HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Directorate: London Region - Operations

Job Title: Operations Manager - London Civil and Family Courts (1 post available)

Location: First Avenue House, but travel across the cluster is expected

Duration: Permanent

Pay Span or equivalent: SEO

This position is available for existing civil servants on level transfer or promotion.

Background & Overview:

HM Courts and Tribunals Service is an agency of the MoJ and provides the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. It delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and some limited services via the internet.

The agency is undertaking a Reform Programme to transform the entire HM Courts and Tribunals Service, enhancing the provision of a world-class justice system, in a manner that provides an improved user experience at reduced cost to the taxpayer. This will contribute to consolidating the UK’s position at the fore front of an increasingly competitive international legal market as well as ensuring access to justice for all. Approximately £1 billion is being invested in the programme which is due to complete in 2023/24.

Alongside ensuring effective delivery of key services, the jobholder will need to help staff and other stakeholders to understand the impact of the changes and the reasons for them, recognising that staff will need support during what will be an unsettling period. This will include helping staff prepare for changes and supporting them through it. There may also be times when it will be necessary to deliver difficult or unwelcome messages. This must be done sensitively, but firmly, addressing any inappropriate reactions or responses.

The key purpose of the role is to:

• Be accountable for day-to-day operations across a number of functions within the cluster.

• Develop and implement strategies which deliver organisational change.

• Establish a consistent and customer focussed service. 

• Ensure effective deployment of resources to live within allocated budget.

• Design, build and maintain effective liaison with judiciary, user groups and representative organisations, representing the cluster manager where necessary.

• Work with managers across the cluster / region to ensure cohesive cross-Cluster delivery

• Act as Responsible Officer as required. 

Key Responsibilities:

Operations:

• Establish and enhance effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Working with agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.

• Provide direction and close support to Delivery Managers, setting local priorities which are consistent with Regional and national priorities.

• Use Staff Survey Action Plans / local Trade Union liaison / Staff Forums to effect good working relationships with staff and to improve service delivery and staff morale / motivation.

• Work collaboratively with all areas of the business to fully utilise Management Information, ensuring performance targets are monitored, reviewed and achieved.

• Manage conflicting demands through reprioritisation and negotiation, using the strengths of individuals and teams to achieve results.

• Be proactive in reviewing processes to identify improvements, understanding, and managing associated risks; building on team strengths to deliver business outcomes and involve the team in developing plans and consistent messages.

• Accountable for ensuring Governance, risk management registers and contingency plans are in place and updated annually/monthly.

• Ensuring compliance with HMCTS values, policies, and procedures (including diversity, attendance and discipline, HMCTS Assurance Programme) and contribute to ongoing development.

• Perform Responsible Officer duties. This may include any of the following activities:

• Identify and implement solutions to local problems

• Identify risks and issues and implement strategies to mitigate against

• Ensuring IT/Workstation compliance at all times

• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements

• Ensuring Risk Assessments take place at appropriate times

• Maintenance of an up-to-date Asset Register

• Ensure any issues regarding level of service for Estates Facilities Management are escalated to MoJ Estates

• Constructively manage complaints within set timescales, and ensure corrective action taken where necessary.

• Apply continuous improvement principles, tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.

Team Leadership:

• Provide visible leadership to managers and staff and role model engaging behaviours and challenge non-engaging behaviours in managers.

• Leading by example, coaching, supporting and developing staff and guiding them through a substantial and significant change.

• Ensure managers across the cluster support the ongoing use of TIB’s and SOP’s and empower and develop staff to achieve the highest performance standards.

• Ensure the application of MoJ HR policies and procedures.

Developing new Policies / Processes etc:

• Developing innovative proposals for introducing policy change, drawing on best practice for managing change. 

• Working with Cluster Delivery managers to develop business plans for the Cluster.

• Identifying and implementing solutions to complex local problems.

• Setting local priorities and objectives within the context of national/regional/area strategies and plans.

• Task or commission work to review and improve local processes.

• Assess the impact of new policies or processes on current performance.

Specialisms:

• To have a comprehensive 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.

Financial Authority:

• To monitor and control expenditure (as delegated), ensuring profiles are met and efficiencies made. 

• Ensure effective deployment of resources to live within the allocated budget.

Accountability:

• Reporting directly to the Senior Operations 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.

Application Process:

To apply for these positions please complete the online application form, ensuring you submit the following application documents:

• A 250-word statement against the following Success Profile Behaviour (Level 3)

• Leadership

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Communicating and Influencing

• Managing a Quality Service

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Leadership.

If selected for interview, the above Success Profile Behaviours (Level 3) will be tested / assessed. Interviews will also test two Strengths.

Interviews are scheduled to be held in person at a central London location. However, dependent on circumstances these may be changed to be held via MS Teams video conferencing.

Further information on Success Profiles Behaviours, as well as required standards for this post (Level 3) can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.