Head of Education, Skills and Work

Head Of Education, Skills and Work

Location: HMP and YOI Doncaster, Doncaster, DN5 8UX

Salary: Between £50,000 - £60,000 per annum, dependant on experience plus excellent benefits

Schedule: 40 hours per week, permanent

Ready to impact a better future?

As our Head of Education, Skills and Work at HMP Doncaster, you’ll drive the vision for education, skills development and employment across the prison, shaping opportunities that help people build brighter futures after release.

Your work will create positive impact every day — from raising the quality of learning to building strong links with employers and helping individuals gain the skills, qualifications and confidence they need to move forward. It’s purposeful, future‑focused work that touches lives and supports safer communities.

What you’ll do as a Head of Education, Skills and Work

You’ll be entrusted to:

• Lead the strategic direction for all education, skills and work activity within the establishment, ensuring approaches are coherent and evidence‑based.
• Create effective learning and teaching approaches aligned with national directives and the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.
• Oversee key areas including Education, Neurodiversity, Employment on Release, Workshops/Industries and Gardens.
• Partner with the Head of Reducing Reoffending and other functional leads to maximise opportunities that reduce reoffending and support resettlement.
• Work with the Director and Deputy Director to develop strategies that increase employment outcomes for prison leavers.
• Manage the quality of ESW provision using Ofsted inspection requirements and lead on all related inspections and action plans.
• Maintain a strong culture of employment within the prison and guide the Prison Employment Lead to maximise stakeholder relationships that improve outcomes.
• Oversee the delivery of Prison Industries and Activities and lead colleagues within the function, setting high expectations and driving performance.

Does this sound like you?

You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have…

• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong coaching, mentoring and negotiating skills with the ability to influence change.
• Experience managing and leading colleagues, with the ability to perform under pressure and meet deadlines.
• The ability to work independently in a target‑driven environment with high levels of integrity and reliability.
• PGCE, Cert Ed or Level 5 in Education and Training.

Vetting and checks:
An Enhanced DBS check is required for this role. This includes spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and any relevant information held by local police, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and safeguarding requirements. You will also complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire to allow us to provide any support needed for you to succeed in the role.

Discover all you need to keep growing
We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.

What we offer

• Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays (and the option to buy up to five additional leave days each year)
• Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Bonus: A performance‑based bonus scheme
• Company car: A company car or cash alternative
• Private medical insurance
• Training and development: Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (including L3 Team Leader and L5 Operations Manager apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
• Health and wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco‑managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service
• Discounts: Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
• Charity: Paid volunteering day, tax‑free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity
• Employee networks: Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.

Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.