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.

Receptionists play a key role, by being the first point contact for Yorkshire and the Humber Probation Service. Greeting people on probation and visitors professionally both face to face, via telephone and email, logging their arrived and departure, ensuring the appropriate member of staff is notified. Receptionist also provide vital administrative functions to delivery units in accordance with service policy and producers.

If you are successful in the recruitment process and join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £20,126. The Probation Service offers the opportunity for annual pay progression. The table below shows the pay increases a receptionist could receive:

Present Day	1 Oct 23	1 Apr24	1 Oct 24
£20,126	£20,126	£21,250	£22,320

To be successful in this role:

·       You’ll love learning new things and can adapt to meet the needs of our organisation.

·       You’ll be prepared to use your own initiative and enjoy working as part of a team.

·       Multitasking will be second nature, ensuring tight deadlines are met.

·       You’ll use Agile methodologies and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

·       You will be at ease working closely with other teams collaborating across diverse business areas with a range of people.

Some roles in probation require employees to have access to additional intelligence systems that require a higher level of vetting.  An example of this, is the multi-agency ‘Visor’ system. If you are applying for a role that requires you to access systems such as Visor, you will be expected to undertake additional vetting for this once you commence in post, in addition to the pre-employment checks.

Working patterns, include two evenings and potentially weekends and the shift patterns: 8.45am to 4.45pm is the opening shift. 9.15am to 5.15pm is the closing shift 1pm to 9pm Late shift.

Full time role is at Huddersfield and part time 18.5 hours is at Dewsbury

Overview of the job

This is an administrative role based within the Probation Service (PS) Directorate in HMPPS. The job holder reports to the designated Line Manager and supports the provision of business specific and transactional office-based activities.

The job holder works collaboratively with other team members to provide reception duties and a range of administrative support services.

The job holder may be expected to support a number of teams/functions within the operational area and is to offer support and cover during periods of absence, for which training will be provided.

The job holder must promote diversity and anti-discriminatory practice in the performance of the post in a way that embraces Equality and values Diversity.

The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position.

NB: Core Hours include regular unsocial hours (evenings and/or weekends) as determined by the business need.

Summary

To provide an effective and efficient first point of contact with all visitors, telephone callers and undertake administrative functions in accordance with service policy and procedures.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• To be first point of contact for Probation Service and greet people on probation and visitors professionally both face to face and via telephone and email, logging their arrival and departure, ensuring the appropriate member of staff is notified and issue visitor passes and security fobs as necessary.
• Through observation and situational awareness to use tact and diplomacy to diffuse potentially violent situations and recognising where additional support is required, be that internal management or external security/policing presence, and to be alert to conversations that might indicate a safeguarding/risk issue and take appropriate remedial action such as emailing the Probation Practitioner and updating Delius.
• Answer all enquiries, while on Reception, relating to basic information about the Probation Service and local Person on Probation support services such as the provision of food banks, referring more technical enquiries to an appropriate manager.
• To deal with all logistics for a building including managing all mail items, ordering PPE and office stationery, meeting room equipment, taking delivery of items and ensuring they get to the right destination and managing room, hot desk and car parking bookings, support and service meeting rooms including preparing for events and event registration as required.
• To pay bus fares/travel warrants to people on probation and handle day to day petty cash including collection and transport of petty cash and travel warrants between Probation properties.
• To assist in maintaining Health and Safety and security aspects of the building, including acting as key holder, operating the physical security of the building, the testing of fire alarms, testing panic alarms, monitoring CCTV and assisting evacuation measures and where necessary to act as Fire Warden/First Aider and in the absence of a line manager to support risk assessments where trained.
• To log building faults and incidents and keep a log of maintenance and repairs escalating issues through the appropriate channels and making decisions (within guidelines) on the urgency of the faults in order to maintain the security of the building. In the absence of the Senior Admin Officer escorting contractors and visitors around the building.
• Where necessity arises to support the case administration of Person on Probation by providing a confidential and high-level administrative support service to operational teams, to include:
o Process and update computer based and manual files and filing systems
o Use a range of computer software in providing comprehensive administration support
o Produce a range of documentation and correspondence
o To access databases for information as necessary and input information as required
o Scanning and archiving data, some of which is sensitive and highly confidential

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall
be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £20,126, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £5,333 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, Strengths and Experience.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.