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Assistant Communication Officer

Employer
Crown Prosecution Service
Location
Reading, Berkshire/St Albans, Hertfordshire
Salary
£26,438 - £29,663 + £1,050 RRA (St Albans only)
Closing date
30 Aug 2020

Due to the current Covid-19 situation, your interview may also be conducted via Video/Telephone. Where possible interviews will be conducted face to face, however until restrictions are lifted we will be utilising video technology in order to allow interviews to continue. If your interview will be taking place via video, a member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact the CPS Recruitment Team at [email protected]

CPS Thames and Chiltern are looking for an organised and proactive individual who has a strong interest in a career in Communications. The successful candidate would have the opportunity to use their initiative to deal with a variety of different responsibilities in this role, whilst being supported by the Area Communications Manager. The role covers variety of communication functions, with the job holder interacting with stakeholders from across the CPS, The Criminal Justice System and Media networks.

Please note excess fares will not apply

Job description

The chance to support the delivery of internal and external communication across the CPS Area.

This will include producing staff newsletters and bulletins, updating and developing the intranet, helping manage the annual staff awards, responding to media enquiries, writing news releases promoting the work of the CPS, and contributing to the delivery of our inclusion and community engagement work.

Responsibilities

Respond to media enquiries about local cases, liaising with the national CPS press office about cases that may be of national interest.

Contribute to maintaining and developing the Area intranet ensuring all content is accessible and up to date, and monitoring use of the site.

Develop relationships with communication colleagues working in other CPS Areas and in the national communications team to ensure a consistent approach to communication across the CPS.

Prepare and distribute the Area’s weekly staff newsletter – sourcing, writing and editing content, and incorporating it into the newsletter template.

Draft news releases about cases of interest, for review by the Area Communications Manager; issue them to local media and post them on the Area website and social media channels. Support the Area Communications Manager with arrangements for media interviews.

Develop relationships with local journalists to increase understanding of the CPS.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Candidates who are recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy will be placed on a waiting list for 12 months and may be offered another post, should any further vacancies for a Assistant Communication Officer arise in CPS Thames & Chiltern during this period. CPS may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other CPS Thames & Chiltern requiring similar knowledge and experience.

This is a full time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

The recruitment process will consist of an online application, assessment and video interview which will be held on 17 September via Microsoft teams.

You should keep this date free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.

The successful applicant will be required to secure DBS clearance; to speed up this process; you should bring 3 forms of ID with you on the day of interview. Data gathered from unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.

If successful in obtaining an interview you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form and Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire.

(If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance)

Personal Statement (using the text box provided online)

You will also be asked to complete a personal statement of no more than 1250 words setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience, match the requirements as detailed in the Candidate Pack. You will also need to address the core behaviours for this role, detailed in the Behaviours Section of the Candidate Pack, which are;

1. Managing a Quality Service
2. Seeing the Big Picture
3. Making Effective Decisions

In addition you will need to demonstrate the CPS or Civil Service Values.

CV Section (using the text boxes provided online)

You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section.’ You will be required to provide information regarding your skills, employment history and qualification details.

Please note that it is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post.

Please refer to the Candidate Pack for further information as to the process and what is being tested at each stage.

Change to Normal Operating Hours

With effect from 1 April 2019 CPS employee Normal Operating Hours are 7am to 7pm. An employee’s actual working hours will be agreed with their local management subject to specific business requirements. All employees may be required to work any time between the hours of 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday subject to reasonable notice and consideration of personal circumstances.

Contracted Weekly Working Hours

Full time employees will be contracted to work 37 hours per week, excluding lunch breaks.

Overtime

If overtime is necessary, employees will be invited to volunteer. It is a condition of contract that you are available to work overtime for one weekend in every four, if there are insufficient volunteers, you will be required to work overtime if requested to do so by your line manager.

Other

Customer facing roles in the CPS require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement this will be tested as part of the selection process.

From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.

Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete

If you are dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact [email protected] with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commissioners complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/

Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles can be found here –
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules 

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Please apply before the 30th August 2020. 

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