8317 - Complaints Assessor / Support Team Administrator

£21,686 - £23,250
8
12 Months
London
London
LONDON ROSE COURT (PPO) LONDON, SE1 9HS
AO
E
Permanent
Full Time
Administration / Corporate Support

Overview

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is an Arms Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and investigates:

• complaints from prisoners, trainees in Secure Training Centres (STCs), immigration detainees and probation supervisees; and

• deaths in prisons, STCs, Immigration Removal Centres and probation approved premises.

The current post is for a permanent Band E in the Complaints Team. The post holder will be part of the Assessment and Allocation team, headed by senior managers, responsible for the strategic management of the assessment, allocation processes and quality assurance.

The Ombudsman receives around 5000 new complaints a year of which around half are assessed as eligible for investigation. The assessment of new cases is carried out by Assessors, who are also responsible for preparing cases for investigation. The target is to complete the assessment of 80% of new cases within 10 days of receipt.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to develop case working skills, make decisions and have first hand experience of dealing with offenders. The post holder will need to have good judgement, an inquiring mind and require a flexible approach.

In addition to this, we also expect to employ an admin officer that supports the Fatal Incidents investigation team. While the skills required are within the same band, the day to day activities slightly vary as tasks are more structured but the timeframes are often shorter. This post will suit an individual that prefers to work in a smaller team but is confident at building relationships with many stakeholders.

Both roles are interesting posts, which will suit individuals that enjoy working within a team and interacting with investigators. Previous experience of the Criminal Justice System is not required as training will be given on the job.

Job Description

The post holder will be responsible for the following;

  1. To make assessments against an agreed criteria, whether complaints are eligible for investigation by the Ombudsman or not.
  2. Answer telephone calls and ensure the call is handled in an appropriate manner i.e. answering the queries raised or passing the caller to the appropriate person in PPO. Also, take responsibility for dealing with messages left by callers on the office answering machine
  3. Manage general correspondence to PPO (via email, post and fax)

In particular:

• Identify topic of complaint and make eligibility decision based on a wide range of information

• Submit Paragraph 15 complaints for authorisation

• Make relevant and appropriate enquiries with prisons, Prison Service HQ, probation trusts, UKBA and immigration removal centres

• Obtain relevant paperwork where necessary

• Draft accurate letters, using template formats, to inform complainants and other interested parties of eligibility decision within prescribed target times

• Process cases appropriately and correctly on our computer system while responsible for the case

• Ensure that within 10 days of receipt of a letter to the Ombudsman a reply is sent to the complainant explaining why the case is eligible or not eligible for investigation.

• Maintain case files as and when required including linking correspondence for a complaint that has previously been submitted to the Ombudsman.

• Help promote team and cross-office working and contribute fully to team and office meetings.

While the post holder will hold a role primarily in this team they will be expected to be flexible and provide support to other areas of the office if the needs of the business require it.

This is an office-based post.

Essential requirements

• The ability to analyse and make a sound judgement based on multiple and sometimes conflicting evidence.

Skills & Qualifications – maximum of 250 words per competency

You will be required to provide evidence of the following Competencies:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework

Making Effective Decisions

Leading and Communicating

Collaborating and Partnering

Managing a Quality Service

Delivering at Pace

The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

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.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Successful candidates will be contacted via e-mail regarding interview dates.

25/04/2017, 23:55 hours.

Closing Date: 25th April 2017 at 23:55 hours

If you require any assistance please call 0207 633 4014 (Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm) or e mail ermelinda.bajrami@ppo.gsi.gov.uk Please quote the job reference 8317

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

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.



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
Making Effective Decisions
Leading and Communicating
Collaborating and Partnering
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace

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

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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.