23279 - Textiles - Specialist Production Instructor (SPI) Garment Manufacture : HMP Humber

The Ministry of Justice is looking for a skilled Textiles - Specialist Production Instructor (SPI) to join the team at HMP Humber in Brough, England. The role is a full-time, on-site position at Civil Service Grade EO, with a salary of £34,440 per year. It’s a permanent post, identified by the reference 23279, and designed for someone who wants to help prisoners gain recognised qualifications in a working textiles environment. This is a non-operational instructional role focused on training and supervising in a specialist workshop to improve post-release employment prospects and reduce reoffending.

The SPI will work with prisoners, teaching them the skills needed to meet national qualification standards and, when relevant, collaborating with external organisations such as local colleges. The aim is to provide high-quality learning and secure, consistent supervision while maintaining security and discipline within the workshop. The post is not for basic assembly or packing jobs; it’s about delivering focused, qualification-led training in a textiles setting, though the role may support a more basic workshop on a short-term basis if required.

This is a 37-hour week on-site role. Hybrid working is mentioned as a potential option where business needs allow, but the position itself is based in a MoJ/HMP Humber location and appointment is made to a MoJ office site. The package includes the usual civil service benefits and is intended for someone who wants to apply their production experience to a corrections setting.

A day in the textile workshop

In this job, you’ll induct prisoners to the workshop, introduce them to health and safety, COSHH, and the safe use of machinery and tools, and then tailor learning to each prisoner’s needs. You’ll set work schedules, monitor targets and quality standards, and assess progress against national qualification criteria. You’ll supervise, motivate and discipline prisoners in the workshop, while keeping up regular communications via radio in line with local security policies. You’ll also handle sensitive administration, including completing assessment forms and incident reports when required, and ensuring security checks such as metal detector scans are performed for those attending and leaving the workshops.

Quality assurance sits at the heart of the role: you’ll verify product specifications and log attendance, hours worked and wage details, including piece work when relevant. You’ll conduct regular checks on fabrics and tools, maintain the security of workshop areas and oversee planned maintenance on machinery. The job also involves contributing to prisoner reports for parole and sentence planning, maintaining training records, and supporting health and safety risk assessments for the workshop. You’ll estimate material usage to meet targets, participate in product development reviews to keep the work varied, and participate in self-audit processes to help meet service delivery indicators. Administrative tasks to keep the workshop running smoothly form part of the everyday rhythm as well.

The role requires clear, consistent communication and a focus on safeguarding and security, with all duties performed in line with the establishment’s procedures. An ability to work in English is essential, with Welsh language capability noted where relevant in Wales.

Essential experience and qualifications

• Significant work experience in a production environment
• Experience using industrial standard machinery and equipment
• A Level 3 or equivalent qualification in textiles or a closely related subject
• IT skills and basic literacy in maths and English

Nice-to-have experience

• Some supervisory experience in a workshop or production setting

Pay, benefits and practical details

The position pays £34,440 a year, with a standard 37-hour week. The post is located in Brough, in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, and is a permanent appointment at EO level. The MoJ notes that hybrid working arrangements may be available where business needs allow, but the role is primarily on-site and appointment is to a MoJ office location. As part of the civil service, there are diverse benefit options including annual leave with leave year rules tied to the location and pattern of work, and nine bank/public/privilege holidays added to annual leave. Pension choices are available, and there are opportunities for training and development, with induction, security and diversity training, and access to promotion programmes. The organisation also supports flexible working where possible, and there are options such as a season ticket loan after two months’ service and childcare vouchers where applicable. Security and identity checks are required for all candidates, and external hires face a six-month probation period, with internal candidates optionally subject to probation if they have not previously served one. The Civil Service Code governs behavior, with merit-based recruitment and diversity and inclusion initiatives in place.

Advice for applicants

Highlight your hands-on experience in a production setting and any direct work with industrial textiles machinery up front on your resume, especially if you’ve supervised operators or trained others in a workshop. Show clear links between your prior roles and the need to meet national qualification standards, including examples of QA and safety compliance you’ve implemented.

Demonstrate the must-have skills by detailing specific tasks you’ve led, such as setting schedules, monitoring quality targets, conducting risk assessments, and maintaining tool and machinery safety. If you’ve worked with COSHH, health and safety protocols, or conducted training, give concrete examples with outcomes.

Prepare for the interview and assessment by thinking through how you’d respond to the job’s behavioral areas: making effective decisions, delivering a quality service, and developing others. Have a few short anecdotes ready that illustrate your ability to supervise, motivate, and discipline in a structured environment while maintaining high safety and security standards.

Consider a thoughtful question to ask at the end of your interview about how the workshop aligns with national qualification standards and how external organisations such as local colleges support training and progression for prisoners.

How to apply

To apply, reference 23279 and contact the MoJ recruitment team at 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm) or via [email protected]. If you’re applying through HMPPS channels, you can call 0345 241 5358 or email [email protected], and be sure to quote the job reference 23279. The closing date for applications is 02-Nov-2026. This vacancy is advertised externally, and applicants should be prepared for security and identity checks, with external candidates typically undergoing a six-month probation period. The Civil Service welcomes applications from a broad range of backgrounds and is committed to diversity and inclusion, including adjustments during the recruitment process for candidates with disabilities.