Project Worker

2026

Project Worker
(WomenMATTA)

Charity no: 1118727. Company no: 5581944.

Welcome!

Dear Applicant,

Women in Prison is the only national charity focused on women in the criminal justice sector,
we are women-led and know the importance of ensuring we have a clear gendered approach
in  all  that  we  do.    Our  influencing  potential  and  campaigning  voice  are  substantial.  We  are
currently in our 40th year of supporting women impacted by the criminal justice system.  We
work with women who are at risk of, or being, harmed by the systems that are meant to protect
us.

At Women in Prison we are passionate, ambitious and grounded in the reality of women’s lives.
We  are  proud  of  our  roots  as  a  feminist  grassroots  organisation,  and  we  have  grown  from
strength  to  strength  since  the  1980s,  delivering  services  to  women  and  campaigning  for
change.  We exist to support women facing multiple marginalisation and exclusion, who have
been let down, and their rights denied.  We believe that prison doesn’t work and we want to see
an end to the harmful imprisonment of women in England and Wales.

This is a very exciting time in Women in Prison. As a deeply value-led organisation, we know
that our recently agreed set of values represents the unique nature of our organisation, and
also need to hold us to account for how we work in an unpredictable future.  Our new vision
and purpose will guide us as we work to implement our strategy.

We  know  we  want  to  build  more  coproduction;  deeper  support  to  women  who  are
disproportionately affected by the system through an intersectional lens; greater connection
between the women we support and the influencing we do; an increased focus on alternatives
to the system and a stronger focus on preventing women being caught up in the system.

If you are excited by our purpose, and the breadth of what this role could offer to you, we would
love to hear from you.

I look forward to meeting you.

Sonya Ruparel, Chief Executive

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Our Story

 Our Vision is of a society which no longer accepts the structural inequalities
that lead women and girls into contact with the criminal justice system.

Women in Prison was born out of the anger our founder – Chris Tchaikovsky – felt about what
she experienced and saw when imprisoned in HMP Holloway in the 1980s.

During Chris' time in prison, a woman died after setting fire to her own cell. Chris saw that the
specific needs of women in prison and the damaging effect prison sentences were having on
women scarcely figured in public or political discourse. So, in 1983, alongside international
criminologist Pat Carlen, Chris founded Women in Prison, pushed hard to expose this scandal
and campaigned for change. Our founders wanted to increase awareness of the lives behind
the women in our prisons, and the impact of poverty and abuse on women’s lives.

Chris believed the idea of sending a woman to prison as punishment was shameful and absurd.

In her words:

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“Taking the most hurt people out of society and punishing them in order to teach them
how to live within society is, at best, futile. Whatever else a prisoner knows, she knows
everything there is to know about punishment because that is exactly what she has
grown up with. Whether it is childhood sexual abuse, indifference, neglect;
punishment is most familiar to her.”

In the early 1990s, the organisation was able to expand its remit beyond campaigning to
deliver direct support to women affected by the criminal justice system. WIP's initial focus on
prison in-reach services was then expanded to support women in the community following
their release. Chris, sadly, passed away in 2002. Despite the loss of our visionary founder,
Women in Prison works to carry on Chris' legacy.

Today, WIP is a national charity dedicated to making a difference to the lives of women
affected by the criminal justice system. We campaign for a new system of justice - one that
addresses the root causes of offending (including homelessness, substance use, mental ill
health and experiences of poverty, trauma and abuse). Our women’s centres in Manchester
and London and the services we provide in communities and prisons deliver holistic, women-
centred support to enable those whom we work with to address the complex challenges they
face.

We want to persuade decision-makers to radically reduce the women’s prison population, by
demonstrating how a focus on human rights, social justice, health and investment in
specialist community support services, including women’s centres, enables women to move
forward with their lives. We do this by:

1.  Leading inspiring, passionate campaigns to replace the current system, and to radically
reduce the number of women in prison, thereby freeing resources for investment in
community support services, including women’s centres.

2.  Delivering high quality, trauma-informed, independent advocacy services for women, in
communities and prisons, which focuses on early intervention, health and holistic
provision as part of a ‘whole system’ multi-agency response.

3.  Offering a platform for women’s voices which builds women’s confidence and self-belief,

strengthening an understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and provides
opportunities to speak ‘truth to power’ to bring about real change

Click here for our most recent annual report

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Project Worker (x2)

WomenMATTA

Reports to:

Programme Manager (WomenMATTA)

Direct reports:

N/A

About Women in Prison

Women in Prison is a national, women-led, feminist organisation.  We deliver front line
support to women harmed by the criminal justice system, through our work in prisons, in the
community and ‘through the prison gate’ as they resettle back into their communities. We
also campaign for systems change that addresses the root causes of offending, reduces the
harmful impact of prison, and creates workable, community-based alternatives to
imprisonment.

