At the Forward Trust, we believe that anyone – whatever their history or circumstances – should have the opportunity and support to live a positive life that fulfils their potential, and to inspire others to follow the same path. At HMP Millsike, we put that belief into practice by helping men strengthen their relationships, build a positive sense of who they are and connect with the support they need to build a life beyond crime.

Our Connections Services represent one of our most adventurous and trailblazing approaches to helping people in a prison move away from reoffending. Partnering with Mitie and People Plus to deliver the One Millsike vision of excellence in custodial care and rehabilitation, we are proud of the pioneering nature, the bold vision and the potential for change that underpin these services. Together, we want to demonstrate what is possible when rehabilitation is part of the culture and daily life of a prison.

As our Head of Connections, you will be joining at an exciting time of impactful growth and play a key role in building on the foundations that have already been established. A member of the Senior Leadership Teams at both HMP Millsike and Forward Trust, you will lead a team of 30, providing strategic oversight across three integrated service areas:

• Family and Relationships – leading services that strengthen family ties, parenting and positive relationships.
• Drug Strategy – owning and delivering the establishment's Drug Strategy, driving innovation, recovery and harm reduction.
• More Than My Past – leading our flagship Incentivised Substance Free Living (ISFL) programme and embedding lived experience throughout service delivery

We are looking for a warm, credible and experienced leader to tend to their development and success, and to showcase the evidence of their transformational effect to stakeholders and decision makers. Our staff need you to be consistent, coaching, and a protective champion of them and their expertise.

We’re especially keen to hear from people who bring leadership experience within Justice, ideally in a custodial environment or another similarly complex environment, together with strong experience of contractual delivery, partnership-building skills and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing prisons. Experience of matrix management and partnership working will be advantageous, as would experience in a privately managed custodial environment, and managing a complex budget.

It may be that you are already operating in a similar role and excited by the opportunity to join an innovative project with bold ambitions in the UK’s newest prison. You will share our excitement for working with people in a compassionate and community centric way, and to not simply reduce reoffending, but to end it.

To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots. Applications should include a CV and cover letter (no more than two pages), explaining your motivation for applying for the role, along with how you meet the Knowledge & Experience section of the Person Specification.