Job Title: Case Progression Officer
Grade: EO
Overview
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice. We provide support for the legal system across England and Wales, along with non-devolved tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring justice works for everyone.
Our Justice system defends our fundamental rights and freedoms. It is a cornerstone of our modern society. It protects some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, from families in crisis to claimants and commercial businesses. We have a responsibility to deliver a Justice system that is accessible to everyone and operates efficiently.
The key purpose of the role is to:
Be responsible for the monitoring and progression of all criminal cases identified for case management from first appearance to disposal, ensuring that Trials proceed to completion without delay.
Work with others to achieve a reduction in ineffective and cracked trials both nationally and locally to meet national targets. The Case Progression Officer reports to the Delivery Manager and will also monitor effective trial rates to ensure that Court Room utilisation targets are met and improved.
Apply Continuous Improvement principles, tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.
Essential Skills & Criteria:
Strong customer focus and service skills
Experience of delivering a qualify service
Proficient with IT and Microsoft Software packages
Excellent communication and organisational skills
Ability to effectively manage key stakeholder relationships
Key responsibilities:
Administration
Use data to review case progression processes and structures to identify failure in systems, trends and propose improved ways of working to effect change.
To support the Legal Advisers, Magistrates, District Judges, Crown Court clerks and Judiciary in the implementation of their case management roles.
To review systems, identify weaknesses and work with others in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to improve processes and to highlight to Senior Management when issues of compliance to directions are highlighted and to take remedial action as appropriate or make recommendations to Senior Management for improvements.
To ensure compliance with the Case Progression Officer Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and to work closely with the Court Administrative Teams and the Case Management Units to ensure that best practice is adopted and followed.
Operations
To work with others to reduce and prevent ineffective and cracked trials.
To work with others to improve the effective trial rate statistics.
To case manage contested criminal proceedings and ensure compliance by parties of directions made by the Court.
To be a point of contact for all requests to vary directions and/or applications for adjournment, working closely with the Listing Officer.
To check with all appropriate parties as to readiness for hearings as directed.
Prepare Certificates of Readiness for distribution 28 days before trial date.
To identify and review old cases and initiate action to progress them.
To attend Pre Trial-Review (PTR) / PCMH Courts when required to advise on case management issues.
To prepare distribute and monitor automatic direction and PCMH Forms.
Monitor and proactively report on HMCTS assurance programme and contribute to ongoing development.
Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level and deputise for the Delivery Manager, as necessary.
Apply Continuous Improvement principles, tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.
Team leadership
Lead a team of staff ensuring that its members are organised, and fully skilled to meet their work objectives. Effectively managing both team and individual performance, addressing any issues as they arise, in line with HR policy.
Processing and managing casework
Work with staff to ensuring that casework is appropriately managed, providing information / advice where process deviations have occurred.
Calculations and analysis
Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring more complex problems to the line manager.
Communicating with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations
Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Working with agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.
Attend and contribute to court user group meetings, case progression meetings, Bench and Legal Adviser meetings, listing and administrative meetings as required.
Specialisms
To have a working knowledge of functions undertaken within the region, to support the development and review of policies and procedures.
To provide specific functions as directed by line management in line with the SOP for providing that service.
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.