84194 - Customer Advisor
Customer Advisor
We are recruiting for people to work in our Customer Support Team to help us deliver a sensitive, fair and efficient service.
Working in our operational business area, you will make a real difference to those who have been a victim of violent crime. As a Customer Advisor you will mainly deal with inbound and outbound calls and will need to have excellent communication skills to engage with our customers through the phone, Live Chat and email.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. We receive over 30,000 applications a year for compensation from people who have lost loved ones or have been injured through violent crime. We know financial compensation can never fully redress what they have suffered. Nevertheless, what we do is an important part of providing justice for victims and we take pride that the compensation we pay helps people move forward with their lives.
The applicants you will help have suffered as a result of violence and you will need to be able to operate with sensitivity and compassion, whilst maintaining your own personal resilience whether speaking to people on the telephone or processing claims.
We employ around 300 people and are based in Glasgow city centre with excellent transport links. We are a small, engaged, productive workforce with a real sense of corporate community. We want to keep improving our services and the way we work to best serve the public, meet new challenges, deliver value for money and ensure CICA is a great place to work.
These positions are based in Glasgow and we currently operate a hybrid working business model, where a typical employee works 2-3 days a week in the office and the remainder from home. This model is currently being reviewed and is subject to change and increased office attendance may be required.
Our Customer Support service operating hours are between 8.30am and 5pm and whilst we offer flexible working this is a service delivery role and successful candidates will be expected to work between these hours. The Customer Support Team operates a rota system and we aim to accommodate individual preferences subject to business need. We look to support part time working patterns requests where possible.
In April we will be re-locating to Buchanan Wharf, 10 Clyde Place, Glasgow, G5 8AQ.
The Role
The Customer Support Team are responsible for managing customer and representative contact to the CICA by phone, Live Chat and email.
You will respond to customer enquiries providing advice and guidance on applying for compensation, assisting with the application process and providing updates on the progress of applications. This role is varied and includes a range of administration tasks which contribute to compensation to victims of violent crime or to support other functions within CICA. We are looking for people with strong communication and IT skills, who can show empathy and humanity and have a passion for delivering excellent customer service.
Key responsibilities
The role is primarily focused on customer contact through inbound and outbound calls and will also include an element of application processing time. The role requires IT skills and an understanding of Miscrosoft packages. Here’s what you will be doing:
• Respond courteously to telephone, Live Chat and email enquiries when providing applicants with an update on the progress of their claims
• Support applicants accessing digital services and where necessary take applications by phone
• Handle and resolve customer issues and respond positively to customer feedback or instances of dissatisfaction
• Process, assess and decide on compensation claims through detailed investigation in accordance with guidance and give a full and clear explanation of any decision made, keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do
• Update and maintain relevant databases
• Liaise with internal colleagues and external stakeholders
• Record statistical information of work completed
Selection Process
The vacancy process involves 2 stages using Civil Service Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Stage 1
To complete the application form, you will need to provide a personal statement, maximum 750 words, outlining how your personal skills, qualities and experience match the Essential Criteria.
You should read each of the Essential Criteria and think about a time or an example that can help demonstrate your knowledge/skills. You will have 250 words for each essential criteria.
Remember, this must be evidence based and your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion. (Situation, Task, Action, Result, and Reflection)
Essential Criteria:
• Ability to communicate with empathy and humanity to a diverse range of customers delivering excellent customer service. Please tell us about a time when you had to adapt your communication approach to ensure understanding from an individual or audience.
• Ability to plan and organise your time to deliver a quality service to customers. Please tell us about a situation when you had to organise and manage your time effectively to complete a task or piece of work.
• Experience of assessing a range of information and guidance to support accurate decision making. Please tell us about a time when you had to give advice or explain a decision to an individual or group.
The following criteria is not essential, however candidates who can offer this experience should provide relevant evidence in their application.
Desirable criteria:
• Customer service experience in a customer contact environment
Stage 2
If you are invited to interview, we will assess you against these behaviours:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of and strength-based questions to explore what you enjoy and your motivations relevant to the job role.
You may be asked to complete a short exercise following the interview to test your call handling and computer skills, details will be provided if you are selected for interview.
Interviews are expected to take place during March.
If we receive a large number of applications, we may complete an initial sift on the first essential criteria.
Apply and further information
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
A reserve list will be created and will be valid for 12 months if further vacancies arise for this or similar roles at Administrative Officer, candidates may be appointed from the reserve list in order of merit.
If you are successful, a conditional offer of appointment will be made. Appointment is subject to vetting and security checks which can take around 5 weeks. We anticipate that successful candidates will join us around May/June time.
We offer flexible working 7am – 7pm, Monday to Friday. This role is offered on a full-time (37 hours per week) or part-time working pattern; however, we would ask that applicants make themselves available on a full-time, fixed hours basis (9am to 5pm) for the initial training period which takes up to 10 weeks, final details will be confirmed at interview. This is to ensure the best training and consolidation experience for our new Administrative Officers.
For queries about the role, please email the Corporate Support Team at corporate.support@cica.gov.uk
Disability Confident
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Reasonable Adjustments
Tell us if you have a disability when you apply, and we can offer reasonable adjustments to help with the selection process.
If you require any assistance at any time, please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm) or e-mail MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.
For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.
All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
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To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
· UK nationals
· nationals of the Republic of Ireland
· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.