Job Description:

Job Purpose:

Women  in  Prison’s  Project  Workers  deliver  high-quality,  trauma-informed,  independent
advocacy for women in communities and in prisons, which focuses on early intervention, and
holistic provision as part of a ‘whole system’ multi-agency response that looks to address the
root  causes  of  women’s  offending.  The  primary  purpose  of  this  role  is  to  provide  in-depth,
ongoing support to a caseload of women in the community of Greater Manchester.

Key Responsibility Areas

1.  Provide high-quality, trauma-responsive support to women in contact with, or at risk of

contact with the criminal justice system.

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2.  Monitor case management systems to ensure accurate and timely data recording,

aligning with contract KPIs and WIP policies.

3.  Develop and maintain effective partnerships with statutory and voluntary sector

services to ensure coordinated, multi-agency support for women.

4.  Contribute to organisational development and personal growth through innovation,

self-care, and professional learning.

Duties and key responsibilities

1.  Provide high-quality, trauma-responsive support to women in contact with, or at

risk of contact with the criminal justice system:

•  Provide one to one advocacy and support to a caseload of service users; adopting a

person-centred approach to ensure that women are empowered to achieve
independence through structured interventions.

•  Complete comprehensive risk and needs assessments and co-create support plans

across the nine pathways to reoffending.

•  Take a collaborative multi-agency approach to supporting women, representing the
core values of Women in Prison at all times, including representing and supporting
women at multi-agency meetings.

•  Conduct regular risk management and complete safeguarding referrals where

appropriate and support women’s safety through involving them in the safeguarding
process.

2.  Monitor case management systems to ensure accurate and timely data recording,

aligning with contract KPIs and WIP’s policies:

•  Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation systems and processes are in place to
report on service delivery and collate feedback from service users and partner
organisations.

•  Ensure that staff maintain accurate, confidential service user records, following WIP’s
policies and procedures, and contribute to the maintenance of the Programme’s
monitoring and recording systems.

•  Support with the production of monitoring and evaluation reports in line with funder

and other key stakeholder requirements.

3.  Develop and maintain effective partnerships with statutory and voluntary sector

services to ensure coordinated, multi-agency support for women:

•  Take a collaborative multi-agency approach to supporting women, including

representing and supporting women at multi-agency meetings.

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•  Build strong professional relationships with a range of stakeholders, including

probation, prisons, housing, and mental health services.

•  Represent WIP in community and statutory meetings, championing trauma-informed

and gender-responsive approaches.

4.  Contribute to organisational development and personal growth through

innovation, self-care, and professional learning:

•  Actively participate in WIP campaigns and ensure women’s voices are included in

influencing and policy work.

•  Maintain awareness of developments in relevant public policy and best practice by

attending training, conferences, and meetings.

•  Engage in regular line management supervision and clinical support to maintain

wellbeing and prevent vicarious trauma.

•  Promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in trauma-responsive

and gender-specific service delivery.

The job description does not form part of your contract of employment and can be amended
from time to time as the needs of the organisation require.

Person Specification:

Skills and Experience

•  Proven  ability  to  provide  strengths-based,  trauma-informed  support  to  women  facing

multiple disadvantages, ideally within the criminal justice system.

•  Experience working with agencies that provide support around benefits, homelessness,

mental health and substance misuse.

•  Strong experience in conducting risk and needs assessments, developing support plans,

and maintaining clear, accurate case records.

•  Effective  communicator,  both  verbally  and  in  writing,  with  the  ability  to  build  trusted

relationships across a range of professional and cultural contexts.

•  Competent in managing a varied caseload, prioritising tasks, and working independently

as well as collaboratively within a team.

•  Confident  IT  user,  including  databases,  reporting  systems,  email,  and  Microsoft  Office

tools.

•  Meticulous  case  recording  including  accurate  note  taking  and  ability  to  summarise

information to identify key themes.

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Knowledge and Attributes

•  Commitment to the core values and ethos of Women in Prison, including social justice and

feminism

•  Commitment  to  anti-discriminatory  practice  and  equal  opportunities  and  an  ability  to

apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work

•  Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and a commitment to working in a way

that promotes social justice and feminism.

•  Up to date understanding of safeguarding practice, policy and procedures.
•  Knowledge  of  the  impact  that  contact  with  the  criminal  justice  system  may  have  on
women and understanding of the root causes of women’s offending and the importance
of women-specific provision.

•  Personal resilience and the ability to stay focused in a rapidly changing environment.

Terms and Conditions:

Start date:

To be confirmed

Salary:

£26,650 per annum

Location:

Manchester and Trafford, Greater Manchester

Working hours:          Full time: 35 hours per week

Contract:

Fixed term until 31st March 2027 (extension subject to funding)

Annual leave:

30 days plus statutory bank holidays (if full time). All WIP staff also
receive an additional 3 days leave between Christmas and New Year.

