Operational Support Officer in Preston

Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going. Our Support Officers play a critical role, providing excellent customer service and administrative support to court and tribunal users, judiciary and management.

About us: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our court users and colleagues within HMCTS, where people and businesses access potentially life‑changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and making a difference in people’s lives to deliver justice.

Your role: Working as part of a team, you will contribute to the overall operational, performance and service standard targets across your area of work. You will progress cases through the court/tribunal system and provide customer service and administrative support to functions within HMCTS. You will have regular contact with court/tribunal users, which could include members of the judiciary and the legal profession. You will be adaptable, able to multi‑task and effectively carry out a variety of duties, which will include:

• Preparing papers and files for court, tribunals, hearings and meetings, including processing and handling sensitive information and ensuring accurate outcomes.
• Creating and updating records digitally, interpreting information accurately required on a court file.
• Communicating with the public, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations.
• When required, you will be an essential first point of contact for all court users; meeting members of the public, which may include vulnerable witnesses, and their legal representatives.
• Preparing court/hearing rooms, as well as ensuring the court runs efficiently.

Your knowledge, skills and experience:

• Customer service skills; ability to work in a service‑led customer‑facing environment.
• Digital and administrative skills; with excellent attention to detail.
• Communication and organisational skills. Able to communicate confidently in person, over the telephone, digitally and in written communications.
• Resilience and empathy to be able to deal with sensitive information and situations.
• A team player; able to work collaboratively and flexibly to deliver business objectives.

These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Standard full‑time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

For the full‑time roles: Applications for part‑time working would be considered however due to the nature of the role the minimum hours would be 30 hours per week over 5 days.

There are five posts available:

• Preston County Court (PR1 2LL) - 1 x permanent full‑time role (37 hours per week)
• Preston Crown Court (PR1 2LL) - 1 x FTC part‑time role (30 hours per week)

Fixed Term Appointments (MoJ Staff): Before applying, employees must seek approval from their line managers to ensure they can be released for the duration of the FTA and can return to their substantive role at the end. If there is no role available at the end of the FTA, the employee will be subject to redeployment and potentially redundancy procedures.

Loans: The terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis should be obtained before commencing the application process.

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.

Benefits: 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 one privilege day. Leave for part‑time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro‑rated 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 directly to senior management.

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.

Equal opportunities: We are a Disability Confident employer and are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.

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, and those who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status.