Job profile

Are you passionate about helping learners in custody build confidence, communication skills and resilience for future learning and employment? We’re looking for a dedicated Personal and Social Development (PSD) Teacher to deliver a one-day-per-week course for trained peer mentors at HMP Stoke Heath, helping them develop the skills to positively support their peers on Education courses.

We have a great opportunity available to join Novus, our prison education provider at HMP Stoke Heath, working as a Personal and Social Development (PSD) Teacher. This role is offered on a permanent, part-time basis, working 4 hours per week on Friday mornings (08:15 - 12:15). The successful candidate will develop and deliver a one-day-per-week course focused on honing the skills of trained peer mentors, who support their peers on prison education courses.

Who are Novus?

Novus are a leading provider of prison education and have been supporting men, women, and children of all ages for over 30 years across the UK to take new directions. We are also part of the LTE group of companies that include The Manchester College, MOL, Total People, UCEN, and LTE Group Operations. We are currently rated “Good” by Ofsted and have partnerships with over 1000 industry and employer partners, ensuring our learners secure their place as the movers and shakers of the future. Our business is growing year on year due to our continued success as a leading provider in prison education.

Site Information

HMP Stoke Heath, located near Market Drayton in Shropshire, is a Category C prison that houses adult male offenders and young adults.  The teams' aim is to create an environment in which staff and prisoners feel safe, and where causes of prison stress are minimised. The prison’s mission is to provide a secure, safe, and rehabilitative environment that encourages positive change and prepares inmates for a successful reintegration into society.

Role Responsibilities

This part-time role supports trained peer mentors to develop the confidence, communication and practical mentoring skills needed to support others within Education.

Working 4 hours per week, you will deliver an engaging PSD course covering effective peer support, active listening, boundaries, resilience and reflective practice.

General duties:

• Deliver and assess a focused PSD course for trained peer mentors.
• Develop learners’ mentoring, listening and communication skills.
• Help peer mentors understand their role, responsibilities, boundaries and signposting.
• Encourage reflection on personal development and the impact of peer support.
• Promote an inclusive learning environment where learners support one another effectively.
• Work with the Education team to support learner engagement and progression.
• Facilitate engaging sessions covering topics such as:
  • Personal Learning Skills
  • Improving Own Learning and Performance
  • Using Learning Goals and Targets for Progress
  • Group and Teamwork Communication Skills
  • Critical Thinking Skills
  • Research Skills
  • Evaluating Sources, Evidence and Arguments
  • Referencing and Academic Integrity
  • Progression to Further Learning
  • Presenting and Reviewing a Personal Progression Portfolio

A full role profile containing an overview of general role responsibilities and more is available to download after you click Apply. Specific details of the role are also shared during the interview process.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will need to:

• Be passionate about supporting learners to achieve their potential.
• Be committed to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Hold or be willing to work towards a recognised teaching qualification within 12 months
• Hold a relevant subject specialist qualification, or have experience of delivering education, training or personal development programmes.
• Hold a Level 2 qualification in Literacy and Numeracy.

• Demonstrate understanding, or have experience in, creating stimulating, vibrant environments which are conducive to learning and motivational for learners
• Have a good previous track record of achieving quality targets and engaging in positive team working
• Produce accurate and timely reports
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal and communication skills
• Have an ability to motivate and enthuse learners from diverse backgrounds in the subject matter
• Demonstrate good organisational skills and administrative skills to prioritise workload and meet deadlines/targets

Benefits

• 40 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays *Pro rata
• 2 hours for wellbeing / personal development per week *Pro rata
• Significant Pension contributions (Teacher’s pension)
• Retail Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Cycle to work scheme

Safeguarding

The LTE Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants will be required to undergo an appropriate DBS check via the Criminal Records Bureau and may be subject to additional online checks as part of our pre-screening process. Some roles are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and would require an Enhanced DBS check.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Novus is committed to providing an environment where everyone is valued as an individual and where learners and colleagues can work, learn, flourish and develop their skills and knowledge in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. We are committed to working in an inclusive way with all the communities in which we are geographically located and to developing a workforce and learner community that reflects the UK’s rich diversity and vibrancy.

The closing date for this job advert is 22/09/2026. However, sometimes the job advert may close early if we receive a good response!