24834 - Communications Officer, Youth Justice Board
Who are we?
The YJB is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) established by the Crime and Disorder Act (1998) and accredited by Civil Service Commission. The YJB is the only official body to have oversight of the whole youth justice system and so is uniquely placed to guide and advise on the provision of youth justice services. Our primary function is to monitor the operation of the youth justice system and the provision of youth justice services. It has a legal duty to advise the Secretary of State on matters relating to the youth justice system, to identify and share examples of good practice and to publish information about the system: reporting on how it is operating and how the statutory aim of the system (to prevent offending by children) can best be achieved.
YJB staff are public servants rather than civil servants but, following accreditation by the Civil Service Commission we can accept applications from across Civil Service Departments, their agencies, NDPBs and ALBs as internal applicants.
Benefits of working for the YJB
- Opportunity to work in an organisation that seeks to make a positive difference to the lives of children at risk of entering and within the youth justice system
- Civil Service Pension Scheme, and/or continuous service transfer of Civil Service Pension Scheme as applicable
- Annual leave of 25 days per annum plus public holidays (or for those transferring directly from Civil Service Departments, their Agencies, Arms-Length Bodies (ALBs) and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB) we will match current annual leave entitlement, up to 30 days
- As an accredited NDPB we can accept your continuous service from other Civil Service departments their agencies and ALBs/NDBPs.
- Family friendly policies including flexible working opportunities. Many of our staff combine working from our offices in either London or Wales with working from home; compressed hours, part-time working
- Special recognition bonus scheme
- Special leave for unplanned emergencies and for voluntary work
- Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential support and advice for personal and work issues and occupational health
- Health and well-being initiatives such as flu-vaccinations
- Free eye tests and eyecare vouchers for VDU workers
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Regular professional development
- Professional HR Case Management support for managers
Aims of the Youth Justice System
Prevention of offending by children and young people:
- To reduce the number of children in the youth justice system
- To reduce reoffending by children in the youth justice system
- To improve the safety and wellbeing of children in the youth justice system
- To improve outcomes of children in the youth justice system
Job Summary
The key purpose of the role is to develop and deliver outstanding communications support within a small but passionate and experienced team. The role is varied and challenging, so a capacity for adaptable working and producing high quality work to tight deadlines is vital.
Our team is responsible for the whole communications matrix so this is an ideal role for a self-starter looking to gain experience and develop their skills across internal communications, events, design, digital and social media.
We are looking for a talented and motivated communications professional who will thrive on the variety of work that you will be responsible for within a small team. You’ll have a can-do attitude, excellent relationship management skills and will be able to write clear and succinct messages for a range of audiences.
Key role accountabilities
The post holder will:
- Produce good quality, timely communications for staff and external audiences
- Ensure our intranet includes engaging and relevant messages for staff
- Be a trusted advisor, working with colleagues across the organisation to support them in disseminating information using the most appropriate channels
- Lead on one or two internal channels, ensuring they are delivered effectively
- Support, and potentially lead on, the use of social media including Twitter and LinkedIn
- Organise and help design internal staff events
- Analyse, measure and evaluate communications activity
- Support the team to organise our annual Youth Justice Convention which brings together professionals from across the youth justice system
- Carry out relevant admin tasks to support the team, such as monitoring our joint inbox and booking rooms
- Use basic design and layout skills to create attractive, accessible documents and presentations
- Be accountable for ensuring discretion and confidentiality is applied to all areas of work and in line with the YJB values
- Accountable for managing their own workload and those reporting to them, ensuring issues and complications are highlighted to senior management in a timely manner using their judgement in determining solutions which support business needs
Please also see the grade summary
Personal qualities, skills and experience
Required skills and experience
- Strong planning and people skills
- Experienced in delivering communication products to tight deadlines
- Highly organised with an eye for detail
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Knowledge of the communications landscape, including internal and digital communications
- Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and changing deadlines.
- Strong relationship management skills, effective at negotiating and influencing.
- Maintain knowledge and understanding of Government Communications Service initiatives, best practice and activities
- Highly proficient in using IT Systems which includes, but is not limited to the expert level use of Microsoft Office suite, e.g. Word, Excel, Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint
Desirable skills/experience
- Experience of organising events
- Experience and/or knowledge of design
- Experience of corporate social media use
Competencies
Required Government Communication Service specialist competencies and behaviours:
Insight - Core including: Use insight to identify target audiences and partners, support decision making and help inform the overall communication approach.
Ideas - Core including: Design and develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels.
Implementation - Core including: Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills. Write clearly, concisely and accurately.
Impact - Core including: Analyse evidence to assess effectiveness of communication and identify lessons learned
Details of the Government Communication Service competencies can be found online: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/professional-development/competency-framework/
Required Civil Service competencies and behaviours:
Delivering at Pace – Including: Successfully manage, support and stretch self and team to deliver agreed goals and objectives
Leading and Communicating – Including: Write clearly in plain, simple language and check work for spelling and grammar, learning from previous inaccuracies.
Collaborating and Partnering – Including: sharing information appropriately, building supportive, trusting and professional relationships with colleagues and a wide range of stakeholders within and outside the Civil Service
Details of the Civil Service competencies can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework
Grade Summary
- Executive Officers (EOs) deal with a range of problems, which require them to take the appropriate course of action from available and defined options, and at times, find innovative ways to solve problems.
- EOs are expected to make suggestions about ways of improving working methods, systems and processes. They support change by implementing new policies, procedures and systems.
- EOs generally work without close supervision and may work in a different geographical location from their manager. They may report to more senior grades on progress and capability. This is often the first level with people management responsibilities.
- All posts within the YJB operate as a flexible resource to ensure the requirements of the business are met and as such the post holder may be required to undertake other duties in their role or duties in other parts of the business at their grade to meet business priorities.
- In carrying out their duties the post holder will respect the YJBs commitment to equality of opportunity and the diversity of the YJB and its stakeholders. In addition, they will make sure they understand and adhere to their responsibilities in relation to health and safety and data protection.
- The post holder will work in partnership with colleagues in YJB Cymru and always consider the impact of developments on policy, practice and legislation specific to Wales.
Flexible working hours
The Youth Justice Board a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The Youth Justice Board 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 Youth Justice Board is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
08/04/2019, 23:55 hours.
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.