Receptionist - Sefton

To provide an effective and efficient first point of contact with all visitors, telephone callers and undertake administrative functions in accordance with service policy and procedures.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

• Be first point of contact for Probation Service and greet people on probation and visitors professionally, both face‑to‑face and via telephone and email, logging their arrival and departure, ensuring the appropriate member of staff is notified and issue visitor passes and security fobs as necessary.
• Use observation and situational awareness to diffuse potentially violent situations and recognise when additional support is required, alert to conversations that might indicate a safeguarding/risk issue and take appropriate remedial action such as emailing the Probation Practitioner and updating Delius.
• Answer all enquiries while on Reception, relating to basic information about the Probation Service and local Person on Probation support services such as the provision of food banks, and refer more technical enquiries to an appropriate manager.
• Deal with all logistics for a building including managing all mail items, ordering PPE and office stationery, meeting room equipment, taking delivery of items and ensuring they get to the right destination, and managing room, hot desk and car parking bookings, supporting and servicing meeting rooms including preparing for events and registering participants as required.
• Pay bus fares/travel warrants to people on probation and handle day‑to‑day petty cash including collection and transport of petty cash and travel warrants between Probation properties.
• Maintain Health and Safety and security aspects of the building, including acting as key holder, operating the physical security of the building, testing fire and panic alarms, monitoring CCTV and assisting evacuation measures, and where necessary acting as Fire Warden/First Aider and supporting risk assessments when trained.
• Log building faults and incidents, keep a maintenance and repairs log, escalating issues through the appropriate channels and making decisions within guidelines on the urgency of faults to maintain building security; escort contractors and visitors around the building in the absence of the Senior Admin Officer.
• Support the case administration of Person on Probation by providing a confidential, high‑level administrative support service to operational teams, which includes processing and updating computer‑based and manual files and filing systems, using a range of computer software to provide comprehensive administrative support, producing a range of documentation and correspondence, accessing databases for information as necessary and inputting information as required, scanning and archiving data, some of which is sensitive and highly confidential.

Behaviours

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

Ability

• Proven proficiency in ICT skills across the full range of Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Experience

• Desirable: experience working in criminal justice field.
• Desirable: experience in high‑pressure/stressful working environments.
• Desirable: experience in customer relations.

Qualifications

• Essential: GCSE A*‑C (or equivalent) including Maths and English (and Welsh where applicable) or proven track record in a commensurate role.
• Desirable: IT qualification equivalent, e.g., ECDL/CLAIT or equivalent work experience to the competency level of ECDL.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

Additional payments are made for working unsocial hours.

Benefits

• Pension: The National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).
• Training: The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
• Family Friendly policies: opportunities to work reduced hours or job share; access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts; paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave; free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Eligibility

Eligible candidates include 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 with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS), and other specified categories.

EEO Statement

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ is committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities by making reasonable adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace.