25742 - Private Secretary to the Senior President of Tribunals

£52,064 - £63,264
1
12 Months
London
London
London CTS Royal Courts of Justice, WC2A 2LL
Grade 7, Grade 6
A
Permanent
Full Time
Operational Delivery, Policy

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a busy Judicial Private Office and would suit someone looking for a stretching role working with some of the most senior judiciary in the country. The post is in the Private Office of the Senior President of Tribunals, Sir Ernest Ryder. Based within the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ), the postholder will work closely with Sir Ernest to support the delivery of his statutory leadership responsibilities.

The Judicial Office

The post is based in the Judicial Office (JO), an Arms-Length Body of the Ministry of Justice.

Our purpose is to strengthen the rule of law and improve the administration of justice by supporting the leadership and governance of our independent judiciary.

We are a unique branch of the civil service, independent from Government, dedicated to supporting the judiciary and promoting judicial independence, to maintain confidence in the rule of law. We help the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals fulfil their responsibilities to the judiciary, in an ever-evolving justice system. Through our specialist teams we support some 22,000 judicial office holders, providing policy, legal and handling advice and operational support.

The Judicial Office reports to, and is accountable, to the Lord Chief Justice and was set up in 2006 to provide support to him and to the wider judiciary following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.  In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/judicial-office/

Within the Judicial Office, the Private Office of the Senior President of Tribunals is a small team focused on supporting the Senior President across all of his statutory leadership functions. The Private Office provides policy and legal advice, and general secretariat and administrative support to the Senior President, and to the most senior tribunals’ judges (including Chamber and Tribunal Presidents) across the United Kingdom.

Role Purpose

The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that the Office of the SPT provides high quality policy and legal advice and support to the SPT and the Tribunals Judicial Executive Board (TJEB).

The role involves maintaining an overview of developments in Tribunals and building strong relationships with peers and senior stakeholders across the Justice system, including Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, the Ministry of Justice, other government departments, and in the devolved systems in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the post include, but are not limited to:

  • Providing policy advice and support to the SPT in his statutory duties relating to the appointment, assignment, training and conduct of tribunal office holders.

  • Ensuring that the SPT has the information he needs to engage effectively with others, including retaining an overview of issues that impact on the tribunals and providing and/or commissioning written and oral advice and briefing.

  • Communicating on behalf of the SPT with senior judges from both the courts and tribunals system, senior officials from MoJ, HMCTS, and OGDs, and senior stakeholder organisations.

  • Assisting the SPT with the preparation of articles, speaking notes, report forewords and other communications.

  • Providing advice and support to the SPT, TJEB and the senior tribunals judiciary on specific projects, including arranging and supporting judicial working groups and networks.

  • Supporting the SPT and Chamber Presidents to ensure the Tribunals have the necessary plans in place to manage the effects of leaving the EU.

  • Working with HMCTS to facilitate their responsibility to:





            Management of Resources

            The postholder will manage a team consisting of one Band A legal adviser, one band B Deputy Private Secretary, one Band C Assistant Private Secretary and a Band D Diary Manager to the SPT.

            Person specification

            The successful candidate must:

            • be able to influence and manage upwards and speak with authority when dealing with senior officials or judiciary;
            • have excellent communication and leadership skills;
            • have strong organisational skills.

            Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

              • working knowledge of the reserved unified tribunals under the judicial leadership of the Senior President of Tribunals.
              • experience of working closely with the judiciary, and an interest in the workings of the courts and tribunals system more widely.

              The support provided by judicial Private Offices necessarily involves working before and after court, in keeping with the judge’s diary commitments and sitting patterns. Some early mornings and late evenings can be expected, though every effort will be made to accommodate flexibility where necessary.

              Selection process details

              This vacancy is using Success Profiles https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles , and the sift will assess the behaviours outlined below.

              We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

                • Communicating and influencing
                • Working together
                • Delivering at pace
                • Seeing the big picture

                At interview we will be assessing experience, behaviours and strengths.

                The Judicial Private Office is currently looking for, and will shortly be advertising, four Band A Private Secretaries. Candidates will be considered across all four roles at interview. Individual preferences will be taken into account.

                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.

                Expected w/c 13th May 2019

                29/04/2019, 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 - 25742.

                For information about the role itself, please email Maxine.Fidler@judiciary.uk to arrange to speak to the vacancy manager

                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.

                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.

                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
                Communicating and Influencing - word limit
                Delivering at Pace - word limit
                Seeing the Big Picture - word limit
                Working Together - word limit

                Interview stage assessments

                There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
                Behaviours
                Communicating and Influencing
                Delivering at Pace
                Seeing the Big Picture
                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.

                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.