Support Officer

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.

The post is based in the Public Protection Partnership Section which is made up of four teams and is part of the HMPPS Public Protection Group. Part of your role will involve providing enhanced administrative support to a visually impaired senior manager who heads up the national MAPPA team. This will include taking notes at meetings, using applications to manage staff and book travel, and organising national meetings. In return you will have the chance to gain experience in an interesting and high-profile area of policy development within a supportive and creative team. You will also provide administrative support to the Head of Section.

Overview of the job

The job holder will be required to provide administrative support and assistance to staff members within their Directorate. Providing a professional and efficient service.

Summary

The jobholder will be responsible for carrying out administrative processes, maintaining systems and will act as first point of contact for all HMPPS, MOJ and wider criminal justice stakeholder enquiries arriving into their team, via functional mailboxes, telephone or mail

They will have no direct line management responsibilities but will have regular contact, in an administrative capacity, with internal and external stakeholders including at a Senior level. They will be relied upon to act at all times with professionalism and discretion and in a way that reinforces and enhances the positive reputation of HMPPS.

The post holder also undertakes a variety of specific activities and duties, for which they are held personally accountable, commensurate with their grade.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

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

• To provide secretariat support to meetings, including all preparation of work, taking minutes/notes.
• Assist with the management of local activities for example business continuity, use of government procurement card, sickness absence management. Assist with the collation of data and other management information requirements.
• Co-ordinate/draft responses to information requests under Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts and / or Parliamentary Questions.
• Support and advise staff and management with queries and current personnel policies and procedures.
• Provision of general administrative duties including face to face, email enquiries, booking meetings, diary management etc.
• To maintain administration databases to record and monitor information & produce monthly reports on these. Ensure that data entered into local and national systems is accurate and in accordance with agreed timescales
• To contribute to the review and development of systems, including procedures regarding the review of all specialist support systems and processes to identify and implement efficiency improvement measures, as required
• Assist the Budget holder with financial planning and maintenance of financial records
• Provide management with management information relating to the relevant area
• Act as first point of contact for relevant external stakeholders
• Monitor the functional mailboxes, action any issues and where needed log the request in the relevant folder/spreadsheet.
• Provision of general administrative support which will include; dealing with face to face and e-mail enquiries, booking meetings, booking laptops, projectors, flipcharts, teleconference facilities.

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.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Essential Experience

• Good communication skills and the ability to communicate at all levels of the organisation

Technical requirements

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft word, excel

Salary

£32,791

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on ‘modernised’ terms in their current post or onto ‘unmodernised’ MoJ terms if they are on ‘unmodernised’ terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate’s Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

• The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

• You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

• The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

• After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

• There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

• All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

Eligibility

• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

• All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

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.