62652 - Project Support Officer

The national salary range is £31,265 - £34,446, London salary range is £35,405- £39,000. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
1
12 Months
East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber
Birmingham , Brighton and Hove , Bristol , Cambridge , Cardiff , Jarrow , Leeds , Liverpool , London, Manchester , Nottingham
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ, BIRMINGHAM CANNON HOUSE LAA BIRMINGHAM, B4 6BS, LEGAL AID AGENCY CAMBRIDGE, CB2 8DR, LIVERPOOL THE CAPITAL LAA LIVERPOOL, L3 9PP, NOTTINGHAM FOTHERGILL HOUSE LAA NOTTINGHAM, NG1 2AS, SOUTH TYNESIDE BERKELY WAY LAA JARROW, NE31 1SF, 5 WELLINGTON PLACE LEEDS, LS1 4AP, LAA Brighton, BN2 9QA, LAA Store Street, Piccadilly Gate, FLR 7, M1 2WD , LAA Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, BS1 6DG, LAA William Morgan House FLR11, CF10 1EP
HEO
HEO
Fixed Term
Up to 12 Months
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Programme and Project Management

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.

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We provide civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales to help people deal with their legal problems. 

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The LAA is committed to diversity and inclusion and we positively promote flexible working, including job shares.

We will consider all applications on merit regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion, ethnicity, preferred working pattern and except for exceptional circumstances your working location.

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please ensure that you attach the Disability Confident Scheme Form when you return your application. You can use the same form to let the recruiting manager know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

Service Development and Central Commissioning

The Service Development and Central Commissioning Directorate designs, develops and tenders new contracts with firms of solicitors to ensure the provision of legal aid services for the public. These services range from duty solicitors at police stations to special education needs and debt. We ensure legal advice, funded through legal aid, is available for the public. The work is hugely important in making sure there are enough qualified and experienced legal professionals to help our citizens with their legal problems. We design the service that is to be offered, develop the tender process for what is to be commissioned, and then a procurement process is undertaken. Once the contracts are implemented, we monitor the availability and capacity of legal aid services.

Project Delivery

The Project Delivery team supports the delivery of the directorate’s objectives by providing a project and programme environment for its key activities, with the appropriate structures, processes and tools based on good practice. We ensure that we set up service design and procurement activities in the right way, track their progress, and support them to realise their objectives throughout their lifetime, while maintaining robust decision making and a credible audit trail.

This role provides you with the unique opportunity to support the development and delivery of all stages of service design and commissioning cycle through application of project procedures, tools and techniques. You will be responsible for a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of the project's objectives. You will be expected to assist with effective communication between stakeholders, to maintain central records and produce regular management reports. You will enable the smooth running of the project by supporting with admin including secretariat duties, minute taking, project board support and the co-ordination of business management actions and activities.

Team members are based in several locations including our head office in London. We offer flexible working options including working from home or other suitable environments additional to the office. The postholder may be based in any Legal Aid Agency office though travel to other sites is required.

Job Summary 

The Service Development and Central Commissioning team has an overview of what is happening across legal aid services procurement and brings together stakeholders, to identify issues, challenge complexities, mitigate risks, and innovate. This role is key in ensuring the team can keep track of different initiatives, and that our systems and processes underpin smooth organisation and performance of the whole team. Some of the key responsibilities will be to:

  • Ensure systems are in place to enable effective planning and scheduling;
  • Manage project controls, reporting to the Project Manager/Head of PMO about the project status. Develop project performance reports;
  • Ensure organisational tasks are carried out efficiently. Support with secretariat duties including minute taking and project board support;
  • Manage workforce planning, providing information for effective decision making;
  • Manage and engage with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Drafting of correspondence;
  • Lead potential risk areas, working with risk manager and escalating as appropriate.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skill

  • Ability to establish professional relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
  • Effective communication skills both written and verbal
  • Strong planning skills and an ability to deliver quickly and effectively to tight deadlin
  • IT literate – a good knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams and digital technology
  • Strong analytical and numerical skills
  • Ability to build capability within the team through support, established training paths and identifying new opportunities. Continuously seek and act on feedback to improve own performance

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

  • Project Management experience
  • Experience of implementing change
  • Statistical analysis / Data visualisation

Person Specification

  • Takes pride in creating products that are accurate, easy to understand and on time
  • Enjoys helping others to learn, progress and develop
  • Ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
  • Proactive in seeking better ways of working and innovation

Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more than 500 words.

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

You will also need to complete an application based of the following behaviours:

When submitting an example of a behaviour remember to include the situation, what you did and why, and what was the outcome / result.

Please note that if we have a large number of applications will we do an initial sift on the Managing a quality service behaviour.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against strengths and experience required by the role and the following behaviours:

You will also be asked to complete an excel based exercise during interview to demonstrate the required aptitude for the role.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 15/8/22 (subject to availability)

Interviews are planned for week commencing 22/8/22 (subject to availability)

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact Raeesa.randall@justice.gov.uk

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAAPeopleTeam@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.

If you are dissatisfied with our response, we will forward your complaint to the Civil Service Commission, an independent body, for review.

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.

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 UKor 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

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.

Expected 12th August onwards

15/08/2022, 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 - 62652.

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.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Managing a Quality Service.
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

Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service - 250 word limit
Changing and Improving - 250 word limit
Developing Self and Others - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
Experience
Statement of Suitability - 500 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Abilities
Excel based assessment
Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service
Changing and Improving
Developing Self and Others
Working Together
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

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.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

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.