Pension scheme:  WIP provides an auto enrolment pension scheme with 5% contributions

from the employer and 3% from the employee.

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To Apply:

Applications close: Tuesday 14th April 2026
Interviews with Women in Prison: TBC
To apply: Submit a completed application form to the applicant portal

If you require reasonable adjustments to support you during the application process, please
contact the HR team on hr@wipuk.org.

We are happy to invest in developing the right person, so you are welcome to apply even if
your professional experience does not fully meet the job description or person specification.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minoritised women, and
women who have personal experience of the criminal justice system.

If you do have lived experience, please see policy below on the Recruitment of Women with
Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System.

In line with legal requirements and the nature of our work, this role:

Is restricted to women only as a genuine occupational requirement

•
•  Requires the right to work in the UK
•
•

Is subject to an Enhanced + Adult Barred List DBS check
Is subject to HM Prison and Probation Service vetting (‘Enhanced Level 1’ or ‘Standard
Plus’)

•  Requires that the post holder is not automatically disqualified by (or can obtain a waiver

from) the Charity Commission

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Our Principle Commitments
WIP is committed to building and valuing diverse teams and taking positive action to promote
equality and challenge unfair and unlawful discrimination. We recognise that women may
experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on their sex and
additional, real or perceived, characteristics including age, disability, gender reassignment,
marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion, sexual orientation,
social-economic background, immigration status, caring responsibilities, spent convictions
or trade union membership.

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WIP works to tackle discrimination and the structural inequalities women experience. We are
committed to embedding diversity and inclusion in all areas of our work, including
recruitment, and aim to reflect the diversity and excellence of the women that we work with.
We actively encourage applications from women from a variety of backgrounds, and with a
range of skills and experiences. We are particularly interested to hear from Black, Asian and
minoritised women and women who have lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Policy on the Recruitment of Women with Lived
Experience of the Criminal Justice System

Women in Prison actively encourages and supports the employment of women with lived
experience of the criminal justice system. We believe that women’s own experiences drive
the Charity forward through understanding, solidarity and passion for change.

Job Advertisements and the Application Process
We do not ask for disclosure of criminal records during the application process, to ensure
that women with lived experience of the criminal justice system are assessed on their merit,
without risk of discrimination and are not asked to disclose sensitive personal information
unnecessarily.

If a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for a role, this will be stated clearly
in the job advert, including the level of DBS.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) vetting
If HMPPS vetting is required for a role, this will be stated in the advert. Women in Prison has
to adhere to this vetting requirement in order to deliver some of its services. We actively
encourage and support women with lived experience to apply for our roles, but it should be
noted that vetting must be passed to be appointed to roles with this requirement; there is no
comprehensive list of reasons why vetting may be failed, though there is evidence to suggest
that vetting may be failed for the following reasons: -

•  Offenses against vulnerable people
•  Offenses motivated by hate or discrimination
•  Domestic abuse offenses
•  Murder
•  Firearms offenses
•  Dishonesty-related offenses, such as fraud
•  Multiple offenses
•  Offenses involving violence, drugs, or dishonesty

Failure to disclose information
You might fail vetting if you don't disclose information about yourself or people close to you
that raise concerns with the Police.

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Incomplete or incorrect information
You might fail vetting if you provide incomplete or incorrect information on your application.
The level of checks you undergo will depend on the role you're applying for and the type of
access you'll have. You'll need to provide supporting documentation to confirm your identity
address, and right to work

Unlock can provide you with some guidance on applying for roles in the criminal justice
sector.

Levels of DBS Checks
Basic DBS checks contain details of unspent convictions. Standard and Enhanced DBS
checks contain details of unspent and spent (unless filtered) convictions and cautions
(including reprimands and warnings). Enhanced DBS checks may also include other
information held by police forces deemed relevant to the role or check for inclusion on the
Children’s or Adults’ Barring List.

Job Offers and the Induction Process
We will only ask for a DBS check at the point of job offer.

Disclosures will be treated confidentially and only stored where necessary, in line with
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines. Access will be restricted to limited
Senior Management or HR representatives as needed to assess suitability for the role.

A criminal record will not arbitrarily bar women from employment with us. We discuss
disclosures with applicants (in person, or via phone or video call), to allow them to explain the
background in their own words. We consider the relevance to the role, including the type and
seriousness of an offence, how much time has passed and whether the individual’s
circumstances have changed. If they have restrictions on the work they are able to do, we
consider whether we are able to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate their
employment.

The Charity Commission does however have its own automatic disqualification rules on who
can hold senior positions within a charity, which apply to our Trustee, CEO and Director of
Finance and Resources positions. Although it is possible to apply for a waiver.

Women in Prison does not have a blanket ban on any criminal records and will always
approach disclosures fairly and on an individual basis. We seek to balance supporting
women with lived experience into employment, alongside safeguarding our current
employees, service users and the organisation.

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