About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

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.

Job Title / Group / Directorate

Business Support Team Member

Reports To

DPA Team Leader, Offender Subject Access Request Team

Location & Terms of appointment

This is a permanent post based in Branston, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Salary and Grade

This post is band AA (Administration Assistant)

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.  

Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.

Background

The Offender Subject Access Request team sits within the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) Security & Information Group, which has a broad range of responsibilities including physical and cyber security through to information management and records compliance. As part of the Directorate’s Information Services Division, our aim is to ensure the MoJ holds information in compliance with legislation; that all information is correctly stored, accessible and shared appropriately; and our information is protected, and the risks managed. We believe that knowing what information and records we have and having the right information available at the right time by those who need it or request it, is at the heart of an excellent justice system.

The Offender Subject Access Request team manage and process subject access requests (SARs) on behalf of the MoJ, liaising with its agencies to retrieve personal information held on the requestor and then prepare it for release in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). The team receives in excess of 5,000 requests per annum.

Role Purpose

Do you have strong customer service and administrative skills; an ability to plan your workload effectively and follow standard procedures and security protocols? Are you approachable, enthusiastic and want to deliver a quality service to the Department and its customers by embracing new technology?

This is an exciting time for the team as we are seeking to make significant changes and improvements to many aspects of how we work and the service we provide, especially investigating new technology available and how this can increase efficiencies. You will also be joining the team as it prepares for an increase in work following the Probation Reform Programme.  

You will be joining an expanding team who provide a dedicated and expert function in processing offender SARs. The team have a strong customer service culture, providing a key service across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) so the ability and expertise to build strong professional relationships on both an individual and team basis is very important. Close liaison with individual prison establishments and probation offices are vital to meeting our performance indicators and there will be opportunity to develop this further. The role is important as it ensures that offenders are supported through their sentence and rehabilitation by having access to the right information, at the right time, by responding to requests in full and within statutory timescales.

The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the Department’s compliance with DPA by despatching cases within their statutory deadlines.  

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

• Photocopy large volumes of sensitive personal information, ensuring all information that has been identified as exempt from disclosure is not disclosed
• Securely package and despatch completed cases, along with template response letter
• Update case management system
• Open and sort post, distributing to relevant areas within the team
• Filing correspondence and completed cases
• Review and destroy closed cases in accordance with their retention schedule
• Answer queries, both telephone and written correspondence, from customers and colleagues across the Department
• General administrative office duties, including manual handling, commensurate with grade
• Demonstrate and encourage behaviours which support the MoJ and Civil Service values.

Behaviours                                                          

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Essential experience

• Experience of using Microsoft applications (Word, Excel and Outlook).

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £21,149, Ministry of Justice contributes £5,625 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.