UK Non-profit Jobs – Senior Life Skills Manager (Vocational) at African Prisons Project (APP)

Organisation: African
Prisons Project (APP)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
and UK
Reports to: Regional
Director
Salary: 
£7,000 – £9,500 per annum
About US:
The African
Prisons Project is an international non-profit organization that works to
restore dignity and hope to prisoners across Africa. APP works holistically to
change the way that criminal justice issues are addressed in the countries in
which we work and empower prisoners to drive positive change.
We work with
Prison Service leaders who wish to develop services and policies in line with
our mission and welcome our support. We believe that prisons should have a
comprehensive education system which facilitates the positive transformation of
men, women and children in prison. Equipping prison staff and prisoners to
deliver training programmes and ensuring that prisons have access to
educational facilities and scholastic materials can produce an enhancement of
leadership skills in prisons, an increase in the learning and reading culture
and an equal response to education from both male and female prisoners. There
will be an enhancement of performance and life skills leading to the
improvement of literacy, numeracy and vocational skills, this will increase
post release employment opportunities, resulting in a reduction in reoffending.
Job Summary: The Senior Life
Skills Manager will be responsible for providing leadership, project delivery
and guidance to the charity to strengthen our vocational projects in African
prisons.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
·        
The Senior Life Skills Manager is responsible for
delivering the charities strategic education and vocational plans and resources
in prisons. Will work at all times within the prisons rules and our charities
policies and procedures.
·        
Identify and co-ordinate new developments, such as
those relating to the curriculum, models of delivery and partnership working,
through regular review and investigation of new opportunities.
·        
Oversee educational services which will empower
people in prisons with numeracy and literacy skills, key life skills and
vocational training.
·        
Manage the process where our leaning and vocation
activities are accredited. This will require building networks and
relationships with education and vocational providers.
·        
Oversee and expand our existing Functional Adult
Literacy (FAL) and Library programmes.
·        
Change the culture in prisons towards a culture
which places a high value on reading and education.
·        
Ensure that services are delivered to female inmates
in ways which address women’s specific needs in order to ensure that women and
men receive equal benefit from education programmes.
·        
Increase the number of prison libraries and the
range of books available, optimise the appropriateness of libraries’ stock
including books to support other initiatives (including legal education and
health care)
·        
Develop libraries into “enrichment stations” by
providing a physical space for individual empowerment and learning. To ensure
that there are education facilities, relevant materials and teaching aids
available.
·        
Empower inmates and staff to deliver educational
services through adult learning by equipping them with coaching and mentoring
skills. Link inmates with vocational providers and trainers to ensure that
future employment opportunities are harnessed.
·        
The Senior Life Skills Manager is also responsible
for managing our FAL Tutor and Librarian and other paid staff or volunteers,
and this could be in one or more locations. They will manage all HR aspects
including recruitment including disciplinary action if deemed to be appropriate
– this will be in liaison with the charities HR functions.
·        
The incumbent will engage in appropriate committees,
working groups and other activities to maintain strong and productive external
networks. Responsible for ensuring that standards and quality of academic
delivery is maintained and developed.
·        
He/she will engage in appropriate committees,
working groups and other activities to maintain strong and productive external
networks. Responsible for ensuring that standards and quality of education and
vocational delivery is maintained and developed.
·        
The incumbent will be responsible for contributing
to the support and assessment of students, reflecting on the student
development needs and ensuring we achieve the highest results (pass marks).
·        
The job holder will work closely with the Regional
Director will be responsible for administering, and monitoring the vocational
skills budget, and for administering the returns required by the charities
finance functions – this also includes producing reports and returns as
required by the charities fundraising managers.
·        
The Senior Life Skills Manager will liase with
subject teachers in reviewing academic progress of the students and proactively
support them in finding ways to deal with any underperformance.
·        
Significantly contribute to income generation
activities beyond core teaching, scholarship and professional activities,
including project work, short courses, lecturing and international-related
activities.
Key Performance Indicators:
·        
Libraries – you will be measured by the number of libraries,
the number of prisoners accessing library facilities, the range of activities
and the number, range and appropriateness of libraries’ stock.
·        
Teaching – you will be
measured by the number of prisoners/prison officers completing training,
functional adult literacy and vocational programmes. It will also be
demonstrable through the number of classes being run and the performance of
these classes.
·        
Capacity building – this will be
measured by the number of prisoners and staff trained as library assistants and
FAL teachers.
·        
Equal access – you will be
measured by the respective proportions of male and female prisoners accessing
our programme.
·        
Reintegration – you will be
assessed on the number of prisoners securing gainful employment post release
and lower levels of recidivism among those participating in the educational
programmes.
Qualifications, Skills and
Experience: 
·        
The ideal candidate should hold a good Honours
degree in education (2.1 or above).
·        
A minimum of five years or more experience of
administrative or managerial responsibility in an education environment
·        
A minimum of five years knowledge and understanding
of teacher education together with an appropriate specialism.
·        
Good working knowledge and understanding of
cutting-edge educational partnerships.
·        
Excellent track record of excellence as a Senior
Vocational Teacher.
·        
An emerging record of excellent research outputs or
equivalent engagement with knowledge development in policy or practice
contexts.
·        
Prior exposure and experience co-ordinating aspects
of academic activity including leading a team.
·        
Past experience of working as a senior teacher in a
School or College.
·        
Previous experience in tutoring vocational subjects.
·        
Prior management experience.
·        
Past experience working in an NGO who supports
prisoners or who has links with the judiciary.
·        
An outstanding and innovative teacher/lecturer with
proven academic results/pass marks achieved.
·        
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
·        
Demonstrable co-ordination and organisational
skills.
·        
Skills and competencies, supported by measurable
outputs.
·        
Past experience as a school or college administrator
·        
Highly organised and flexible approach to work with
the ability to prioritise workload under pressure and to meet tight deadlines.
·        
Ability to lead and work within an environment of multiple
contributions and interests, exercising initiative and work independently.
·        
Confidence in own abilities and clear commitment to
excellence in education
·        
Detailed knowledge and understanding or experience
of the requirements of teaching and research in a prison or judiciary context
·        
Advanced oral and writing skills, and an ability to
present information and arguments clearly; excellent interpersonal skills; IT
skills appropriate to an office or NGO (field) environment
·        
Past experience in dealing with Commissioners and an
ability to work consultatively within democratic structures; sympathy with the
aims, objectives and academic values at the highest levels having a commitment
to the highest possible standards
·        
Demonstrated ability to take initiatives in developing
relationships, initiatives and options for action that might benefit the
charities education and vocational aims
It is
anticipated that the successful candidate may be either:
·        
An established teacher who now wishes to provide
strategic thinking, management, administrative support and all-round service to
an NGO working in human rights and education
·        
An educational administrator who has worked closely
with academic staff, and seeks a leading role in the service of a charity who
aims to achieve academic success in a prison community
·        
Individuals with appropriate qualifications but
different kinds of career experience are encouraged to consider applying
Salary: This role is also available to
applications from around the world, and we will pay approx. £7,000 – £9,500 per
annum or Ugandan shillings equivalent.
How to Apply: 
All suitably
qualified and interested candidates should send an updated CV and covering
letter to our UK office
Jessica Harper,
Office & HR Manager
Address: Unit
16, 95 Miles Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 3FH
Email to:
jessicaharper@africanprisons.org
NB: Please do not apply unless you have the right
qualifications and experience. This role will be popular and we will only be
reviewing applications who send us their CV and covering letter which are no
more 3 pages long. We do not need to see certificates.

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