27493 - Executive Assistant to Senior Legal Manager's for Civil Appeals Office & Admin Court Office

£25,893 - £29,729
1
12 Months
London
London
RCJ LONDON, WC2A 2LL
EO
D
Permanent
Full Time
Administration / Corporate Support

The key purpose of the role is to

Provide administrative support to the Senior Legal Managers (“SLMs”) in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) and the Administrative Court, including but not limited to acting as vacancy manager and providing support during recruitment campaigns, maintaining reports and statistics and managing the SLMs diaries. The post holder will work with four SLMs across the two courts.

Background

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of the criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It provides a fair, efficient and effective justice system delivered by an independent judiciary. HMCTS aims to ensure that all citizens receive timely access to justice according to their different needs, whether as victims or witnesses of crime, defendants accused of crime, consumers in debt, children at risk of harm, businesses involved in commercial disputes or as individuals asserting their employment rights or challenging the decisions of government bodies.

Consequently, there are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do and high performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential.

Overview

Reporting to one of the SLMs the post holder will play a vital role in providing administrative support to the SLMS in the Civil Appeals Office (“CAO”) and Administrative Court Office (ACO”), arranging diaries, maintaining reports and statistics and acting as a vacancy manager on recruitment campaigns. The post holder will be required to act on their own initiative, exercising judgment and discretion, as well as showing a robust and proactive drive and commitment to deliver an excellent support service to the SLMs. Excellent written skills are essential as well as excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. The post holder must also have the ability to work under pressure, possibly in the face of competing demands and short deadlines

Key responsibilities

Operations

  • Provide administrative support to the SLMs.
  • Maintain statistics and ad hoc reports for the SLMs and judiciary.
  • Support SLMs in ACO with management of work allocated to the regions.
  • Maintain confidential CAO and ACO staff records and performance statistics.
  • Minute take for CAO and ACO meetings and external meetings as required.
  • Deal with queries by colleagues, senior judiciary and stakeholders.
  • Deal with any accomodation issues that arise and liaise with estates/accomodation as required.
  • Monitor and report on HMCTS Standard Operating Controls.
  • Apply Continuous Improvement principles, tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.
  • Act as vacancy manager and support on recruitment campaigns.
  • Review and keep records of monthly timesheets completed by Judicial Assistants in the CAO.
  • Act as contact point for anonymity orders in the ACO.
  • Alert others as appropriate to risks which are not capable of local resolution.

Calculations and analysis

  • Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring more complex problems to a Delivery Manager or one of the SLMs as appropriate.

Communication

  • Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups, court users and teams within the CAO and ACO. Work to improve the level of service offered to court users.
  • Provide feedback to staff, judiciary and other stakeholders on performance against targets.
  • Think beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications and issues.

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by the line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Location of Post

Located within the Royal Courts of Justice.

Relevant Civil Service competencies

You will be asked to provide evidence of the following key competencies at level 2.

Making Effective Decisions

Effectiveness in this area is about using sound judgment, evidence and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice. People who are effective in this area are likely to:

  • Demonstrate accountability and make unbiased decisions.
  • Examine complex information and obtain further information to make accurate decisions.
  • Speak with the relevant people in order to obtain the most accurate information and get advice when unsure of how to proceed.
  • Explain clearly, verbally and in writing, how a decision has been reached.
  • Provide advice and feedback to support others to make accurate decisions.
  • Monitor the storage of critical data and customer information to support decision making and conduct regular reviews to ensure it is stored accurately, confidentially and responsibly.

Leading and Communicating

Effectiveness in this area is about showing our pride and passion for public service, communicating purpose and direction with clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. It’s about championing difference and external experience, and supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all. People who are effective in this area are likely to:

  • Display enthusiasm around goals and activities – adopting a positive approach when interacting with others.
  • Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working.
  • Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others.
  • Confidently handle challenging conversations or interviews.
  • Confront and deal promptly with inappropriate language or behaviours, including bullying, harassment or discrimination.

Collaborating and Partnering

People skilled in this area are team players. It requires working collaboratively, sharing information appropriately and building supportive, trusting and professional relationships with colleagues and a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. People who are effective in this area are likely to:

  • Demonstrate interest in others and develop a range of contacts outside own team to help get the job done.
  • Change ways of working to facilitate collaboration for the benefit of the team’s work.
  • Proactively seek information, resources and support from others outside own immediate team in order to help achieve results.
  • Readily identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning and make progress by working with colleagues.
  • Listen attentively to others and check their understanding by asking questions.
  • Take responsibility for creating a working environment that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion.

Managing a Quality Service

Effectiveness in this area is about valuing and modelling professional excellence and expertise to deliver service objectives, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. People who are effective plan, organise and manage their time and activities to deliver a high quality, secure, reliable and efficient service, applying programme, project and risk management approaches to support service delivery. People who are effective in this area are likely to:

  • Explain clearly to customers what can be done.
  • Work with team to set priorities, create clear plans and manage all work to meet the needs of the customer and the business.
  • Ensure that levels of service are maintained – flag up risks or concerns in order to meet customer requirements.
  • Keep internal teams, customers and delivery partners fully informed of plans and possibilities.
  • Promote adherence to relevant policies, procedures, regulations and legislation, including equality and diversity and health and safety.
  • Identify common problems or weaknesses in policy or procedures that affect service and escalate these.

Delivering at Pace

Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. It is about working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. People who are effective in this area are likely to:

  • Create regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make ongoing improvements.
  • Be interested and positive about what they and the team are trying to achieve.
  • Take ownership of problems in their own area of responsibility.
  • Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks.
  • Check own and team performance against outcomes, make improvement suggestions or take corrective action when problems are identified.
  • Set and achieve challenging goals and monitor quality.

Flexible working options

HMCTS offers a flexible working system in many of its offices.

Job sharing and reduced hours

All applications for job sharing or reduced hours will be treated fairly and on a case by case basis in accordance with the MoJ’s flexible working policy and equality policy.

Excess Fares and Relocation Allowances

This job is not eligible for relocation allowances but excess fares may be considered in accordance with MoJs excess fares allowance policy.

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 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.

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.

To be confirmed

18/07/2019, 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@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 27493.
Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC)

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.