Personal Assistant to Deputy Chamber President

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.

Location: Darlington Magistrates’ Court, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RU

Grade: Administrative Officer (AO)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: National: £20,965 - £21,488

This position is available for external applicants as well as existing civil servants on level transfer or promotion.

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum. For existing civil servants, whilst the role itself is time limited, successful appointment on promotion will secure this grade on a substantive basis. Secondments and loans will be considered on an individual basis.

Background:

HM 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. Our vision is to have an efficient and effective courts and tribunals system which enables the rule of law to be upheld and provides access to justice for all.

Significant investment has been made by HM Treasury to allow HMCTS to provide a more accessible system which is modern and responsive, treats those who use our service with dignity and respect and which provides better value for money for the taxpayer.

The post holder would be working as part of the Chamber Presidents’ Office wider team. We have high expectations of all our staff whatever role they play. HMCTS is continuously adopting new or better ways of working. It is important that staff not only have good administrative skills but are willing to contribute in weekly meetings and to explore better ways of working.

Key Purpose:

The role is to provide PA/administrative support to the Deputy Chamber President of the First-tier Tribunal Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (SEND/CS/PHL jurisdictions).

The key purpose of the role is to:

Provide support to one of the Chamber’s Deputy President including, amongst other tasks:Provide excellent administrative support to the Chamber’s judicial office holders, stakeholders and customersWork flexibly with managers on administrative tasks/projects as requiredWhilst the post-holder will be allocated to a specific office base, there may be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc basis with other Tribunals’ Chamber Presidents’ officesThe successful candidate will need to be able to work independently and to be self-motivatedAn enhanced DBS check is required for this role

Operational Delivery in HMCTS:

This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession. Operational delivery professionals are the outward face of government, providing essential services to the public in a variety of roles. They work in many different departments and agencies across the breadth of the UK, delivering service to customers in:

Face-to-face roles in HMCTS for example a court usher Contact Centre roles in HMCTS for example call centre advisers Processing roles in HMCTS for example Staff at the County Courts Money-Claims Centre and Courts and Tribunal Administration

Being part of the operational delivery profession means belonging to a cross- government community of people. This will offer you access to information on professional standards, skills development and qualifications to help you continue to improve your development and performance and expand your career options.

Key Responsibilities:

Support the Deputy Chamber President:

Manage the Deputy Chamber President’s (DCP) diary ensuring the calendar is kept up to date and emails are managed effectively, and important issues are highlighted and prioritised. Ensure deadlines are met and the DCP’s time is efficiently managed.Arrange meetings and visits and make all necessary travel arrangements.Ensure the DCP is prepared for meetings - collate papers, documents and papersArrange travel and hotel bookings in line with current policies.Assist with communication across the Chamber.Devise and maintain administration and operational processes and systems, including data management and filing.Provide administrative support as required

Administration:

Administration for judicial office holder appraisals in this part of the Chamber Entering data onto relevant IT systems Using Microsoft Outlook including using the calendar and appointments tools and shared mailboxes Keeping records of work using Microsoft Word and Excel. Maintain accurate filing and retrieval systems. Using relevant IT systems or online portals e.g. to book hotels and travelOrganising meetings and providing support as necessary including minute takingProvide support to the judiciary as directed and needed.

Processing & Managing Workload:

Engage and work with staff across the Chamber Presidents’ Offices as required. Look for ways to improve working practices

Communication:

Liaise with the public, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations To deliver a helpful, prompt, polite and “right first time” service to our internal and external customers.

Accountability:

Reporting to the Chamber President’s PA

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.

Essential Skills & Criteria:

Experience as a PA. The post holder will provide PA support to senior judges and the Deputy Chamber President, therefore experience in drafting, diary management, and minute taking are essential; Experience of working across a team to deliver shared goals; High standard of IT skills including use of Word, Excel (statistical returns and graphical data presentation) PowerPoint, Microsoft Office, teams and file management; Well-developed administration, communication, interpersonal and organisational / work planning skills together with the ability to carry out the role with discretion.

Application Process:

To apply for this position please complete the online application form, ensuring you provide the following:

Using the Success Profile STAR methodology, provide a 250-word suitability statement against each of the following Behaviours (Level 1):

Delivering at PaceChanging & ImprovingCommunicating & Influencing

A 250-word Statement of Suitability is also required. To complete this, please refer to the requirements in the Essential Skills and Criteria section (above) and outline the relevant personal skills, experience, strengths and behaviours you could bring to HMCTS.

In the event we receive a large volume of applications, we will sift using the lead Success Profile Behaviour: Delivering at Pace.

If selected for interview, please see assessment criteria below:

You will be tested against the three Success Profile Behaviours listed aboveYou will be tested against two Success Profile StrengthsA ‘Drafting Correspondence’ assessment will also be required.

Interviews may also be required to be conducted via video conference.

Further information on Success Profile Behaviours and Strengths, as well as the required standards for this post (Level 1), can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.

Security Clearance:

This role requires a higher level of clearance – CTC (Counter Terrorist Check). An enhanced DBs check is required as part of vetting for this role.

Terms & Conditions:

Permanent Appointment

This is a permanent position.

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 MoJ’s excess fares allowance policy.