58154 - Communications Officer

The national salary range is £26,000, London salary range is £29,500. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
1
12 Months
London, National
London, National
CLIVE HOUSE 5.11 LONDON, SW1H 9EX, NATIONAL
EO
YJB Executive Officer London, YJB Executive Officer National
Permanent
Full Time
Communications / Marketing

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Salary

£29,500 London salary

£26,000 National salary

Responsible to

Senior Communications Manager

Base/location

National or London (Clive House, Petty France)

The role will be contractually based at the nearest MoJ hub/office but YJB staff work flexibly, including from their homes.

FTE/hours

37 hours

Job type (i.e. fixed term/permanent)

Permanent

Security Clearance Required

Baseline (BPSS) 

Who are we? 

The YJB is the public body which advises Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Justice on the youth justice system. Our ambition is to see a Child First youth justice system. A system which looks to children’s’ strengths and supports children to become the best version of themselves. To this effect we engage with a wide variety of organisations, partners and parties with an interest in youth justice, we share good practice, champion improvement and issue grants.

Our Vision

Working to ensure a youth justice system that sees children as children, treats them fairly and helps them to build on their strengths so they can make a constructive contribution to society. This will prevent offending and create safer communities with fewer victims.

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

Benefits of working for the YJB 

  • Opportunity to work in an organisation that
  • Civil Service Pension Scheme, currently Alpha, or continuous service transfer of Classic, Classic Plus, Premium or Nuvos 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.
  • Flexible working opportunities in line with business needs
  • Special recognition bonus scheme
  • Special leave for unplanned emergencies
  • Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential support and advice for personal and work issues
  • Eyecare vouchers
  • Flu jabs
  • Season ticket loans
  • Support for learning and development
  • Professional HR Case Management support for managers 

Job Summary 

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is committed to working towards better outcomes for children in contact with the youth justice system and better outcomes for the communities in which they live. 

The main 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. 

Main responsibilities

You will:

  • Produce good quality, timely communications for internal and external audiences
  • Contribute to, and potentially lead on, the running of the YJB’s social media channels, including Twitter and LinkedIn
  • Ensure our intranet includes engaging and relevant messages for staff
  • Support the development and publication of online materials and resources
  • Be a trusted advisor, working with colleagues across the organisation to support them in disseminating information using the most appropriate channels
  • Analyse, measure and evaluate communications activity
  • Support the team with the organisation and delivery of internal and external events
  • Carry out relevant admin tasks to support the team, such as monitoring our joint inbox
  • Use basic design and layout skills to create attractive, accessible documents and presentations
  • Be accountable for managing your own workload

Please also see the grade summary 

Personal qualities, skills and experience

Required skills and experience

  • Experience creating communication products to tight deadlines
  • Strong planning and people skills
  • Highly organised with an eye for detail
  • 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
  • Knowledge of communications best-practice
  • 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 – please note, if you do not already have this experience we will be happy to support you to develop your skills in these areas.

  • Experience of organising events
  • Experience and/or knowledge of design
  • Experience of corporate social media use
  • Experience in the production and editing of audio and visual content

Selection process

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and the Government Communication Competency Framework and will assess your behaviours, technical skills, essential abilities and strengths during the selection process. 

Technical skills: 

Insight - Use insight to identify target audiences and partners, support decision making and help inform the overall communication approach.

Ideas - Design and develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels.

Implementation - Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills. Write clearly, concisely and accurately.

Impact - Analyse evidence to assess effectiveness of communication and identify lessons learned 

Behaviours

Communicating and Influencing (Lead behaviour)

Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money. Interact with others in an enthusiastic way. Express ideas clearly and with respect for others. Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working. Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions. Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity. 

Working Together

Develop a range of contacts outside own team and identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning. Show genuine interest when listening to others. Contribute to an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are listened to and all individual needs are taken into account. Ensure it is clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Offer support and help to colleagues when in need, including consideration of your own and their wellbeing. Change ways of working to aid cooperation within and between teams in order to achieve results. 

Seeing the Big Picture

Understand how your work and the work of your team supports wider objectives and meets the diverse needs of stakeholders. Keep up to date with the issues that affect your work area. Take a keen interest in expanding knowledge in areas related to your work. Focus on overall goals and not just specific tasks to meet priorities 

Delivering at Pace

Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging. 

How to apply 

The assessment process will be made up of two parts:

Application Stage:

To apply for the role we would like to know more about your experience against key behaviours necessary for the role, including the lead behaviour of communicating and influencing.

Interview Stage: Interviews will cover the technical skills, strengths and behaviours necessary for the role, in line with Success Profiles and the GCS competency framework. This stage will also include a short written copy assessment.

Flexible working hours

The Youth Justice Board a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The Youth Justice Board offers a range of benefits:

For nationally advertised campaigns, candidates will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

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.

Expected W/C 13th June 2022

23/05/2022, 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@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 58154.

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.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Communicating and Influencing.
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 - 250 word limit
Experience
Please explain why you are interested in the role and working for the Youth Justice Board - 250 word limit
Please describe your experience in planning and creating effective communications - 250 word limit
Please give an example of where you have worked well with others to achieve your goals - 250 word limit
Please describe ways that you have ensured your work is delivered in a timely and professional manner - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture
Working Together
Technical Skills
Insight - Use insight to identify target audiences and partners, support decision making and help inform the overall communication approach.
Ideas - Design and develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels.
Implementation - Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills. Write clearly, concisely and accurately.
Impact - Analyse evidence to assess effectiveness of communication and identify lessons learned
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Assessment(s)
Written Exercise

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.