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.
Key purpose of the role
The Enforcement Cash operations team is responsible for the collection, balancing and bringing to account monies received and disbursed by the Court. Successful candidates will have the responsibility for managing a small team and will be required to provide clear direction and focus to the team, visibly championing changes which deliver greater efficiencies. The team are accountable for processing all monies received within a set timescale. All payments in respect of Fines and Fees are accurately and securely receipted, reconciled, and banked in accordance with appropriate policies.
Background
Good administrative staff with excellent customer service skills are vital to the effective operation of the Courts, Tribunals and other offices within HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement responsibilities include the collection of criminal fines. Most of the staff within HMCTS are employed in administrative roles. HMCTS embraces Lean principles and continuous improvement techniques to provide high standards of customer service
About Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement
The Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement department plays a central role in delivering justice by working alongside the criminal courts in England and Wales to ensure convicted parties comply with fines and other financial penalties imposed by the courts. Enforcement is a large and complex business unit, employing over 1200 staff across multiple locations across England and Wales through which flows some £500m per annum. You will help deliver HMCTS’ responsibilities for the enforcement of Fines, Confiscation Orders, Community Penalty Breach Warrants and other enforcement work.
The key purpose of the role
Administrative Officers are assigned to teams to carry out a variety of general administrative duties to progress cases through the court/tribunal system or provide support to other functions within HMCTS. As an Administrative Officer working in Enforcement, your role will include general administrative duties and will require you to deal with the general public, defendants and outside organisations sometimes dealing with difficult customers and situations. You may also be required to work in a call centre type environment or directly in the handling of cash and certain related functions.
Continuous improvement tools and techniques are used in HMCTS and so there will be opportunities to exercise discretion and initiative and continually seek to improve, within a framework of systems and processes (SOPS). Problem solving is carried out by reference to lean techniques (e.g. problem-solving hubs) and comprehensive guidelines and instructions – complex or difficult issues are normally referred to or will involve a team leader or supervisor. In some positions, role holders will have regular contact with court / tribunal users, including members of the Judiciary and the legal profession. Administrative Officers work within a team with regular management support and are responsible for their own time, although there may be some opportunity to provide advice and carry out limited supervision of others.
Whilst the post holder will be allocated to a specific office base, there may be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc basis at other local HMCTS offices. Working as part of a flexible team, the postholder will be expected to undertake a range of the functions and responsibilities specified. It is not intended that each post will be responsible for the full range of duties.
Key responsibilities
Administration
- Preparing papers and files for court.
- Collection of financial impositions imposed by the court.
- Enforcement of financial impositions using designated Fines Officer Powers.
- General photocopying and filing.
- Creating and updating records on in-house computer system and data input.
- Post opening and dispatch.
- Booking, preparing and organising meeting rooms, supporting training courses and other group activities.
- Preparing meeting agenda, joining instructions, handouts etc.
Drafting
- Standard letters and correspondence, minutes, notes, reports, submissions etc, according to guidelines and instructions.
Operations
- Conducting Means Interviews with defendant mainly over the phone but face to face in some instances.
- Assisting at Enforcement Courts and hearings, ensuring papers and materials are available and up to date.
- Contacting relevant parties, scheduling, serving court documents, executing a range of warrants, collecting fines and fees etc.
- Handling counter (face to face), written and telephone enquiries.
- To work as a team to ensure TIB (Team Information Board) meetings are relevant, timely and productive.
- To work as a team to problem solve, to assess the impact of new SOPS, to contribute to small projects.
Processing Casework
- Including standard documentation and information, court orders, claims, fines, fees, maintenance and fixed penalty tickets.
- Resulting courts accurately, interpreting accurately the information required on a court file.
- To work to workload targets in terms of throughput and accuracy.
Checking and verifying
- Documents, records, accounts, claims and returns for approval, results, statistics, plans etc. against criteria, regulations or procedures.
- Ensuring compliance and administration documentation meet quality standards.
- Role holders may be required to cross check and validate work completed by colleagues.
Collecting and assembling information
- For returns, results, accounts, statements, warrants, statistical analysis, reports etc.
- Work may require interpretation of source materials, preparation of files, obtaining updates.
- Role holders will need to modify and adjust information and make decisions to allow work to be completed.
- Role holders will need to collect and assemble information to prepare for and run the daily TIB meeting, as required.
Undertaking calculations
- Produce basic statistical analysis reports and where required, process financial information.
- Checking the work of others, updating records, assessing the value of goods and/or property, reconciling accounts, preparing invoices, information gathering and running straightforward reports.
Communicating
- Communicate and work with Enforcement Delivery Managers, Judiciary, Magistracy, Cluster Staff, and other internal and external stakeholders, suppliers and customers to collect information, check facts, communicate or enforce judicial decisions, give advice on the completion of forms or court procedures etc and provide excellent customer service.
- To deliver a helpful, prompt, polite and “right first time” service to our internal and external customers.
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.
Success Profiles Assessment approach
The application will assess you on behaviours. Behaviours are the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.
The Civil Service has defined a set of behaviours that, when demonstrated, are associated with job success. Civil Service Behaviours are specific to the grade level of the job role.
The examples of the behaviours are designed to give an overview of what is expected of individuals at each level. There is no expectation that all individuals will need to demonstrate every part of each example to be successful.
To apply please complete the online application form.
You will also be assessed on strengths in the interview.
Find out more about Success Profiles and Behaviours
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 and Courts and Tribunal Administration
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.
£21,775
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.