His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service

Job Title: Case Progression Officer

Pay Span or equivalent: 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 will also monitor effective trial rates to ensure that Court Room utilisation targets are met and improved.
Demonstrate use of Lean TIBs, SOPs and other continuous improvement tools.

Key responsibilities

Administration	To monitor, compile and analyse case progression and performance data as required and to prepare reports. 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 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 LEAN SOP’s; 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 capture case progression data from courts and other Agencies. 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. Checking with parties as to readiness for hearings as directed. Prepare Certificates of Readiness for distribution 28 days before trial date. To monitor return of PCMH forms 14 days before hearing and chase any outstanding. To identify and review old cases and initiate action to progress them. To attend PTR/PCMH Courts when required to advise on case management issues. To prepare distribute and monitor automatic direction and PCMH Forms. To refer problems with pre-trial preparation to List Officer / Judiciary as appropriate. Monitor and proactively report on HMCTS assurance programme and contribute to ongoing development. Deputise for the Delivery Manager as necessary. Apply LEAN 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.
Representation	Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level.
Specialisms	To have a working knowledge of functions undertaken within the Cluster, 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.
Accountability	Reporting to a Delivery Manager.

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.

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.

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To monitor, compile and analyse case progression and performance data as required and to prepare reports.

To capture case progression data from courts and other Agencies.

To monitor return of PCMH forms 14 days before hearing and chase any outstanding.

To refer problems with pre-trial preparation to List Officer / Judiciary as appropriate.