24016 - Policy Lead, Magistrates Retention and Leadership, Judicial Office

This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Please review the "Eligibility" section before you apply.

Job description

Group/Directorate/Team: Magistrate Uplift Programme

Role: Policy Lead, Magistrates Retention and Leadership Grade: G7

Role title: Policy Lead, Magistrates Retention and Leadership

Team/Directorate: Magistrates Uplift Programme

Overview of the Judicial Office

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

Overview of the team

The successful candidate will be part of the Judicial Office but will be deployed to the Magistrates Uplift Division.

The role will sit within the Magistrates Uplift Programme Division – a cross MoJ team developed specifically to grow the size of the magistracy of England and Wales by around 50% over the next 3 years.

Magistrates are a vital part of the justice system who hear about cases in the crime, youth, civil and family jurisdictions. They are essential to delivering the government’s court reform priorities, including reducing the size of criminal court backlog. Following the Independent Review of Criminal Courts and measures set out in the Courts and Tribunals Bill. strengthening the resilience and capacity of magistrates’ courts is a critical priority for Ministers and the MoJ Board.

Most criminal cases start and over 90% of criminal cases are handled entirely in the mags court, making a sufficient, skilled and diverse magistracy essential.

The Magistrates Uplift Division leads work to ensure we have the magistrates we need, working closely with the judiciary, Judicial Office, HMCTS, magistrates themselves and key partners such as the Magistrates’ Association.

Our high-profile programme aims to increase magistrate numbers by 50% to reach 21,000 in 2028/29. It is closely overseen by Ministers and the Judiciary and is structured around three strands:

- Attraction and Recruitment – ensuring a strong and diverse magistracy, now and in the future, through effective target setting and attraction strategies, streamlining and accelerating recruitment processes, and delivering a high quality onboarding experience for new magistrates.
- Retention, Leadership and Training – enhancing retention by delivering a high quality training, mentoring and appraisal offer, alongside meaningful recognition of magistrates’ contribution, ensuring they feel valued and supported, and enabling long term engagement and development.
- Engagement, Governance and Business of State – aligning with cross government reforms, including those arising from the Independent Review of Criminal Courts, and delivering a cohesive communications and engagement strategy.

This fast-paced programme reports to the Justice Board and Ministers. It offers the opportunity to work at the centre of a major justice reform initiative and contribute directly to ministerial and judicial priorities.

We are a friendly, high-performing cross-functional, cross-organisational team bringing together colleagues and expertise from across Judicial Office, the MoJ, HMCTS to deliver this ambitious agenda.

Hybrid Working Requirement

This position is eligible for hybrid working (current minimum requirement for time spent at base location is 60%, which is subject to business requirements).

Summary of the role

The successful candidate will report to the G6 Head of Policy overseeing Magistrates Retention and Leadership policy.

This campaign is open to current civil servants on level transfer and suitable candidates on promotion.

The role is being offered on Detached Duty for staff within the Ministry of Justice or Loan terms for staff in HMPPS or from other government departments.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties:

- Owning and leading delivery of discrete set of programme workstreams, setting direction, milestones, and performance measures to ensure pace and impact.
- Developing and implementing evidence-based policy, translating strategic objectives and operational realities into deliverable plans and tangible outcomes.
- Providing high-quality written and oral briefing and advice to senior leaders, the judiciary, and ministers.
- Building and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders across MoJ, HMCTS, Judicial Office, the judiciary, and external stakeholder and partners such as the Magistrates’ Association and the Magistrates’ Leadership Group.
- Leading and developing a small team, fostering a collaborative, high performing culture and ensuring effective cross functional working.
- Overseeing governance and assurance for the workstream, ensuring accurate reporting, robust controls, and alignment with programme wide governance.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills

- Strongly driven and self-sufficient – able to shape their work independently and proactively
- Excellent leadership skills , including the ability to lead and motivate a team in a fast-moving, high profile, and challenging policy context.

- Track record of delivering at pace and prioritising multiple competing priorities.

- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and evidence of influencing and managing stakeholders at diverse levels and in different organisations. This includes an ability to brief leaders and decision makers, verbally and in writing, on complex and high-profile policies.

- Confidence in working independently to scope and develop work, drive activity forward and take initiative simultaneously across a range of priorities and making effective decisions .

- Comfortable adapting to new ideas and programmes of work to respond flexibly to new priorities .

- A strong understanding of, and experience working on, policy development and formulation .

Behaviours (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

Behaviours will be assessed at interview stage.

Assessment process at application

You will be asked to provide your Work History during the application process to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.

You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.
Assessment process at interview

Behaviours:

During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and strengths-based questions to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.

The following Behaviours will be tested at interview:

- Leadership
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Making Effective Decisions

Strengths:

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role. While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this. Further information on Civil Service Strengths can be found via this link Success Profiles: Strengths - GOV.UK

Presentation:

Candidates invited to interview will be asked to prepare a presentation, the details of this will be shared with you when interview invitations are issued.

Security clearance required:

CTC

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map . All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www. www.GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/tax-free-childcare) or Childcare Choices (https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/) . You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ .
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

- To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) );
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team ( [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) );
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/) )

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos .

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families (https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fsettled-status-eu-citizens-families&data=05%7C01%7Cchristopher.jeffery%40soprasteria.com%7C8a2293860362402c15da08dbf4cff146%7C8b87af7d86474dc78df45f69a2011bb5%7C0%7C0%7C638372946312587803%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=s%2BxUsev%2BGeeK%2FLgTUjpjfTJu%2FjpKQZ%2BQPJXNduvik3Q%3D&reserved=0)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected]

Please quote the job reference 24016

HMPPS:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [email protected]

Please quote the job reference 24016

Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles/success-profiles-strengths).

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.