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.

Networks

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Directorate: London Region

Job Title: Judicial Liaison Officer (3 posts available)

Locations: First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP

Duration: Permanent

Pay Span or equivalent: EO (Band D)

Salary: London (within M25): £29,664 - £31,200

These positions are 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. Secondments and loans will be considered on an individual basis.

Background:

The Tribunals Service and Her Majesty’s Court Service have been integrated into a single Agency, HM Courts and Tribunals Service from 1st April 2011. Bringing these two organisations together will remove duplication in management functions and increase the efficiency of the administration, which will enable HMCTS to reduce what it spends away from the front line by around £40m a year.

There will be high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do and the need for more robust performance management. The organisation will be adopting new ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential in the new Agency.

EO staff will need to display a commitment to four key principles: Continuous change, managing uncertainty and improving performance. All those appointed to new roles in HMCTS must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Overview:

As a new organisation HMCTS is embarking on a period of significant change.  Strong leadership is a critical element in this being successful.  Jobholders who have responsibility for managing staff will be required to provide clear direction and focus, visibly championing the changes which deliver greater efficiencies.  The HMCTS Executive Team expects managers in the organisation to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

The key purpose of the role is to:

Support the Operations Managers of the Judicial Secretariat and the Judicial Liaison Managers in ensuring the business needs of the Regions are met through the successful & efficient deployment of judicial resources.

The post holder is part of a small team responsible for effective planning and management of the judicial resources across the Regions and will provide a single point of contact for the judiciary across their respective Region and will be key in ensuring effective communication with the judiciary at Cluster level.

Key responsibilities:

Operations    

• Ensure the Circuit & District Judge itinerary is prepared and agreed by the Senior Judiciary and Clusters which maximises the utilisation of resources and is maintained throughout the year.
• Provide effective day to day liaison with the judiciary and operations across the Region including advising on any changes to sitting patterns to improve performance.
• Act as single point of contact for internal and external customers on judicial resource/sitting day information/enquiries for a Cluster.
• Manage the process for handling judicial travel and subsistence claims etc, liaising with appropriate colleagues across HMCTS.
• Oversee booking of all part-time judiciary and monitor fee payments & reconciliation.
• Support the Judicial Liaison Manager on judicial issues including but not restricted to:
  • Organisation of regional judicial training and seminars
  • Liaison Officer role for judicial harassment protocol
  • Liaison Officer role for judicial databases
  • Judicial assistance to the JAC
  • Salaried part-time working
  • Appointment of judicial leadership & extra-curricular posts
• Ensure effective contingency planning to allow business continuity in operations across the Regions.
• Identify and promote the sharing of good practice across the Regions.
• Work in partnership with the Cluster Managers and others across HMCTS.
• Allocate & supervise workload on a daily basis, through a TIB.

Administration

• Devise and maintain administration and operational processes and systems, including data quality assurance, data management and filing.
• Undertake specific project work and background research to inform development work and aid good decision making.
• Maintain robust, timely and accurate management information relating to:
  • Judicial sittings and itineraries
  • Non-sitting days
  • Judicial training
  • Official business
  • Maintaining accurate records on the Regional Judicial Database
• Provide timely and accurate information on sitting days to assist in bids & forecasting for the Circuit Bench and District Bench.
• Monitor and report on delayed judgments.
• Process financial documentation and manage accounts and budgets as required.
• Provide administrative support to the Head of Judicial Liaison.

Drafting         

• Assist the Judicial Liaison Manager with the production of briefing documentation and other papers.

Communicating with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations          

• Effectively communicate with a range of internal and external stakeholders including court and tribunal staff, Judiciary, court and tribunal end users on all resource issues to highlight potential challenges.
• Work with the Presiding and/or Family Division Liaison Judge or their representatives.
• Deal professionally with a range of internal and external customers, suppliers, contractors and external service providers.

Accountability          

• Reports to the Judicial Liaison Manager.

Line Management    

• The role will include Line Management for at least one Band E Judicial Liaison Assistant.

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.

Location of Post:

Based at Third Floor , First Avenue House , 42-49 High Holborn , London , WC1V 6NP.Some travel around the Regions for visits / meeting attendance will be required. Hybrid working with 3 days in the office.

Application Process:

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

A 250-word suitability statement against each of the following Success Profile Behaviours (Level 2):

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Making Effective Decisions

If selected for interview, the Success Profile Behaviours listed above will also be tested / assessed (Level 2).

Interviews will also test two Strengths.

Further information on Success Profile Behaviours and Strengths, as well as the required standards for this post (Level 2), 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.

Terms & Conditions:

Working Hours / Pattern:

This operational role is customer facing, requiring the successful applicant to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working 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.

HMCTS 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 is 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

HMCTS is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Reward & Recognition Scheme

Potential to secure individual / team awards for exceptional performance

Employee Discount Scheme

Provides discounts and offers for many high street and bespoke retailers

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.

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.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,169, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £8,446 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 and Strengths.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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.