HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Directorate: HMCTS Customer
Pay Band:
Band D
Job Title:
Customer Investigations Officer
The position may be based at either of the following locations:
HMCTS – Customer Investigations Team, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ
HMCTS – Customer Investigations Team, Arnhem House, Leicester LE1 6LR
Overview
Why we exist
The work we do is vital to securing a sustainable future that enables justice to be
readily available to all and particularly those vulnerable people who need it most.
Success in the role you are considering will enable you to make a positive difference
to you, your community and your society. Every person at HMCTS is driven by this
powerful purpose.
HM Courts & Tribunals Service underpins the delivery of justice, making sure trials
and hearings run fairly and efficiently. We are here to ensure anyone in need of our
courts and tribunals receives a service that suits their needs.
How are we going to fulfill our vision?
Every year, millions of people seek justice in our courts and tribunals. Whilst they
receive service from committed people, they do not feel like a customer. In broad
terms, changing that outcome, generating satisfaction and confidence in our justice
system, is our primary goal.
We are focused on radically improving the customer journey for all by:
• employing digital technology to enable access to justice; for example,
supporting victims and witnesses to give evidence in a less intimidating way
via video link;
• enabling self-service, where appropriate, so people can get fast and easy
access to simple judicial services;
• streamlining processes and eliminating waste so we can reinvest in
improvements that our customers can touch and feel.
For HMCTS, the changes we are making will reduce our own costs and remove
service failure from our system, allowing us to put resources where they matter most.
What are we doing?
We are recruiting for a drafter to work with the team in investigating and responding
to complaints, Ministerial and ‘Treat Official’ correspondence and litigation claims.
The successful candidate will manage their own caseload ensuring they meet
deadlines in a timely manner. You will need to be organized and must be able to
communicate both verbally and in writing to a high standard. You will have the ability
to manage a varied workload and proactively identify priorities. You will also need to
form and manage productive relationships with stakeholders and colleagues.
Main purpose of the role:
• You will work in a flexible way and be part of a team that is multi-skilled and
supports each of the three areas of work: correspondence, complaints and
litigation.
Key responsibilities:
Casework
• Processing and managing casework across all areas of HMCTS – civil,
family, crime, tribunals
• Work collaboratively with other team members to meet relevant targets while
working to challenging deadlines.
• Handle Ministerial, Treat Official and Chief Executive Correspondence
• Consider appeal stage complaints including requests for compensation
• Handle Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman enquires and
investigations
• Deal with Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information requests
• Case manage litigation claims and Judicial Reviews
• Act as a single point of contact for co-coordinating Tribunals Parliamentary
Questions
Drafting
• Prepare high quality draft replies to correspondence from customers including
appeal stage complaints.
• Deliver clear, empathetic, respectful and timely responses
• Draft replies to MPs on behalf of the Ministers and the Chief Executive.
Engagement with business areas
• Maintain close and effective working relationships with operational, judicial
and jurisdictional teams throughout HMCTS
• Work in partnership with Ministerial Correspondence Unit, the Chief
Executive’s Office, Parliamentary Branch
• Understand the reform program and the impact this has on the team’s work
• Respond to requests from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• Consult with the judiciary and Government Legal Service
Customer Service improvements
• Gather and provide information to the business to turn feedback from
correspondence and complaints into service improvements.
• Continuously reassess the status quo and look at how the team’s work can be
done more efficiently, to a better standard and to provide a better service to
the customer.
Accountability
• Reporting to a Customer Investigations Manager
Civil Service Competency Framework:
Candidates will be assessed on the following behaviours at level 2 –
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace
• Communicating and influencing
The word limit for each competency is 250 words. If the applicant’s response
exceeds this limit, then any excess wording will not be considered.
Salary, Working Arrangements & Further Information
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.
Starting Salary
The salary range for this position will depend on the location you are allocated:
Leicester
Salary Range - £20,046 to £23,244 per annum.
London
Salary Range - £25,007 to £28,000 per annum.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open
competition.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year and rising as your
service increases. 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.
Support • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or
job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare
vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of
goods and services.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
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.
Civil Service Code
The Civil Service Code, first published in 1996, sets out the core Civil Service values
and the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants in upholding these
values.
• Integrity – putting the obligations of public service above personal interests.
• Honesty – being truthful and open.
• Objectivity – basing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence.
• Impartiality – acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving
governments of different political parties equally well.
To review the Civil Service Code visit: www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/values
Closing Date: 29 April 2021 at 23:55 hours