Ministry of Justice

Case Administrators play a vital support role in probation teams, helping to keep the public safe. Giving people the chance to turn their lives around. Building a rewarding professional career.

We’re looking for empathetic, patient, and organised people to join us in this varied role, which offers the chance to make a difference, gain new skills and build a rewarding career within the Probation Service.

If you are successful in the recruitment process and join the Probation Service, your starting salary will be £23,583.

Overview of the job

This is an administrative job within the Probation Service.

Summary

The job holder will provide administrative support within the Probation Service (PS), ensuring that staff and people on probation are supported through efficient processes, maintaining administration systems within specified timescales in order to promote the achievement of team and Divisional objectives.

In line with PS policies and procedures, the job holder must at all times demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion and an understanding of their relevance to the work they do.

This role may involve some out of hours work.

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

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties:

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

• Responsible for setting up and maintaining accurate people on probation and victim information on relevant approved databases.

• Ensure the effective administration of referrals to and relationships between offender management, victims, interventions, service providers and external agencies and partnerships to enhance positive outcomes, manage risk, and reduce reoffending.

• Prepare, maintain, and collate case and other records, files and management information, in accordance with the standards required.

• Receive and distribute information and communications in an appropriate manner, e.g. telephone, paper, e-mail.

• Provide cover for an effective and efficient reception and telephone enquiry service.

• Act as single point of contact within unit for specialist area of work as required.

• Deal fairly, effectively, and firmly with a range of people on probation, some of whom may be in crisis, distress or who may display inappropriate or aggressive behaviour, and to seek appropriate support in accordance with the circumstances and office procedures.

• Make practical arrangements such as appointments, directions, etc., for the implementation of the Sentence Plan.

• Carry out enforcement administration as required.

• Where necessary, issue petty cash/vouchers/warrants for travel costs etc, maintaining appropriate records in line with local office financial procedures.

• Organise the availability of appropriate equipment, materials, and facilities for activities relating to the management of cases.

• Report faulty equipment and/or materials to Manager and arrange for replacement/repair as agreed.

• Maintain appropriate systems to ensure the effective use of general unit resources and make recommendations for improvement, as necessary.

• Undertake specific Visor administration tasks in accordance with the procedures.

• Attend meetings as appropriate.

• Provide support to meetings as required including organising agenda, taking, and distributing notes/minutes and action points.

• Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with Health and Safety policies and procedures, undertake equipment tests as required.

• Provide cover within the unit and to other units within the LDU and Division as appropriate.

• Carry out safeguarding children duties in accordance with the PS statutory responsibilities and agency policies.

• Demonstrate pro-social modelling skills by consistently reinforcing pro-social behaviour and attitudes, challenge anti-social behaviour and attitudes.

• To work within the aims and values of PS and HMPPS.

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.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Eligibility

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

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

• Delivering at Pace

• Working Together

• Managing a Quality Service

• Communicating and Influencing

Ability

• Ability to use databases.

• Good keyboard and IT skills including proficiency in MS Office Word, and basic skills in Excel.

• Possess basic numeric skills.

Experience

• Using word processing and spreadsheet software

• Communication skills (verbal and written) and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals.

• Use and work on own initiative.

About us:

By managing offenders in the community, the Probation Service protects the public from the effect of crime and gives offenders the chance to turn their lives around. Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive team that thrives on sharing knowledge and expertise.

Successful applicants may be based a wide variety of office, court, team, or prison locations within the Probation Service region. Allocations will be made according to business need.

To find out more about working as a Case Administrator please click here (Life as a case administrator – Prison and Probation Jobs)

About the Recruitment Process:

There are two stages in applying for this role, you will be required to complete a short application form and detail responses to one Civil Service Behaviour and one

Experience based questions.

You will then be required to sit the Civil Service Judgement test (CSJT). The CSJT is a two-part test which looks at your ability to make decisions in relation to specific civil service behaviours.

The CSJT is stage two of your application process, and you will have the option to complete a practice test immediately before taking the test, to give you an insight of what to expect before you start.

If you are successful in passing this stage, your full application will be sifted once the application deadline has closed. You will then receive further instruction on the progress and outcome of your application.

You can find out more about the CSJT and complete a practice test now here.

If you would like more information relating to reasonable adjustments and the CSJT, please see more details here. You can also watch a short a video here.

Please note that there will be a short window of 2 working days to discuss and agree any adjustments for the online test, following the job advert closing.

Additional Information:

The addresses listed in the job advertisement are not an exhaustive list of potential base locations, they give an indication of some of the potential locations you could be based at.

We will therefore endeavour to offer you a vacancy within a 60-minute commute of your home location.

Case Administrators are required to work within a variety of settings. There may be opportunities for positions within Probation Delivery Units (PDU), Courts, Prisons, etc. depending on business requirements.

These posts will be based in PDUs across the region and the following Probation Service functions:

• Accredited Programmes, Structured Interventions & Attendance Centres

• Community Integration and Contracts

• Contracts

• Courts

• Integrated Offender Management

• Performance & Quality

• Personality Disorder Projects

• Prisons

• Public Protection (Custody)

• Public Protection (Community)

• The Homeless Prevention Taskforce

• Unpaid Work