Bail information officer Greater Manchester

I am currently recruiting for a bail information officer to work in Greater Manchester

Applying candidates must be able to work in the Greater Manchester area and have previous experience in some way of working with offenders.

BIS Bail Information Officers (BIO) provide courts with a full Bail Information Report or

verbal delivery (in courts) containing summarised, verified information relating to the

defendant, including an overview of risk and safeguarding.

The report can also suggest effective bail packages to support the court to safely release defendants on bail, including referrals to CAS 2 Accommodation and/or other Support Services, in addition to checks for both curfew and GPS Electronic Monitoring options.

Whilst a Bail Information Service does not recommend bail, it can fundamentally assist courts in making a better-informed decision in relation to bail and custodial remand.

Overview of the job:

Postholders will undertake a full range of work with defendants and stakeholders, utilising BIS processes and practice directions to produce quality, factual and objective reports in preparation for court hearings (Magistrate and Crown Courts) where release on bail is being considered.

The job holder will work collaboratively across prison establishments and Magistrate Courts in a designated BIS region and duties will be centrally allocated.

Reports will be delivered both written in advance of hearings or verbally to the court on the day depending on site location.

The job holder will undergo additional specialised training to deliver the role.

Main Duties:

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities, and duties:

• Responsible for preparing for written or verbal delivery- bail information reports

• Interview defendants held in court and in Prison establishments, either in person or via Video Link, to gather information relevant to bail applications.
  
  Verifying information provided wherever possible.
  
  

• Ensure proposed accommodation availability checks are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
  
  

• Extract and interpret information relating to defendants from available systems and databases.
  
  Including where available NDelius, the Digital Prison System (DPS) and the Offender Assessment System (OASys).
  
  Identify previous offending behaviour and instances of non-compliance as well as previous engagement with Probation supervision.
  
  Liaising with Community Offender Managers where applicable.
  
  

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders involved with BIS.
  
  Obtaining information relevant to the defendant and their application for release on bail.
  
  This will include, but is not limited to, solicitors, Probation Service, mental health teams, substance misuse services, and court staff.
  
  

• Ensure referrals to community organisations for defendants are completed to assist in addressing any identified support needs and to access ongoing support if released on bail.
  
  

• Analyse and accurately interpret complex Police records to identify any public protection or safeguarding concerns and submit necessary referrals/requests for information to Probation, Local Authorities, Police Services and any other appropriate agencies.
  
  

• Liaise with Local Authorities, and where identified, share Safeguarding concerns and relevant information.
  
  

If you are interested in the role, please contact Andy at Service Care Solutions on 01772 208962 or email andrew.quinney@servicecare.org.uk