial skills and ability to function effectively with a high level of personal integrity and resilience.
Experience
Significant managerial experience at senior level, including leading large teams delivering services or casework.
Experience of leading teams with the ability to inspire and develop people to deliver their best.
Experience of driving innovation and creative solutions to promote continuous improvement in positive behaviour change.
Previous experience of organisational change (or relevant experience).
Strategic experience of interpreting information from a diverse range of sources and producing effective action and implementation plans to meet organisation objectives.
Technical
Qualified Investigator (Level 7 BTEC or equivalent) or a willingness to undertake qualification within six months of commencing in post.
Minimum Eligibility
All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
MoJ is a values driven organisation, and our recruitment process reflects our ambition to reinforce these to enable you to understand our work, and be sure this is the place for you to work at your best for the people we serve.
The Rademaker review on Professional Standards (bullying, harassment, discrimination victimisation – BHDV) was published on 6 May 2025 and marks a pivotal moment for HMPPS. It makes clear that more must be done to uphold the high professional standards our vital work demands. It challenges us to do better – with practical recommendations to support and build on the work we are already doing to tackle these issues.
As part of implementing these recommendations, HMPPS is establishing an independent channel outside of the line management structure for reporting, investigating and decisioning BHDV complaints where a dedicated team of well-trained personnel can handle matters in a ring-fenced, confidential, and standardised process. The Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit currently provides investigation support, a confidential helpline, mediation services and climate assessments for HMPPS. The remit of the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit is being strengthened and expanded to include an independent reporting channel, which will launch as IRRIS: Independent Review, Resolution and Investigations Service in January 2026.
The post holder leads and sets the direction and strategy for IRRIS. The post holder is accountable for ensuring IRRIS delivers its aims and objectives to support the business in driving the right behaviours to deliver and embed sustained positive behaviour change across HMPPS. The post holder will represent and lead for HMPPS in collaborative working with stakeholders to increase understanding of prevalence, themes and patterns of unacceptable behaviour and to determine and deliver successful strategies to bring about positive behaviour change. This requires a strategic and operational understanding of HMPPS, the differing operational environments and how those may impact on behaviour.
Ability
Highly developed skills to apply a detailed knowledge of policy and strategic developments in relation to staff support and mediation, culture change, investigations.
Ability to use authority influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders (both internal and external) within an environment where there are likely to be conflicting interests/a need to personally challenge senior leaders.
Ability to provide senior leadership to direct, lead and manage teams to achieve demanding objectives across geographically dispersed area.
Well-developed ability to analyse issues of risk arising from Climate Assessments and other intelligence and managing these effectively and sensitively.
Well-developed ability to develop, nurture and foster mature, productive relationships as a senior leader with internal and external stakeholders and providers in a complex and multi?layered delivery landscape.
Substantial skills and ability to function effectively with a high level of personal integrity and resilience.
Experience
Significant managerial experience at senior level, including leading large teams delivering services or casework.
Experience of leading teams with the ability to inspire and develop people to deliver their best.
Experience of driving innovation and creative solutions to promote continuous improvement in positive behaviour change.
Previous experience of organisational change (or relevant experience).
Strategic experience of interpreting information from a diverse range of sources and producing effective action and implementation plans to meet organisation objectives.
Technical
Qualified Investigator (Level 7 BTEC or equivalent) or a willingness to undertake qualification within six months of commencing in post.
Minimum Eligibility
All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
MoJ is a values driven organisation, and our recruitment process reflects our ambition to reinforce these to enable you to understand our work, and be sure this is the place for you to work at your best for the people we serve.