37057 - Judicial Office HR Adviser

£30,989 - £41,095
2
12 Months
North East, West Midlands
Birmingham , Leeds
BIRMINGHAM CIVIL JUSTICE CENTRE BIRMINGHAM, B4 6DS, LEEDS MAGISTRATES LEEDS, LS1 3JP
SEO
B
Permanent
Full Time
Human Resources

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

The Judicial Office

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lord Chief Justice and was established in 2006 to provide support to him and to the wider judiciary following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts and Tribunal Services (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

Judicial HR

It’s an exciting time to join us. The Judicial HR Advisers team is one of three portfolios along with the Centres of Expertise and HR Operations teams within Judicial HR. Judicial HR is currently restructuring with the aim of putting judicial office holders at the heart of the service that we provide.

We provide a valuable service in supporting those responsible for applying the rule of law in the UK. We are accountable for delivering the right judicial office holders with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time, and support the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals in their responsibilities for the welfare and conduct of the judiciary. We also support and advise the advisory committees that carry out key functions on behalf of the Lord Chancellor in relation to the magistracy.

Whilst we are part of the wider Civil Service HR community we are not a typical HR team in that everything we do needs to meet the, often complex, needs of around 25,000 members of the judiciary who are office holders and not employees or Civil Servants. This provides us with a unique and interesting set of HR challenges.   It also provides us with unique opportunities to work with the judiciary at all levels and gives us ample opportunity to broaden our HR skills sets, use our HR and business insights to be curious and creative about doing things differently and continuously learn. 

The roles:

This is a time of significant change for the judiciary as an ambitious HMCTS reform programme is underway. During this time of change the HR offer to the judiciary is also changing.

Whilst the HR Adviser roles will primarily be responsible for developing and sustaining trusted working relationships with regional leadership judges in the longer term the HR Adviser roles will themselves develop, grow and change to offer an HR service to all judicial office holders (courts, Tribunals and Magistrates) within the region, to include things such as onboarding, welfare and HR Advice. Your HR insights will be key in understanding the impact of the changes for the judiciary throughout the region helping to shape the Judicial HR offer.

If you are proactive, a change agent and able to work with ambiguity this could be an exciting challenge for you.

Location and work pattern:

These roles are based in Leeds and Birmingham but will require home working until such a time as we are able to safely return to the office.  Once we return safely back to the office travel will be required to Manchester, occasionally to London and you may need to work at other offices both regionally and nationally on an ad-hoc basis.

This is a full-time role but could be carried out on a job-share basis. Due to the nature of the role meetings may need to take place outside of core hours. There is an expectation of working flexibly around judge availability i.e. out-of-court hours before 10am, after 4pm and at lunchtimes.

Main responsibilities:

  • Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with regional leadership judges to become a source of trusted advice and support on HR matters.
  • To act as a change agent to support the HR Organisational Design programme.
  • Line management of a small team, size and shape to be determined.
  • Operating as an integral member of the HR Adviser Team, scanning for emerging trends and acting as an intelligent customer into the wider HR Team on behalf of judiciary located in the Regions.
  • Connecting with HMCTS HRBP colleagues to provide holistic HR advice and support where issues cross boundaries of staff and the judiciary.
  • Work with judicial leaders to help talent management, succession planning and career conversations within their areas of responsibility.
  • Work with the local leadership judges to review regional approaches for identifying and dealing with issues relating to judicial health, welfare, behavioural and performance issues and where necessary suggest changes to those approaches.
  • Provide advice to enable leadership judges to take proactive steps to deal with or pre-empt issues relating to judicial health, welfare, behaviour and performance, and to provide high quality timely advice on specific or generalised HR problems. You will support the management of the regional HR caseload[1]. You will use data to identify relevant existing and likely future trends.
  • Work closely with the respective Judicial Secretariat (who administer judicial resourcing across the region) as appropriate, to identify and address relevant HR issues.
  • Provide assistance, as required, to leadership judges when communicating key messages about, for example, the HMCTS reform programme.
  • Take part in meetings with the wider judiciary offering advice and assistance as appropriate.
  • Demonstrate commitment to continuous development, professional expertise and skill.

Essential criteria:

  • Strong and effective HR experience and ability to build partnerships and relationships; being recognised as a trusted adviser.
  • Awareness of organisational design and development work.
  • Supporting good practice change management; experience of managing change
  • Extracting, analysing, presenting MI and data to the business to back up people propositions.
  • A high level of oral communication skills, including the confidence to speak with authority when operating at a senior level.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and proactively with stakeholders both internally and externally.
  • Ability to deliver effective outcomes in an ambiguous environment.

We will assess your ability to:

  • Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities and be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact on your and the wider HR area.
  • Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify process to use fewer resources and use technology where possible to increase efficiency.
  • Maintain and review systems and service to ensure delivery of professional excellence and establish ways to find and respond to feedback from customers about the service provided.
  • Share information as appropriate and act as an intelligent customer for the wider HR service, communicating in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner.

Desirable criteria:

  • Understanding of the Judiciary.
  • Understanding of HMCTS business and its challenges or willingness to learn about these matters quickly.

[1] There is a complex casework team in the RCJ who will manage cases where the Judicial Office Holder has been off for more than 20 days.

Behaviours: 

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Seeing the big picture
  • Changing and improving
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and influencing.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • Highly credible HR operational experience and a sound understanding of employment law and the skills to support and advise key leaders. An ability to use this knowledge and experience in an ambiguous context.
  • CIPD qualified or willingness to study for a CIPD qualification.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement.

If a large number of applications are received an initial sift will be made against the lead competency Changing and Improving and the technical skill of highly credible HR operational experience.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note your personal statement should be aligned to the key skills, knowledge and experience listed under essential and technical criteria for the role.

At sift, your CV and Personal Statement (maximum 1,000 words) will be assessed to determine whether you demonstrate the key skills, knowledge and experience listed under essential and technical criteria for the role. Those who pass the sift will be invited to a final interview.

Professional memberships
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Working Arrangements & Further Information

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.

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.

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 any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

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.

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

1-     To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2-     To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3-     To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  

To be confirmed - however, these are usually two weeks from the closing date

25/09/2020, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 37057.
Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC)
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

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.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

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

Experience
CV
Statement of Suitability - 1000 word limit
Technical Skills
• Highly credible HR operational experience and a sound understanding of employment law and the skills to support and advise key leaders. An ability to use this knowledge and experience in an ambiguous context. - 250 word limit
• CIPD qualified or willingness to study for a CIPD qualification - 250 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Changing and Improving
Seeing the Big Picture
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing

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.