20969 - Senior Press Officer
Judiciary of England and Wales - Senior Press Officer
Overview
The independent press office for the judges and magistrates is looking for a committed Senior Press Officer (SIO) to add to an enthusiastic and trusted communications team based at the Royal Courts of Justice. This is an exciting time to join the Judicial Office. Our recently-expanded communications team now
includes media, “internal” communications for approximately 25,000 judicial office-holders, and
communications supporting the ambitious HMCTS reform programme.
For candidates within the Civil Service this post is available on level transfer or on promotion, on standard Civil Service terms.
Judicial Office
The Judicial Office is a unique branch of the civil service, with around 200 people dedicated to supporting the judiciary in upholding the rule of law, promoting judicial independence, and administering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently. The Judicial Office reports to the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ) and the Senior President of Tribunals (SPT) and helps them fulfil their responsibilities to the judiciary, in an ever-evolving justice system.
The Judicial Office provides a wide range of operational support, policy, legal and handling advice to judges. This includes the senior judiciary and more than 20,000 judicial office-holders. Across diverse functions, the Judicial Office share a strong sense of common purpose: strengthening the rule of law and improving the administration of justice by supporting the leadership and governance of the independent judiciary.
A short video about the Judicial Office can be found at: https://design102.wistia.com/medias/uhgtmbtnlv
The Job
Reporting to the Head of News, you will work with two other Senior Press Officers to assist with media relations and other communications activity, including supporting outreach and education, in the press and external affairs office. This serves the Lord Chief Justice, heads of division and the Judiciary across England and Wales, including Tribunals Judiciary and Magistrates. You will take special responsibility for work generated by the United Kingdom exiting the European Union and other particular areas of work such as Civil Law or Employment Tribunals.
You will have direct and frequent contact with judges and with the media and will take part in the out-of-hours duty press officer rota. (These out of hours duties are much less onerous than for a Government press office and a small allowance is paid.)
The successful candidate will:
- Develop good working relationships with Judicial Office staff, particularly in Private Offices of the Heads of Division.
- Be comfortable using Twitter and other social media.
- Support senior judges' private offices and the judges at all levels with advice on media handling including statements, rebuttals, preparation for interviews, and preparation of draft responses or statements both pre-empting or reacting to questions.
- Facilitate accurate and timely coverage of courts and tribunals judgments and decisions and publish written versions where appropriate.
- React calmly professionally and promptly to breaking stories generated by judges or court cases during office hours or when on duty, at any time of day or night including week-ends, alerting and consulting senior and other judiciary and officials as appropriate.
- Write accurate, authoritative and literate copy to produce press releases and to assist judges to produce summaries of judgments, articles for internal and external use and information for the website.
- Be comfortable with handling complex information and explaining it in plain but accurate language.
- Be confident speaking to judges of all levels about cases and wider issues.
- Be respected and trusted by journalists.
- Be able to edit and upload web copy.
Skills & Qualifications
Required
The successful candidate must:
- Have at least two years' experience as a Press Officer or working in a media newsroom.
- Be able to work at times outside regular office hours.
- Be adept at simplifying complex material while retaining the meaning.
Desirable
Experience of working in the field of justice
You will be required to provide evidence of the following Civil Service competencies:
Seeing the Big Picture
- Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work
- Develop an understanding of own area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities
- Seek to understand how the services, activities and strategies in the area work together to create value for the customer/end user.
Making Effective Decisions
- Make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular
- Make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular
- Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making to help build engagement and present robust recommendations.
Leading and Communicating
- Act as a team player, investing time to generate a common focus and genuine team spirit.
- Establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes.
- Deal with conflict in a prompt, calm and constructive manner.
Delivering at Pace
- Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to standard.
- Show a positive approach in keeping their efforts focused on the goals that really matter.
- Regularly monitor own and team’s work against milestones or targets and act promptly to keep work on track and maintain performance.
Managing a Quality Service
- Work with team to set priorities, goals, objectives and timescales.
- Establish mechanisms to seek out and respond to feedback from customers about service provided.
- Develop proposals to improve the quality of service with involvement from a diverse range of staff, stakeholders or delivery partners.
For further information on Civil Service competencies are various levels see: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436073/cscf_fulla4potrait_2013-2017_v2d.pdf
If selected for interview you may be asked to complete a short test on the day. No specific preparation will be required for this test.
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
Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. 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 salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- 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.
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.
24/09/2018, 23:55 hours.
Closing Date: 24th September 2018 at 23:55 hours
If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or email moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote job reference
If you wish to discuss this role further, please contact Stephen Ward, Head of News and External Communications, Judiciary of England and Wales, stephen.ward@judiciary.uk 020 79476438
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.
Candidate Information
You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:
- An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
- A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.
During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.
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
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.