Deputy Head of Service (Hiring Immediately)

Company Description

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'.

We achieve this in two ways. First, we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. With the heart of a charity and the mindset of a business, we are uniquely placed to deliver on this challenging agenda.

In Justice , we work with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing a range of services including offender management and resettlement, veterans in custody, victim services, gangs work and youth justice.

Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to be a Deputy Head of Service of Catch22 Offender Management Unit (OMU) at HMP Thameside. A busy inner city, category B local resettlement prison, located in South-East London & operated by Serco.

You will, alongside the Head of Service, oversee operational delivery of the OMU service and ensure key performance indicators are met. You will also be responsible for ensuring that we are achieving impact and quality standards in line with MOJ and Catch22 policies and procedures.

As Deputy Head of Service for Offender Management Unit, your main duties and accountabilities will include:

• Line management of a team of coordinators, with responsibility for staff wellbeing, performance, appraisals/performance reviews, and learning and development.
• Providing a service-wide oversight on quality assurance, developing quality assurance tools, identifying delivery and performance trends and developing strategies to address key themes or capability improvements. This will also involve occasional spot-checks/review of case work to ensure quality is maintained and that cases are being managed in line with quality standards and MOJ policy.
• Workforce and resource planning across the service, ensuring the effective recruitment of the right people to meet delivery requirements, setting expectations for new hires through an established onboarding and training plan.
• Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of all relevant policy and legislation, adapting service delivery to meet changing needs.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone with the following skills and experience:

• Experience of managing a complex service, preferably within a Criminal Justice Sector setting, with responsibility for overseeing quality of delivery and identifying opportunities to further improve.
• Extensive line management experience, with a track record of leading and developing high performing teams, preferably in a prison or OMU context.
• Knowledge and Experience of quality assurance practices.
• A thorough understanding of safeguarding practices within a CJS context.
• Exceptional engagement and relationship building skills, with an ability to work with a diverse range of internal and stakeholders in a positive and professional way.

Additional Information

Those interested in applying for this opportunity should review the Job Description & Person Specification to find out more. If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please see our contact information on the Candidate Help Page . Please use reference REF3915Y in your message so that we can identify the opportunity.

When applying please be cautious over the answers you provide. If you select “NO” to the screening question regarding Right to Work in the UK, your application will automatically be closed.

Contract: Permanent

Hours & work pattern: Full time, 38 hours per week.

Salary: £42,000

Career Family & Scale: Operations – Team Leader, London

Location: Griffin Manor Way, London SE28 0FJ

Closing Date: 1630 on 20th of May 2026. Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the vacancy at any time, for any reason before the stated closing date.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

Screening: Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check, HMPPS vetting check, and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK. Catch22 does not currently provide a licence to sponsor visas but please see this register to see those that do.

To Apply: Please provide your CV and cover letter, along with the completion of the screening questions to express your interest in this opportunity. Please note, in the interest of safer recruitment and ensuring that applicants are a right fit for the role, submitted applications must contain a CV, satisfactory responses to the screening questions, and information detailing interest in the role, to be considered for this position.

Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) should not be used to exaggerate skills & experiences, create generic responses that are not unique to the individual, and for any assessments used by the Hiring Team to measure an individual's natural abilities.

Catch22’s Commitment to Opportunity & Progression

At Catch22 we are proud of our commitment in supporting people develop in their careers and progress in our organisation. In 2024, within our Justice Hub, we have 68% of those in management roles that originally joined Catch22 in the frontline workforce and some worked across a number of roles and Leadership positions before joining management. This allows us to have a highly experienced management group and provides development opportunities for those in our much valued front-line.

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “ Banned the Box ”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.

Missing Links?

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Social Media Search

Please note, we may conduct an online search as part of our due diligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media.

Vetting Requirements
This role is subject to the satisfactory completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include HMPPS vetting, NPPV, or other role-specific security clearances.

Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful outcome of these checks. Where clearance is not granted, or is subsequently withdrawn, Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment .

Catch22 Justice requests no contact from agencies or media sales

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.