Benefits Realisation Strategy

Directorate: National Services: Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement (Enforcement)

Location: Any National Services office. Regular travel across the Enforcement estate will be required

Job Title: Senior Service Manager - Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement

Pay Span or equivalent: Grade 6

Background

We have an exciting opportunity for a Grade 6 Senior Service Manager. This is an exciting time to join the Criminal Fines Compliance and Enforcement Service Management team as we have multiple strands of development work underway including supporting Decommissioning & Legacy Risk Mitigation Programme (DLRM) in its development of Opal which will replace the Libra Green on Black IT system currently used in Enforcement

This area of work is a business priority for HMCTS and other government departments and there is a need for strategic leadership in this area and to work closely with the Home Office and other parts of HMCTS and MOJ. This role requires knowledge or experience of the work of Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement with knowledge or experience of the payment processes used and/or confiscation order enforcement an advantage. The role can be based in any National Services office. There is a requirement for regular visits to Enforcement sites.

Overview

HMCTS is a continually changing organisation. Strong leadership is a critical element in this being successful. As a leader and manager within HMCTS the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus and visibly championing the changes which deliver greater efficiencies. Service Owners expect all leaders to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

About Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement

Criminal Fines Collection and Enforcement (Enforcement) 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. The operational Enforcement team is a large and complex business unit, employing over 1200 staff across multiple locations across England and Wales through which flows hundreds of millions of pounds per annum. You will help deliver HMCTS’ responsibilities for the enforcement of Fines, Confiscation Orders, Community Penalty Breach Warrants and other enforcement work including the processing payments, and fixed penalties.

The role sits within a complex delivery and stakeholder environment and you need to be equally comfortable dealing with operational staff, policy officials, central departments, and with press enquiries.

The Service Management team is a relatively small team supporting the operational team by leading and developing the priorities facilitating delivery and ensuring the issues that can impact on the running of the service are managed effectively. The role will lead discussions on complex issues, with significant operational risks and influence internal and external stakeholders, reconciling differing priorities and representing the organisation on major issues.

Location

National Services offers a flexible working system in many of its offices which are spread across England and Wales. The post holder would usually be expected to work from a National Services office with regular travel especially to Enforcement sites. Travel to other HMCTS sites may also be required as part of the working arrangements. In line with the department’s policies, travel and subsistence and, where appropriate, overnight accommodation will be available.

About the role

Lead on the service design and development of the confiscation and enforcement model including supporting multiple IT Programmes.
Contribute to the development of the strategic direction for the organisation, identifying new opportunities and challenges within Enforcement and wider HMCTS and developing strategies for addressing them.
Develop and maintain effective working relations with the wider National Services teams, Crime Live Service team and MoJ Policy teams on all aspects of confiscation and enforcement.
Influence policy changes where they are necessary to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Advise HMCTS senior leaders on the impact of legislative and wider policy changes.
Provide high quality written and oral advice to senior civil servants and ministers, advising on proposals and promoting alternatives to meet Enforcement objectives.
Work in partnership in a complex delivery and stakeholder environment, establishing and maintaining key internal, external and cross justice sector relationships; and encouraging joint working with court operational colleagues to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of enforcement operations.

Work flexibly across the directorate to provide input into key areas of work.
Ensure service design and developments (including Digital and Contracted Services) are in keeping with the strategic vision.

Key interactions will be with:

Enforcement staff
Senior National Services colleagues
HMCTS and MoJ colleagues
IT Programmes including DLRM Policy and Legal teams within MoJ and across Government
Ministers
Other Government departments
Key stakeholders in the justice system including legal professionals and the voluntary sector

Essential Skills:

Experience or knowledge of the work of Enforcement
Experience or knowledge of managing service/process design and implementation
Experience of high level stakeholder engagement and management
Experience or knowledge of project delivery

Desirable Skills:

Experience or knowledge of the collection and enforcement of confiscation orders and/or the processing of payments received by Enforcement.

Key responsibilities:

Service Management

Lead the service design and development of the confiscation and enforcement functions ensuring alignment with business need and with wider HMCTS activity
Look for innovative approaches to the collection of financial penalties including confiscation orders with a view to improving performance. Assess the cost vs benefit of individual approaches and the legal and policy frameworks within which they can be applied
Balance the often-competing interests of all users, colleagues and those within Government, so that objective, fair and evidenced consideration is given to all issues.
Seek out opportunities to improve service design challenging existing policies and practices where appropriate
Represent the interests of MoJ, HMCTS, National Services and Enforcement across all stakeholder groups and partner organisations.
Champion HMCTS interests within wider government especially when working on joint confiscation initiatives
Ensure that contracted services meet the needs of Enforcement and the strategic vision.
Ensure that digital improvement projects meet the needs of Enforcement and the strategic vision.

Leadership

Responsible for the line management of a small team developing their capabilities across a wide range of functions

Champion new ways of working through clear, honest and timely engagement and promote a culture which challenges existing policy and practice to improve working practices and make the enforcement process more effective
Providing strong and visible leadership, clear direction and support to all staff in Enforcement
Always looking for new improved ways of working that will improve the working practices of Enforcement staff and the service provided to our users. Use feedback from complaints/incident reporting and other sources to target areas/working practices that are in need of improvement.
Working with Enforcement and Crime Senior leaders to ensure the impact of wider HMCTS changes are fully assessed and understood and mitigations developed to manage risks to BAU performance

Policy

Lead the development of a clear HMCTS strategy for managing the collection and enforcement of financial penalties including confiscation orders and drive up performance

Produce clear and concise briefings, reports and presentations as appropriate for Senior Officials and Ministers.

Brief Ministers and Senior Officials as required representing the interests of HMCTS at inter agency Ministerial meetings.

Provide strategic perspective and support to meetings with colleagues both in MoJ and outside around developments of the cross-government debt strategy and development of legislation as required.

Work closely with a variety of criminal justice agency partners to improve the collection and enforcement of financial penalties including confiscation orders.

Stakeholder and Partner Relationships Management

Work in partnership in a complex delivery and stakeholder environment
Provide the leadership and challenge function to make relationship with Senior leaders across National Services and wider HMCTS effective, ensuring the business impacts are fully understood.
Work with MoJ and other Government Departments around interface requirements for data sharing, to support both existing BAU and future transformation.
Represent the interests of MoJ, HMCTS and Enforcement across all stakeholder groups and partner organisations.
Maintain close links with Crime Live Services, Enforcement and Crime teams in National Services and MoJ policy teams to ensure the impact of changes on enforcement and confiscation is fully assessed and included.
Provide strategic perspective and support to meetings with colleagues both in MoJ and outside around developments of the cross-government debt strategy.

Accountability

Reporting to the Service Owner for Enforcement Live Services

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.