Total 2 job vacancies by Ministry of Justice

About the Wales Office:

The Wales Office is the face of the UK Government in Wales and the voice of Wales in Westminster. We support the Secretary of State for Wales and the Ministerial team in representing Wales at the heart of Government. We work in partnership with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to deliver a stronger Wales within a strong United Kingdom.

Our departmental values are Commitment, Collaboration and Quality. These shape how we operate in a challenging, demanding, and fast paced environment which requires flexibility, transparency and professionalism.

The Office is based over two sites, with one base in Cardiff and another in London. As an accredited smarter working organisation, we offer considerable flexibility around ‘the way we work.’ We have great technology and an attractive employee benefits package which includes a commitment to investing in the learning & development of our staff.

Description:

We are looking for a motivated and outgoing individual to join the Private Office team in the Wales Office as Diary Manager and Assistant Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Wales.

You will work at the heart of the Private Office and be responsible for effectively managing the Secretary of State’s diary. Liaising closely with the Secretary of State, Private Secretaries, Special Advisers and Officials, you will ensure Ministerial priorities are carefully planned and contribute to their successful delivery.

As a small Department the post holder will have unparalleled access to Ministers and work on issues that cut across Whitehall, Number 10, and the Welsh Government. You will be the face of the Private Office to external stakeholders and ensure appropriate balance between the Secretary of State’s departmental, constituency and parliamentary commitments.

The successful candidate will be assertive and confident with the ability to prioritise a busy workload. You will need to build good personal relationships with ministers and senior officials both in the department, across Whitehall and with Welsh Government. Excellent communication skills and the ability to remain calm and reliable under pressure are also essential.

Occasional travel (mostly to Wales) to support the Secretary of State will be required which may include overnight stays.

Given the nature of the role, it is London based and full time. You will need to be prepared to work some early mornings and evenings as part of a Private Office rota, and as such this role attracts a Private Office allowance of £2,562 in addition to the salary listed above.

Key Responsibilities:

This role is varied, challenging, and stimulating, working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Key responsibilities include:

Overall responsibility for the management of the Secretary of State’s diary, including arranging all internal and external meetings to ensure time is used effectively to achieve their priorities.
Liaison with UK and Welsh Government private offices, the Secretary of State’s constituency team, and external stakeholders to manage conflicting priorities and diary issues, exercising good judgement and flexibility.
Co-ordination and planning of the logistics for ministerial travel and visits.
Oversight of all invitations, seeking steers on which should be accepted, working with policy and communications colleagues to advise on these matters.
Building and maintaining positive relationships with teams at the Wales Office, across Government and externally.
Prepare diary cards and briefings packs for the Secretary of State.
Lead on a policy portfolio within the office as part of their ‘Assistant Private Secretary’ role, attending Ministerial visits and events.
The job description is not intended to be exhaustive, and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances and after consultation with the postholder.

Person Specification

Please evidence in your Statement of Suitability, how closely you match the essential criteria:



Essential:

Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
Comfortable working in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment and the ability to prioritise.
Attention to detail and perceptive judgement.
Resilience and adaptability when working under pressure.
Communication with senior stakeholders.
Strong ability to work within a team.


Desirable:

· Welsh Language skills.



Recruitment Process:

This campaign will be undertaken using the Civil Service Success Profile framework. You will need to provide evidence in your application to cover the following behaviours:

· Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour) (Application & Interview)

· Delivering at Pace (Application & Interview)

· Making Effective Decisions (Interview Only)

· Managing a Quality Service (Interview Only)

In the event of a high volume of applicants, we will sift only on the lead behaviour to create a shortlist for interview.

Strengths may also be assessed at interview, but these are not shared in advance.

Candidates are also required to provide a Statement of Suitability (as stated above) which details how they match the essential criteria for the role.

Additional Information

The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right. Staff recruited to work at the Wales Office will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf.

This role requires CTC level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance (CTC) must be resident in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security Clearance. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years), you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.

The Prison Contracts Group (PCG) group sits within the Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery (DoCOD) which is responsible for the operational contract management of a large portfolio of contracts, including Prisoner Escort Custody Service, Electronic Monitoring, Community Rehabilitation Services, Prisoner Education and Operational Contracts for a variety of goods and services.

PMP contracts alone have an annual value of £564m. PMPs were first introduced to the UK in 1992 when the Conservative Government issued short-term contracts to security companies to operate a limited number of publicly owned prisons, the first being HMP Wolds in Yorkshire which was operated by G4S. The first wholly private prisons were often financed through the use of a Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) under private finance initiatives (PFI). These were often known as DCMF prisons as they were designed, constructed, managed and financed by the private sector, the first being HMP Altcourse which opened in December 1997 and was operated by G4S.

There are currently 15 privately operated prisons in England and Wales* operated by G4S Justice Services, Serco Custodial Services and Sodexo Custodial Services. In total they currently accommodate approximately 20% of the closed prison population across England and Wales. (*HMP Parc is managed under the Area Executive Director (AED) for Wales and not the PCG).

PMPs are subject to the same scrutiny from official bodies as those in the Public Sector, including HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), Ofsted, and Operational and System Assurance Group (OSAG). Governors of private prisons are referred to as ‘Directors'. They each have their own staffing structure and they work to their respective Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prison Custody Officers (PCOs) are trained to the same level as Prison Officers and are licenced by Controllers to operate as a PCO once they are fully qualified. All privately managed prisons have a named Controller who, with their team, ensures the prison is operated in line with the agreed contract.

The expectation is that the successful candidate will spend 60% of the time in the office of a privately managed prison in one of the following locations:

• HMP Ashfield – Bristol

• HMP Forest Bank – Salford

• HMP Fosse Way - Wigston, Leics

• HMP Northumberland – Morpeth

• HMP Oakwood – Featherstone, W Mids

• HMP Peterborough - Cambs

Overview of the job

The post holder will be responsible for maintaining administrative processes within specified timescales for their area of work.

Summary

The post holder will provide administrative support within their team / unit / group. Responsibilities include meeting support, collation of routine information, maintenance of databases and ad hoc administrative tasks.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Organisation of meetings / events, distribution of papers, support taking minutes/notes and writing up minutes
• Provides a first line of response to telephone calls to the department and directs callers as appropriate to the relevant member of staff.
• Act as first point of contact for general administrative support as and where required. This may involve chasing up outstanding information, updating and closing down cases on the tracking system, retrieving files/ information and interrogating databases to obtain information.
• Organise, produce and maintain accurate records for area of work
• Act as contact point for all communications to the team. Prioritise and distribute communications to the appropriate person or relevant department
• Prepare paperwork for checking by manager, conducting initial checks as required
• Act as I-Procurement and Quantum Point of Contact requisitioner
• Maintaining, logging and processing documents for the unit within given timeframe.
• Monitor the functional mailbox(s) action any issues and where needed log the request in the relevant folder/spreadsheets,
• Collate stationary request acting as requisitioner for the group
• Maintain and create relevant databases and ensure they contain accurate data , routinely quality assuring them – this can include restricted or confidential information

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder.