Kerrie O'Donnell

Sentence Calculation, Release Management and Licensing

- Sentence Calculation Qualification: Achieved the required licence to operate in sentence calculation following intensive training and assessment at HMPPS College.

- Complex Sentence Calculation: Manually calculated prisoner sentences within strict timeframes, determining accurate release dates and producing release slips for prisoners. Communicated relevant information to Prison Offender Managers (POMs) and probation teams to facilitate timely casework and release preparation.

- Sentence Calculation Policy and Legislation: Applied, interpreted and communicated sentence calculation policies and legislative requirements, ensuring consistent practice and compliance across the team.

- Prisoner Release Assurance: Conducted final assurance checks on release calculations and associated paperwork completed by case administrators before submission for Governor sign-off, helping to prevent unlawful detention and release errors.

- Licence Processing: Applied appropriate licence conditions, reporting instructions and electronic monitoring requirements to prisoner release licences, ensuring documentation was accurate and provided on release.

- Electronic Tagging Arrangements: Completed and dispatched monitoring documentation to the relevant tagging provider to facilitate curfews, alcohol monitoring, exclusion zones and location monitoring in the community.

- Licence Recalls: Processed the return to custody of prisoners recalled for breaches of licence conditions, ensuring the associated administrative requirements were completed accurately and promptly.

- Home Detention Curfew (HDC): Produced weekly national assurance reports relating to casework processing, including Home Detention Curfew applications and associated administrative requirements.

- Prisoner Release Queries: Responded to telephone enquiries concerning release dates, unlawful absence from custody, offence dates and other sentence calculation matters, providing accurate information and appropriate guidance.

Court Production and Operational Case Management

- Prisoner Court Production: Liaised with external stakeholders, including police, probation services and court staff, to coordinate prisoner attendance at court. Managed sensitive production orders, arranged prisoner transport and facilitated video-link hearings.

- High-Risk Prisoner Logistics: Managed exceptions involving high-risk prisoners, including cases presenting an escape risk, ensuring appropriate arrangements were considered and relevant procedures followed.

- Duty Officer Responsibilities: Undertook rota-based duty responsibilities, prioritising urgent and time-critical casework, including same-day court productions and prisoner release requirements. Responded to external stakeholder enquiries through the designated duty mailbox.

- Prisoner Caseload Management: Maintained accurate electronic and hard-copy prisoner case files, recording court updates, release preparations, parole board progress and other relevant casework developments.

- Prisoner Alerts and Risk Information: Updated prisoner alerts and case administration systems in line with the latest intelligence and information relating to public protection, release risks and immigration holds.

- Casework Oversight: Monitored the progress of prisoner casework, ensuring records remained current and release documentation was completed and filed within required timescales to support effective operational delivery and probation handovers.

- Case Administrator Database Management: Maintained the case administration database and ensured team members updated records by close of business, supporting accurate reporting and effective workload management.

- Foreign National Offender Casework: Processed Home Office documentation relating to foreign national offenders and attended weekly meetings with Home Office representatives to prioritise time-sensitive immigration matters as prisoners approached the end of their sentences.

Compliance, Risk Management and Quality Assurance

- Sensitive Information Management: Handled confidential and sensitive information in accordance with relevant procedures, maintaining structured filing systems, organising archived records and reporting potential data losses or information-handling concerns.

- Release Error Reporting: Developed standardised reporting proformas for notifying regional offices of erroneous releases or cases in which prisoners had been held incorrectly, supporting consistent reporting and appropriate escalation.

- Public Protection Assurance: Identified and reported gaps in public protection casework and associated records maintained by Prison Offender Managers, highlighting omissions requiring attention.

- Police Database Auditing: Conducted fortnightly dip-sample audits of staff access to police databases, reviewing searches for potential inappropriate access and escalating concerns where necessary.

- Performance Improvement: Participated in meetings with Offender Management Unit managers and Governors to investigate casework performance concerns, identify contributing factors and implement targeted training to reduce the risk of recurrence.

- Policy and Procedural Compliance: Reinforced adherence to sentence calculation legislation, policies and operational procedures, highlighting the potential consequences of errors in calculations, releases and licence processing, including formal investigation and accountability requirements.

Team Leadership, Staff Development and Performance Management

- Staff Training and Development: Trained and supported new case administrators across core operational responsibilities, ensuring staff understood relevant legislation, policies, procedures and the importance of accuracy in sensitive prisoner casework.

- Training Package Development: Created structured training packages for new case administrators to promote consistent working practices, strengthen procedural knowledge and support effective onboarding.

- Operational Leadership: Worked alongside a fellow Band 4 colleague to establish a consistent approach to casework management, staff training and operational delivery, promoting standardisation and accuracy across the team.

- Temporary Higher-Grade Cover: Provided temporary cover for Band 5 and Band 7 responsibilities during periods of absence and annual leave, including four weeks of cover during 2026. Responsibilities included allocating daily prison casework according to staff experience and case complexity, monitoring operational delivery and undertaking regional assurance checks.

- Workload Allocation and Prioritisation: Allocated and delegated casework according to staff capability, operational priorities and prisoner risk factors, ensuring urgent tasks were identified and workloads distributed appropriately.

- Performance Management: Liaised with management regarding staff progress, workload pressures, performance concerns and opportunities to improve working practices and operational efficiency.

- Staff Wellbeing and Resilience: Promoted a positive and supportive working environment within a high-pressure setting, encouraging colleagues to develop confidence in their skills, access support and take appropriate breaks following exposure to intensive and sensitive offence-related information.

- Policy Change Management: Attended emergency national meetings concerning changes to sentence calculation policy and eligibility for early release schemes. Communicated developments to the team, managed expectations and supported staff morale during periods of significant operational change.

- Systems Development and Implementation: Participated in research and consultation meetings concerning prison software and database upgrades. Supported the implementation of system changes and trained staff to ensure they understood updated processes and maintained effective working practices.

Stakeholder Engagement, Communication and Governance

- Stakeholder Correspondence: Responded professionally to correspondence and enquiries from prisoners, solicitors, probation services and courts by telephone, email and face-to-face meetings, including engagement with the Independent Monitoring Board.

- Interdepartmental Meetings: Prepared agendas for monthly high-risk prisoner meetings involving multiple prison departments, ensuring relevant issues were identified and encouraged appropriate stakeholders attendance.

- Meeting Administration and Governance: Recorded and produced formal meeting minutes and distributed documentation to relevant prison departments to support communication, accountability and follow-up actions.

- Regional and National Reporting: Prepared reports and escalated relevant casework concerns to support operational assurance, performance monitoring and compliance with national requirements.

- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Promoted equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, supporting the principles of the Civil Service Code and ensuring colleagues and service users were treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

- Continuous Improvement: Identified opportunities to improve operational processes, standardise documentation and strengthen communication, supporting a consistent, efficient and accountable approach to prison case administration.

Team Interim Bulletin (TIB) – Workload Coordination Initiative

- Identified and Implemented Best Practice: Drawing on my previous experience of participating in Team Interim Bulletin (TIB) meetings led by my manager in the court, I recognised an opportunity to introduce the same approach within the prison team to address the need for improved workload coordination and communication

- Introduced a Daily Team Briefing: Implemented a daily Team Interim Bulletin (TIB) meeting to improve workload planning, prioritisation and coordination across the case administration team.

- Workload Management and Error Prevention: Used the daily briefing to identify urgent and time-critical tasks, distribute caseloads fairly and encourage collaboration between colleagues, helping to manage workload pressures and reduce the risk of errors when handling sensitive prisoner casework.

- Team Communication and Support: Established a structured forum for discussing priorities, sharing updates and identifying operational challenges, promoting a supportive team environment and more consistent delivery of daily responsibilities.

Skills acquired prior to escalation in Senior Case Administrator position

- Calculated prisoner sentences, determined release dates and produced accurate release documentation within strict operational deadlines, ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and procedures.

Maintained comprehensive electronic and hard-copy prisoner records, updating case administration systems with court outcomes, sentence information, parole progress, release preparations and other casework developments.

- Coordinated prisoner attendance at court by liaising with courts, police, probation services and other stakeholders, arranging transport, processing production orders and facilitating video-link hearings.

- Prepared release licences, applied licence conditions and reporting instructions, and completed documentation for electronic monitoring arrangements, including curfews, exclusion zones and location monitoring.

- Responded to enquiries from prisoners, solicitors, courts, probation services and other stakeholders regarding sentence calculations, release dates, offence dates and related casework, providing accurate information by telephone, email and face to face.

- Processed licence recalls, prisoner returns, Home Detention Curfew applications, release schemes and Home Office documentation for foreign national offenders, ensuring timely updates and accurate records.

- Maintained prisoner alerts and case records relating to public protection, release risks, restrictions and immigration matters, escalating issues requiring further consideration through appropriate channels.

- Managed confidential information and competing priorities while undertaking time-critical operational duties, collaborating with colleagues to meet court, release and casework deadlines and applying relevant data protection, security and legislative requirements.

Case Resulter – Single Justice Procedure (SJP)

- Selected to undertake the administration and operational delivery of Single Justice Procedure (SJP) courts, working under the direction of Legal colleagues.

- Increased SJP court sittings from two per week to three or four per week, supporting improved case progression and reducing the outstanding workload.

- Played a key role in reducing the SJP case backlog (due to COVID) from approximately 4,000 cases to a standard backlog of around 100 by proactively engaging with other court teams and encouraging collaborative support.

- Prepared, processed and resulted cases accurately and efficiently, ensuring court outcomes were recorded in accordance with legal instructions, procedures and HMCTS requirements.

- Coordinated with Legal colleagues and other court teams to support the timely progression of cases and maintain effective court administration.

Court Preparation

- Prepared court case files for Legal colleagues, ensuring all relevant documentation and defendant details were available, accurate and accessible using in-house case management systems.

- Conducted DVLA history checks to obtain relevant information in support of court proceedings.

- Obtained, organised, filed and uploaded case documentation, maintaining both physical and electronic case records.

- Liaised with prosecutors to request outstanding case files and missing documentation, helping to minimise delays and ensure cases were ready for court.

- Contacted defendants to obtain additional information required to support case progression and court preparation.

- Checked case files for completeness and accuracy, ensuring relevant information was available to support the effective administration of court proceedings.

Court Resulting

- Resulted court cases efficiently and accurately, interpreting court files and legal instructions to ensure the correct outcomes were recorded.

- Entered court results provided by Legal colleagues onto defendant case files and HMCTS case management systems, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records.

- Prepared and issued court results to prosecutors, ensuring relevant parties received the required information.

- Cross-checked and validated court results with colleagues to maintain accuracy, consistency and compliance with required procedures.

- Collated and issued court notices and fine documentation to defendants, ensuring correspondence was processed appropriately.

- Liaised with other courts to arrange adjournments and facilitate the effective progression of cases.

Enquiries Team – Court Administration

- Worked flexibly across a rota-based team, processing a wide range of court procedures, including appeals, statutory declarations and Drink-Drive Rehabilitation Scheme applications, while providing support and guidance to court users.

- Prepared and organised case papers and files for court proceedings, tribunals, hearings and meetings, ensuring documentation was accurate, complete and available when required.

- Produced court documents, standard letters, correspondence, case notes and reports in accordance with established guidelines, procedures and instructions.

- Created, updated and maintained electronic records using HMCTS case management systems, ensuring accurate data entry and effective record management.

- Managed incoming and outgoing post, including the opening, sorting and dispatch of court correspondence and documentation.

- Arranged and entered court cases onto relevant databases, supporting effective case management and progression.

- Supported court users via telephone, email and face-to-face appointments in interview rooms, responding professionally to enquiries and directing individuals to the appropriate services.

- Handled counter, written and telephone enquiries, providing clear information within the scope of the role and referring more complex matters to the relevant teams.

- Supported court listings and rota management, helping to coordinate workloads.

- Contacted relevant parties to arrange hearings, schedule appointments and serve court documentation in accordance with established procedures.

- Referred court users to appropriate teams for matters including warrant execution and the collection of fines and fees.

- Contributed to Team Information Board (TIB) meetings, helping ensure discussions were relevant, timely and productive while identifying issues, suggesting solutions and supporting small improvement projects. Worked collaboratively to achieve workload targets.

Staff Training and Development

- Selected to train new members of staff in rota-based duties, helping build team capability and reducing the time existing colleagues needed to dedicate to training.

- Delivered practical, role-specific guidance to new starters, supporting their understanding of court processes, administrative procedures and operational expectations.

- Fostered a welcoming and supportive learning environment, encouraging new colleagues to ask questions, seek advice and develop confidence in their roles.

- Shared knowledge and experience to promote consistency, accuracy and compliance with established HMCTS procedures.

- Trained colleagues in the Single Justice Procedure process and supported the handover of responsibilities at the end of my role as an Administration Officer, helping ensure continuity of service and effective knowledge transfer.

- Product Knowledge & Consultancy: Developed extensive knowledge of trade and designer paint brands, including Johnstone’s, Crown, Dulux, Zinsser, Farrow & Ball and Little Greene. Provided product specification, colour consultancy, interior design and wallpaper advice to trade and retail customers.

- Customer Service & Sales: Managed in-store, telephone and email enquiries, processed customer orders, mixed bespoke paint colours and applied appropriate discounts to deliver tailored customer service.

- Trade & Contract Orders: Coordinated site orders for Ashby Decorator Centre, arranging same-day dispatch of trade paints to decorators working on new-build developments nationwide. Fulfilled contract orders by mixing site-specific colours and liaising with developers to obtain relevant specifications.

- Stock Control: Monitored stock levels, managed inventory and placed orders to maintain product availability and support daily operations.

- Credit Control & Account Management: Managed customer credit accounts, invoicing, payment collection, debt recovery and account clearance, including successfully recovering a four-year-old outstanding payment.

- Financial Administration: Processed sales transactions and credit account payments, handled cash, prepared cheques and completed banking procedures.

- Deliveries & Logistics: Delivered paint, materials and customer orders to private customers and new-build development sites using the company vehicle.

- Store Operations: Maintained a clean, organised and welcoming retail environment, ensuring high presentation standards and a positive customer experience.

- Provided daily care, cleaning and enrichment for Gorillas, Bonobos and Chimpanzees, helping to maintain a clean, safe and stimulating environment.

- Assisted visitors with general enquiries, providing guidance around the zoo and sharing information about the animals and their habitats.

- Serving customers, handling till transactions and providing friendly customer service in-store and over the telephone.

- Offering sales advice and guidance on pet products and supplies to suit customers’ and animal needs.

- Caring for exotic and domestic animals, including daily feeding, cleaning and maintaining hygienic living environments.

- Helping maintain the shop floor and animal enclosures to ensure a clean, safe and welcoming environment for customers and animals.