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About the job
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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.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Directorate: South East Region
Job Title: Court Usher
Number of Vacancies: 2
- X1 position at Folkestone Magistrates’
- X2 position at Canterbury Combined
Location: Folkestone Magistrates' Court, The Law Courts, Castle Hill Avenue, CT20 2DH (with travel to Canterbury and Margate Magistrates Court when required) and Canterbury Combined Court and Family Court Hearing Centre, The Law Courts, Chaucer Road, CT1 1ZA
Grade: AA
Duration: Permanent
These positions are available for external applicants as well as existing civil servants on level transfer.
Background:
The Court Usher acts as an essential first point of contact for all the court users involved in hearings. There will be regular contact with the judiciary, assisting the administrative staff with the smooth flow of court work. You will meet members of the public and their legal representatives; prepare court / hearing rooms, and complete documentation, as well as ensuring the court runs smoothly and efficiently. You will also carry out some general clerical work as required to support the work of HMCTS.
Although many of the tasks are straightforward, regulated by well-established guidelines and/or detailed instructions, an Usher needs to be prepared to react quickly and professionally to situations, some of which may be unexpected. You will be comfortable in dealing sensitively and professionally with people from all walks of life; many of whom may be vulnerable and under stress. Advice and support is readily available and there is little discretion to depart from standard procedures, which may well require you to take a firm stance when those procedures are not understood or welcomed by a court user. Ushers work within a team with regular management support and are responsible for their own time.
Whilst initially you will be allocated to a specific court or office base, there will be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc basis at other courthouses and local HMCTS offices.
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
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:
Administration
- Collecting and delivering files and bundles to the judiciary and clerks ensuring they have the necessary papers
- Providing support to colleagues & judiciary outside of court / hearing times
- General clerical work, including use of computers and Switchboard
- Filling out forms
- Operating recording equipment and maintaining records of recordings of hearings
- Sort and deliver lists of hearings for internal & external notice boards
Correspondence
- Completing standard forms, etc where the information is clearly defined.
- Straightforward drafting such as acknowledgements / receipting, confirmations, court orders, warrants etc.
Post Handling
- Opening, sorting, distributing and dispatching post as required
- Collecting and delivering post from appropriate offices
Monitoring Stock
- Ensuring Court rooms are supplied against requirements for relevant forms and stationery
- Collecting and delivering stationary around the offices
Data Entry and recording
- Resulting, checking accuracy and completeness against guidelines or a proforma, straightforward money handling e.g. issuing jury payments, spending petty cash under instruction.
Operating equipment
- Office and court equipment e.g. computers, fax machines, scanners, photocopiers, switchboards, franking machines, messaging equipment, tape, and video recorders etc.
Handling telephone calls
- Answering standard enquiries and passing messages to others.
Arranging meetings
- Preparing rooms for hearings, tribunals, trials, meetings and clearing the court / hearing room down at the end of the day etc.
- Using electronic diaries
Reception of parties to court
- Including members of the public, judiciary, juries, solicitors and barristers, the police, representatives of external Agencies etc.
- Providing information related to proceedings, escorting court users into and from the building, swearing oaths etc.
- Calling people into court / hearing rooms in priority order, discussing with Court Clerks and Legal Advisers and liaising with the Witness Service as necessary
- Answering face to face enquiries
- Keeping parties informed of changes e.g. of courtrooms and hearing times
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:
- Strong customer focus and service skills
- Experience of working in an administrative role in a customer focussed environment
- Proficient with IT and Microsoft Software packages
- Excellent communication and organisational skills
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 1):
- Communicating and 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. Should you be successful at application stage you will be progressed to interview.
Should you be successful at the application stage the Success Profile Behaviours Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing and Working Together will also be tested / assessed (Level 1) at interview stage.
Interviews will also test 2 strengths.
Interviews will be conducted face to face.
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:
Enhanced DBS level vetting checks are required for this role.
Terms & Conditions:
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.
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.
Further Information:
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. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirements of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-team in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/
Person specification
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
- Access to learning and development
- A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
- A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Annual Leave
- Public Holidays
- Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
