Key information
Closing date: 10am, Tuesday 22 April 2025
Salary: £32,500 per year
Contract: Fixed term for 1 year
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Based in Kent as a home-working role
Interviews: Online, Wednesday 30 April 2025
We empower people with the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. Together we're helping people change their stories. You could join us as Project Manager for our growing criminal justice programmes.
What you’ll be doing
We have been delivering criminal justice and literacy programmes for more than 10 years, with our work including projects across men’s and women’s prisons, as well as Young Offender institutions and services in the community.
You will be responsible for a HMPSS Literacy Innovation Fund project in HMP Swaleside and HMP Elmley, both based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, managing the delivery of a range of reading and writing interventions and events to support literacy outside of formal education provision. This will include planning and delivering high-quality training sessions and workshops, working with authors and freelance facilitators, and managing project logistics, safeguarding, content and resource development, risk management and quality assurance.
Whenever possible, we engage our beneficiaries in the design of our projects and centre people with lived experience of prison in our activities so you will have the flexibility to tailor your work to meet their needs.
You will be based in Kent, as part of our Criminal Justice team. You will work from home but will need to visit HMP Swaleside and HMP Elmley regularly to support project delivery – on occasion, this could be as much as two or three times per week. You will also need to be in London approximately six times per year for staff team days and planning. All travel costs from the Kent area will be covered.
What we’re looking for
You will be an excellent project manager, with experience of working with people in custody or in contact with the criminal justice system, or other vulnerable groups. You will need strong communication skills as well as knowledge of the criminal justice system and literacy issues among the prison population. Experience delivering creative writing or other creative workshops would be an advantage.
A driving licence and access to your own vehicle would be helpful due to the travel required.
Excellent safeguarding practice is also essential. This role is also subject to both an enhanced DBS check and HMPPS security vetting.
Why our work is so vital
Literacy changes everything.
It gives you the tools to get the most out of life, and the power to shape your future. It’s the key to knowledge, confidence and inspiration. It’s better results at school, and better jobs. If children grow up without the tools to communicate, without books to read or opportunities to write, it’s harder to get where you want to go.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity helping people overcome these challenges and change their life chances through the power of words – reading, writing, speaking and listening. From first words, through school days to training, jobs and beyond.
- We work collaboratively in local communities, focusing our work in 20 areas of the UK that are facing the biggest challenges.
- We support schools, developing the most effective tools and techniques and providing resources and programmes to engage and inspire children.
- We campaign to make literacy a priority for politicians and decision-makers.
- We support vulnerable adults, people in the criminal justice system and young offenders’ institutions to build their literacy skills
What we offer you
Our team are passionate about our mission and we have a strong and positive working culture, based on shared values and respect. We offer a range of flexible working options and promote a workplace where you can be yourself and contribute to our success, whoever you are.
As well as a competitive salary, we offer benefits including a generous leave allowance totalling 39 days (including bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year), pension contributions of 8% of annual salary, a cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme and other health and wellbeing benefits.
Application details
Our people are our most important asset and we value and respect diversity in all its forms (seen and unseen). We particularly welcome applications from those from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as candidates with disabilities and from the communities in which we work. We would like to increase representation of these groups among our staff as we know greater diversity will lead to an even greater impact for our work.
For more information and to apply, download the files below.
Please also complete our online equal opportunities monitoring form when you submit your application.
Unfortunately, we are unable to respond individually to applications so if you have not heard from us by the advertised interview date, this means we have not been able to shortlist your application this time.
Please note we do not accept CVs. No agencies or recruitment sites.