72775 - Head of Civil, Family & Tribunals - North East

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These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. HMCTS offers a flexible working system in many of its offices, subject to business needs being met.

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the pay band or with an increased salary of 10% on their existing base salary (restricted to the new pay band maximum), whichever is the higher.

Existing Civil Servants moving at the same grade will retain their existing remuneration package.

Region: North East 

Job Title: Head of Civil, Family and Tribunals

Pay Span or equivalent:  Grade 6

Background

The Tribunals Service and HM Court Service have been integrated into a single Agency, HM Courts and Tribunals Service from 1st April 2011. Bringing these two organisations together will remove duplication in management functions and increase the efficiency of the administration, which will enable HMCTS to reduce what it spends away from the front line by around £40m a year.

Grade 6 staff will play a key part in the leadership and direction of HMCTS. There will be high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do and the need for more robust performance management.  In the new organisation Grade 6’s will have far greater responsibility, but with this will come the freedom to get on and deliver services to HMCTS customers without burdensome processes imposed by HQ. The organisation will be adopting new ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential in the new Agency.
Grade 6 staff will need to champion four key principles: Continuous change, LEAN principles, managing uncertainty and improving performance. All those appointed to new roles in HMCTS must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Overview

As a new organisation HMCTS is embarking on a period of significant change.  Strong leadership is a critical element in this being successful.  As a senior manger within HMCTS the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus, visibly championing the changes which deliver greater efficiencies.  The HMCTS Executive Team expects senior managers in the organisation to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

The jobholder will need to help staff and other stakeholders to understand the impact of the changes and the reasons for them, recognising that staff will need support during what will be an unsettling period.  This will include helping staff prepare for changes and supporting them through it.  There may also be times when it will be necessary to deliver difficult or unwelcome messages.  This must be done sensitively, but firmly, addressing any inappropriate reactions or responses.  

The key purpose of the role is to

•    Deliver business improvement to all aspects of civil, family and tribunals business within the region. Including leading on driving forward both national and local driven change and changes to standard operating procedures and operating models across the region and ensuring the realisation of benefits. 

•    Develop strong partnership with the judiciary and other key civil, family and administrative justice delivery partners/stakeholders.

•    S/he will be a member of the Senior Management Team in the region and will work closely with the Head of Crime and Delivery Director. Close working with the cluster managers at the local level will also be crucial in this role. 

The role holder will:

•    Have a national role in providing a regional operational perspective on civil, family and tribunals to HQ.
•    Be responsible for developing and maintaining a clear work programme to improve/transform the civil and family courts and tribunals in the region.
•    Have collective responsibility for ensuring that HMCTS plays its full part in the delivery of its own and wider Ministry of Justice objectives, including very significant and challenging levels of efficiency savings.

Key responsibilities

Operational management

Change management

•    Plan for and lead the delivery of transformational change and business improvement for civil, family and administrative justice in the region, including the integration of policies, procedures and systems and the rollout of national initiatives ensuring benefits realisation. 
•    Driving forward and leading implementation of both national and local driven change on civil, family and administrative justice and changes to standard operating procedures and operating models across the region.
•    Close matrix working and liaison with the Delivery Director and Cluster Managers on the issues emerging in their patches and implementation of change initiatives will be an essential part of this role.
•    Take a national operations lead for a particular jurisdiction ensuring effective inks with the central HMCTS team.

Performance Management

•    Drive business improvement and performance across the region on civil, family and administrative justice.
•    Ensure the effective delivery of the Government’s and HMCTS priorities and service level targets for civil family and administrative justice business across the region through local business plans. 
•    Undertake analysis of trends in performance and using evidence to identify actions to improve performance where required. 
•    Identifies and implements innovative ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of civil, family and administrative justice business.
•    Ensure a corporate approach to delivery of targets and standards, addressing budget and performance issues by making the best use of the region’s total resources.
•    Ensure close working and liaison with the Senior Management Team in the region. 

Business Planning

•    Contributing to the development of the business plans for the region on civil family and administrative justice, ensuring that they are also consistent with the national strategy and HMCTS objectives.

Stakeholder and Partner Relationships Management

•    Work in partnership in a complex delivery and stakeholder environment, especially with the judiciary.
•    Build, manage and maintain effective relationships on civil, family and administrative justice within the region, e.g. with Designated Civil Judges, Designated Family Judges, Regional Tribunals Chairmen, Chamber President(s), CAFCASS, ACAS. 
•    Providing the leadership and challenge function to make the partnership working a reality within their region.
•    Ensure that the judiciary and key civil family and administrative justice partners are appropriately consulted on change initiatives which affect them.

External relations

•    Work with MoJ and other partners at national level, including senior judiciary.
•    Provide strategic perspective and support to meetings with colleagues and judiciary from across civil, family and tribunals jurisdictions.

Representation of the Department    

•    Key contact within the region for external stakeholder organisations in respect of civil, family and tribunals business.

Policy

•    Contribute to the development of the business strategy for the region and objectives of HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice.  Identify any strategic or policy issues arising from regional operations and ensure that they are raised at national level.
•    Support the Delivery Director in embedding the corporate vision, business strategy and culture of HMCTS, ensuring that these are embedded across the region through local operational strategies and business plans on civil, family and administrative justice business.
Team leadership    •    Lead the delivery of business improvement and change implementation for the region in a manner consistent with the vision, values and culture of HMCTS, ensuring delivery of services to common high standards.
•    Representing the regional operational perspective on civil, family and administrative justice to HQ.

Resolution of complex and difficult problems

•    Balance the often competing interests of all users, colleagues and those within Government, so that objective, fair and evidenced consideration is given to all issues.
•    Ensure solutions are balanced, evidence based and that due consideration has been given to the conflicting views on often very complex issues.

Accountability    

•    Reporting to the Delivery Director. 

Other duties

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

Location of Post

Based within the relevant region.

Relevant MOJ competencies 

Focusing on the customer 

•    I promote and value the different needs and expectations of customers.
•    I create strategies and set achievable targets for excellent customer service.
•    I build relationships with stakeholders to help deliver an excellent service.

Developing our people 

•    I actively promote continuous professional development.
•    I understand and communicate the organisations’ priorities.
•    I set clear standards for performance management and strategies for tackling poor performance.

Using Evidence to make decisions

•    I am prepared to make tough decisions when necessary.
•    I understand how different sources of evidence can vary in how valid, relevant and limited they are.
•    I use evidence to assess policies, projects and programmes.

Planning and managing resources

•    I set and influence stretching targets for improving the value of resources.
•    I take personal responsibility for delivering services against the business plan and accurately forecast our work.
•    I plan and deliver strong relationships with stakeholders, making sure that the organisation is a respected customer and provider.

Working as a team 

•    I inspire the team through setting and communicating a clear vision for them to follow.
•    I provide leadership to deliver results, even if it means I am not popular.
•    I build trust across the team through fairness, commitment, respect, consistency and openness

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.