15125 - HM Inspectorate of Prisons - Inspection Team Leader
| Posting date: | 23 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £71,381 to £85,257 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The national salary range is £71,381 - £80,419, London salary range is £75,674 - £85,257. Your salary will be dependent on your base location |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 13 March 2026 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 15125 |
Summary
Who we are:
We are an independent inspectorate led by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. We scrutinise the conditions and treatment of prisoners and other detainees and report on our findings.
We help to make sure that detention is humane, safe, respectful and helps to prepare people for release ahead of their return to the community. We do that by carrying out independent inspections of prisons, young offender institutions, secure training centres and courts in England and Wales and places of immigration detention across the UK.
Find out about our expectations for different types of detention.
We publish reports to let people know about our findings and hold the government, and those running places of detention, to account. We also identify and share examples of good practice to support leaders in learning from other, comparable institutions.
Our role is to shine a light on what needs to change, but we cannot enforce it. It is up to prison leaders to consider the best way to respond to our concerns and use their resources and expertise to find solutions. HM Prison and Probation Service or the Home Office should work with the establishment to support this progress.
Find out more about our mandate.
Who we are – HM Inspectorate of Prisons
About the role
HM Inspectorate of Prisons is looking for an exceptional candidate to lead one of its inspection teams which leads on the inspection of adult male prisons. The successful candidate will be expected to take up post in Summer 2026. The exact date will be dependent on the timing of interviews and security clearance processes.
As Inspection Team Leader, you will have a key role within the Inspectorate, making a demonstrable difference to the conditions and treatment of those held in detention in England and Wales by reporting on what you inspect and helping to achieve positive outcomes.
You will be responsible for planning and carrying out inspections of prison establishments, managing a core team of inspectors, and the production of timely and accurate reports. You will also be part of the Inspectorate’s Delivery Board and will be responsible for helping to develop Inspectorate policy and inspection practice.
You will be required to use your skills, knowledge and experience to advise on and influence national and justice policy formation and promote the work of HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
Reporting to HM Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons, you will head the team of inspectors, develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and provide expert advice to HM Chief Inspector.
Frequent travel within the UK (and possibly abroad) will be required, and you will spend at least one week in three away on inspection, as well as travelling for meetings and other events. You will also need to be available to come to London for internal and external meetings on a regular basis.
Responsibilities
You will:
• Lead and coordinate the inspection of prisons and other places of detention to assess outcomes for detainees against the Inspectorate’s inspection criteria known as Expectations.
• Mobilise and supervise an effective inspection team (which will include core team members, specialists, and colleagues from other inspectorates) and help them to gather, analyse and test out evidence
• Assess all relevant experiences and outcomes for prisoners in each establishment guided by the Inspectorates ‘healthy prison’ model (safety, respect, purposeful activity and rehabilitation and release planning) and presenting findings under each heading.
• Brief the governor or centre manager and senior managers during inspections, and in a formal debrief on the final day.
• Produce well written public reports within tight deadlines and present edited versions to the Deputy Chief Inspector and Chief Inspector.
• Work collaboratively as a member of multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute, as required, to thematic inspection reports and reports produced jointly with other criminal justice inspectorates.
• Make sure inspectors assist with the development of Inspectorate criteria and guidelines relating to their team’s specialism.
We are an independent inspectorate led by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. We scrutinise the conditions and treatment of prisoners and other detainees and report on our findings.
We help to make sure that detention is humane, safe, respectful and helps to prepare people for release ahead of their return to the community. We do that by carrying out independent inspections of prisons, young offender institutions, secure training centres and courts in England and Wales and places of immigration detention across the UK.
Find out about our expectations for different types of detention.
We publish reports to let people know about our findings and hold the government, and those running places of detention, to account. We also identify and share examples of good practice to support leaders in learning from other, comparable institutions.
Our role is to shine a light on what needs to change, but we cannot enforce it. It is up to prison leaders to consider the best way to respond to our concerns and use their resources and expertise to find solutions. HM Prison and Probation Service or the Home Office should work with the establishment to support this progress.
Find out more about our mandate.
Who we are – HM Inspectorate of Prisons
About the role
HM Inspectorate of Prisons is looking for an exceptional candidate to lead one of its inspection teams which leads on the inspection of adult male prisons. The successful candidate will be expected to take up post in Summer 2026. The exact date will be dependent on the timing of interviews and security clearance processes.
As Inspection Team Leader, you will have a key role within the Inspectorate, making a demonstrable difference to the conditions and treatment of those held in detention in England and Wales by reporting on what you inspect and helping to achieve positive outcomes.
You will be responsible for planning and carrying out inspections of prison establishments, managing a core team of inspectors, and the production of timely and accurate reports. You will also be part of the Inspectorate’s Delivery Board and will be responsible for helping to develop Inspectorate policy and inspection practice.
You will be required to use your skills, knowledge and experience to advise on and influence national and justice policy formation and promote the work of HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
Reporting to HM Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons, you will head the team of inspectors, develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and provide expert advice to HM Chief Inspector.
Frequent travel within the UK (and possibly abroad) will be required, and you will spend at least one week in three away on inspection, as well as travelling for meetings and other events. You will also need to be available to come to London for internal and external meetings on a regular basis.
Responsibilities
You will:
• Lead and coordinate the inspection of prisons and other places of detention to assess outcomes for detainees against the Inspectorate’s inspection criteria known as Expectations.
• Mobilise and supervise an effective inspection team (which will include core team members, specialists, and colleagues from other inspectorates) and help them to gather, analyse and test out evidence
• Assess all relevant experiences and outcomes for prisoners in each establishment guided by the Inspectorates ‘healthy prison’ model (safety, respect, purposeful activity and rehabilitation and release planning) and presenting findings under each heading.
• Brief the governor or centre manager and senior managers during inspections, and in a formal debrief on the final day.
• Produce well written public reports within tight deadlines and present edited versions to the Deputy Chief Inspector and Chief Inspector.
• Work collaboratively as a member of multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute, as required, to thematic inspection reports and reports produced jointly with other criminal justice inspectorates.
• Make sure inspectors assist with the development of Inspectorate criteria and guidelines relating to their team’s specialism.