Position Team Lead (Justice Services)

Location Flexible working - home based, with regular travel across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria in community and custodial settings

Salary £29,077 – £31,500 + excellent benefits

Hours 35 hours per week (flexible working)

Status Fixed term until 28th February 2027

Closing date 1 July 2026

The Wise Group, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and third-sector organisations, delivers the Finance, Benefit and Debt service across the North West of England.

This role is about more than advice. It’s about helping people stabilise their finances, reduce crisis and create the conditions for long-term change.

Working across prison and community settings, you will lead a team supporting men facing financial hardship, debt and benefit-related challenges that can impact stability, wellbeing and successful reintegration into the community.

Using our Relational Mentoring approach, your team will build trusted relationships that go beyond transactional support - helping individuals make meaningful and sustained progress.

No two journeys are the same.

Many of the people we support are navigating multiple and interconnected challenges including unstable housing, poor mental health, addiction, family breakdown and long-standing barriers to progression. Effective support requires consistency, collaboration and the ability to work confidently with complexity.

As Team Lead, you will play a key role in shaping how this support is delivered - developing people, strengthening partnerships and ensuring we deliver high-quality, person-centred services that make a genuine difference.

We are looking for a confident, people-focused leader who can combine empathy with accountability, support teams to perform at their best, and help create the conditions for long-term change.

What you’ll lead

People and performance

Recruit, onboard and support mentoring staff delivering frontline interventions. Provide regular supervision, support wellbeing and performance, manage caseload allocation and create a culture focused on accountability, rehabilitation and outcomes.

Service delivery

Ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across custodial and community settings. Support your team to address finance, benefits and debt barriers that impact stability, wellbeing and resettlement.

Partnerships and stakeholder engagement

Build strong working relationships with prisons, probation, Ministry of Justice partners and third-sector organisations. Strengthen referral pathways, support collaborative delivery and help ensure people can access the right support at the right time.

Safeguarding, risk and compliance

Ensure safe working practices are embedded, including risk assessment and safeguarding. Manage and escalate concerns appropriately and ensure compliance with all requirements.

Data, quality and performance

Oversee CRM systems, case recording and performance reporting. Use data and insight to track progress, meet contractual requirements and drive continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement and change

Identify opportunities to improve delivery, gather feedback from staff, participants and partners, and support the ongoing development of justice services across the region.

What you’ll bring

• Experience leading or coordinating frontline teams within criminal justice, social justice, employability or related services

• Strong people management and coaching skills, with the ability to build trust, resilience and accountability

• Understanding of the multiple and interconnected challenges faced by people entering or leaving custody, particularly around financial wellbeing, debt, housing, wellbeing and reintegration

• Ability to lead and support teams working in complex and emotionally demanding environments

• Strong organisational and digital skills, including experience with CRM systems and performance reporting

• Confidence building productive relationships with statutory and third-sector partners

• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the ability to implement change

Essential requirements

• Full driving licence and access to a car for daily use

• Willingness to travel regularly across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria

• Successful completion of enhanced Level 1 prison vetting

• Home broadband to support flexible working

Experience of working within a custodial setting is advantageous.

View the Role Profile for full details about this opportunity.