Job role: Service Support Manager (Tribunals)

Directorate: Development

Workstream: Employment Tribunal / The Immigration and Asylum Chamber

About us

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

The Development Directorate is responsible for service strategy and development, operational policy and modernisation of courts and tribunals. The Tribunals Team in the Development Directorate supports the business of the Tribunals. It is responsible for service management of existing services; the design of new digital services; maintenance of operational policies for the jurisdiction and providing operational support to Tribunal and National Services staff on these, the implementation of change arising from government policy, legislation, or judicial initiatives; and for improving performance.

About the role

As a Service Support Manager, you will progress the jurisdiction’s priorities facilitating their delivery and ensuring the issues that can impact on the running of services are managed effectively. Supporting the Deputy Service Manager, Service Manager and Senior Management Team, you will take forward ongoing continuous improvement of this new service and support changes which deliver service transformation for the end user and greater efficiencies for HMCTS. You will take action across significant operational and complex policy areas. You will influence internal and external stakeholders to help reconcile differing priorities and represent the organisation’s position on major issues. You’ll work with project management staff and any contractors, to deliver at pace in a high-profile area. You’ll operate across a complex policy, technical, and operational landscape, and you will help reach agreement to progress plans.

Key interactions will be with:

• HMCTS Operational teams

• Policy and Legal teams within MoJ and across Government

• Wider Judiciary

• Other Government departments/Partner organisations including Home Office, DBT, DWP, HMRC etc

• Key stakeholders in Tribunal jurisdictions

Your role as the Service Support Manager encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):

Drafting

• Assist the Service team with the development and production of plans, briefs and other documentation.

• Provide or contribute to high quality briefing documents and formal submissions for senior officials, judiciary and ministers.

• Initial drafts of Treat Official Correspondence (TOs), Ministerial Correspondence and Parliamentary Questions

• Draft briefings and other products as required.

Operations

• Work with the Deputy Service Manager/s to develop standard business processes and operating procedure, overseen by organisational governance (business authority / project governance), to deliver improvement initiatives.

• Provide continuous input and feedback on design solutions that are being developed.

• Lead continuous improvement and/or business transformation initiatives for your jurisdiction(s).

• Support the Deputy Service Manager in responding to recommendations from stakeholders and updating design in line with recommendations or detailing reasons for no change.

• Work with the Deputy Service Manager/s and Service Manager to develop the service vision and delivery roadmap.

• Ensure high quality operational support is provided to the Tribunal jurisdiction.

• Evaluation of performance/statistical data and user feedback to identify improvement activity.

• Implementing and updating Standard Operating Models and Procedures.

• Promote and encourage HMCTS staff to follow operational processes and procedures in court and tribunal jurisdictions

• Weekly/Monthly liaison as appropriate to consider and evaluate court / Tribunals work performance/targets. 

• Ensure Freedom of Information requests, Prime Ministers Questions, Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial Correspondence and Treat Official Correspondences are handled within Departmental timescales (draft as necessary).

Communicating with the public, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations

• Working closely with those in HMCTS operations (as appropriate to the various jurisdictions) to identify workable solutions

• Dealing with correspondence/telephone enquiries in relation to HMCTS procedures/policy.

• Develop and maintain constructive relations with all programme and project stakeholders. This will include staff and managers, external suppliers, judiciary, other government departments.

• Work with policy teams on policy and legislative proposals, ensuring that policies meet the needs of HMCTS and are operationally deliverable.

Representation of the Department

• Alongside your Deputy Service Manager/s represent HMCTS both internally and externally in areas of Tribunal business strategy.

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.

What are we looking for? (Person Specification)

The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:

Essential

• Excellent organisation and communication skills with the ability to converse at all levels.

• Ability to lead others through a period of change to make a positive difference.

• Demonstrable experience of supporting complex and diverse projects under pressure and to tight deadlines.

• Experience of stakeholder engagement, including managing priorities and expectations across organisational boundaries.

• Resilient and able to work at pace in a demanding environment.

• Previous experience and in-depth understanding of Tribunals.

Desirable

• Experience or operational knowledge of digital and offline service design.

Preferences

Vacancies are available in the following jurisdictions, if you have a preference, please state this in the application. However, if appointed it is not guaranteed that you will get your preference:

Employment Tribunal: The Employment Tribunals Service (ET) is responsible for hearing claims from people who think someone such as an employer or potential employer has treated them unlawfully. The Tribunal’s role is to carry out the administrative tasks necessary to enable claims to the Employment Tribunal and subsequent appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) to be determined.

The Immigration and Asylum Chamber: The Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) primarily handle cases related to asylum and protection claims, human rights appeals, and appeals under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Further details

Travel to HMCTS sites outside of base location may be required, as per business needs. In line with the department’s policies, travel and subsistence and, where appropriate, overnight accommodation will be available in line with organisational policies.

This is a full-time role where part time and flexible working requests will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should discuss this matter with the hiring manager prior to making an application.

The minimum office attendance expectation is that everyone attends the workplace for at least 60% of their working time, unless they have an agreed adjustment or exception.

About our benefits

We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.