23355 - Group Worker/Facilitator

Group work that guides change in the East Midlands

The Ministry of Justice is seeking a Group Worker/Facilitator to help prisoners explore behaviour, improve relationships and build skills for a future without crime. The role sits within a small rehabilitative team and is focused on delivering programmes in group settings and one-to-one sessions. Training and professional support are provided as part of the post, with delivery taking place primarily at HMP Whatton but with the possibility of working at other East Midlands sites, including HMP Onley, HMP Ranby, HMP Stocken and HMP Whatton as required.

Based in Grantham, this permanent civil service position is open to external applicants and there are two posts available. The role is classified at Civil Service Grade EO and carries a salary of £34,440 per year. The MoJ welcomes flexible patterns, including full-time, part-time or job-share arrangements, and the work arrangement may involve travel between establishments within the region.

If you enjoy helping people discover new ways to think and act, working in a structured programme environment, and contributing to rehabilitation efforts, this role could suit you well. It’s a chance to support offenders on their path to more constructive behaviour while collaborating with a tight-knit team.

What your day-to-day could look like behind the walls

You’ll deliver a mix of group and individual interventions, following established manuals and adapting delivery to meet the needs of participants. In practice that means planning sessions, gathering materials, and ensuring sessions run smoothly or arranging catch-ups if a session is missed. You’ll identify eligible participants, carry out assessments and maintain a clear record of outcomes while staying aligned with the programme’s requirements.

Part of the role involves motivational interviewing to engage prisoners in the programmes and keeping motivation high for current and former participants. You’ll also support wider rehabilitative activity in the establishment and contribute to post-session de-briefs, progress records, and post-programme reviews, communicating progress to sentence management teams as appropriate. Collaboration with prison staff and other professionals is part of daily work, including liaising with treatment managers and contributing to the quality assurance framework under supervision.

There’s an emphasis on professional development and ongoing supervision. You’ll participate in training and development opportunities and may be asked to deliver awareness packages to other staff within the establishment, helping to embed rehabilitation principles across the site.

Must-have requirements, then nice-to-haves

What the team needs is someone who can relate well to people, stay organized, and commit to delivering effective interventions. The essentials include the ability to connect with participants and support them through the programme, plus the readiness to complete the required assessments and training to deliver specific interventions and maintain accreditation. You should be able to facilitate sessions in an engaging, interactive way and contribute to ongoing supervision and professional development. Finally, you’ll need to work with sentence management and keep accurate records of assessments and progress.

• Strong people skills that help you connect with participants and keep them engaged
• Willingness and ability to complete mandatory assessments and training to deliver interventions and remain accredited
• Capacity to facilitate sessions in an interactive, engaging manner
• Ability to coordinate with prison staff, manage records and contribute to post-programme reporting

Pay, benefits and practical details you’ll want to know

The role pays £34,440 per year and is listed as a permanent position at Civil Service Grade EO. The working pattern can be full time, part time, part time/job share, or flexible, with the base location shown as Grantham in the East Midlands. The vacancy is advertised as External, and there are two openings in this job family. The MoJ notes that hybrid working arrangements may be available where the business needs allow, but the role will predominantly involve site-based activity in prisons, with occasional travel to other East Midlands sites as required.

Typical full-time hours are 37 per week, with unpaid breaks. The MoJ supports flexible working patterns where feasible, and arrangements will be discussed and reviewed with successful candidates. A DBS Enhanced check is required for this post, and national eligibility rules for the Civil Service apply. If you’re selected, you’ll be appointed to a MoJ office location, with the exact site confirmed after pre-employment checks. A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months for similar roles.

In addition, the Civil Service provides a pension option, an annual leave calendar aligned with the standard terms, and opportunities for training and development, including areas like dealing with challenging behaviour and equality and diversity training. Some staff moves or secondments may be possible subject to business needs and internal policies.

Advice for applicants in this specific search

Lead with your most relevant experience on your resume. If you’ve facilitated group work or delivered therapeutic or behavioural programmes, place concrete examples of those sessions at the top of your experience section and quantify impact where you can.

Show how you prove you can meet the must-haves. Use short, specific examples that demonstrate your ability to engage participants, complete the required training, and maintain accurate records. Describe a time you ran a session and adapted it on the fly to meet participants’ needs, including the outcomes you measured.

Prepare for the interview with the four core behaviours in mind: Communicating and Influencing, Developing Self and Others, Managing a Quality Service, and Working Together. Think of a real scenario for each where you influenced a participant, supported a colleague, ensured quality in a session, and collaborated with teammates or management.

Ask a thoughtful question that ties to the role’s realities. For example, you could ask how success is measured across the East Midlands sites, what supervision cadence looks like, or how delivery across multiple prisons is coordinated to maintain programme integrity and consistency.

How to apply

To apply, reference job number 23355 and reach out using the MoJ recruitment channels. You can call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm) or email [email protected]. When you submit your application, mention the job reference 23355, and prepare to discuss your experience delivering group and individual sessions, your plans for engaging participants, and how you’d manage records and liaising with sentence management. The closing date for applications is 06-Nov-2026.