Head Of Connections -HMP Millsike

We're looking for an exceptional leader to join us as Head of Connections at HMP Millsike a flagship leadership role at the heart of one of the UK's most innovative prison partnerships.

As Head of Connections, you'll be a member of both The Forward Trust and HMP Millsike Senior Leadership Teams, leading the strategic delivery of our pioneering Connections model.

Working in partnership with Mitie and PeoplePlus, you'll shape and deliver a whole-person, whole-system approach to rehabilitation, integrating family support, substance misuse recovery and incentivised substance-free living to help people build sustainable lives beyond custody.

This is a unique opportunity to influence prison culture, lead innovative services, and demonstrate how rehabilitation and recovery can reduce reoffending and improve lives.

You'll provide strategic and operational leadership across three integrated service areas:

Family and Relationships – leading services that strengthen family ties, parenting and positive relationships including visits and the visitors centre.

Drug Strategy – owning and delivering the establishment's Drug Strategy, driving innovation, recovery and harm reduction.

More Than My Past – leading our flagship ISFL Houseblock, & our first of a kind More Than My Past programme, along with other short interventions.

You'll also

• Provide inspirational leadership to multidisciplinary teams.
• Own the prison's Drug Strategy, Family & Relationships Strategy and Visits Operating Procedures.
• Lead contractual performance, governance, compliance and impact reporting.
• Manage significant budgets and ensure financial performance.
• Develop strong partnerships across prison leadership, commissioners and external stakeholders.
• Promote lived experience, co-production and recovery-focused practice throughout the establishment.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement and evidence-based practice.
• Represent The Forward Trust as a senior ambassador both internally and externally.

We're looking for an experienced senior leader with a passion for rehabilitation and transformational change.

You'll bring

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within a custodial environment.
• Operational experience managing prison services such as visits, residential units, therapeutic environments or similar.
• Experience delivering complex contracts within Criminal Justice settings, including public or privately managed prisons.
• Experience managing large budgets (circa £1 million+) and contractual performance linked to financial outcomes.
• A proven track record of delivering high-quality services within regulated, audited and inspected environments.
• Outstanding leadership, organisational and programme management skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management with the ability to build trusted relationships across multiple organisations.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in impact measurement, governance and performance reporting.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Knowledge of desistance theory and approaches.

Desirable

• Knowledge or experience of Narrative Therapy and narrative-based approaches.
• Understanding of recovery-focused practice and lived experience models.
• Experience of Dynamic Framework contracts or privately managed prisons.