External Communications Manager - Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

The LAA's goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.

Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.

Corporate Services

The Corporate Centre helps shape and enable the priorities of the Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team, and People Committee to be delivered.

External Communications

The External Communications team operates within a complex and vocal stakeholder landscape including Members of Parliament, legal service providers, the press and public, other government departments and legal lobby groups. Our largest stakeholder groups are the legal representative bodies and firms who make up a legal aid market of approximately 20,000 lawyers and paralegals across England and Wales, ranging from single person high street firms to FT500 legal practices and top criminal barristers.

The External Communications team provides the agency with leadership and support across a wide range of work. This includes everything from high profile press queries and major change programmes to operational customer service and stakeholder liaison. Part of Corporate Services the team operates at the heart of the organisation and is responsible for managing our external channels and advising agency staff on all external communications handling.

The team also work in partnership with the MoJ and wider MoJ agencies and bodies on communications about the development and delivery of legal aid. The External Communications team of the LAA reports into the award-winning Strategic Communications & Campaigns team that sits within the Ministry's Policy, Communications and Analysis Directorate. The MoJ Strategic Communications team pride themselves on having a great team culture and a focus on innovation and making a difference in people's lives. Being part of this communications community enables this role to benefit from wider strategic oversight and utilise the expertise in Strategic Communications, External Affairs and Campaigns, offering support when required., As a Communications Manager, you will be involved in the creation and delivery of operational campaigns and events across our portfolio of channels. You will be key to the delivery of the agency's external communication strategy as we build stakeholder engagement across our channels to support our strategic objectives.

The postholder will work with internal stakeholders to plan, schedule, and publish digital campaigns in line with the LAA's external communications strategy. You will work closely with MoJ Press Office - rapidly responding to press queries, engaging internal experts, and briefing senior leaders.

You will also have a hands-on attitude to producing and delivering digital first campaigns and help us to deliver communications plans. We do this by working with internal stakeholders to support their announcements, so a flair for networking and influencing is highly desirable. The postholder will also play a full part in the Corporate Services team, contributing to meetings, events, and initiatives., 1. Understand LAA operational priorities and processes so you can communicate our messages clearly, accurately, and creatively to stakeholders.
2. Being alive to the news agenda which may affect our message and campaign delivery schedule - liaising with internal teams to provide communication and handling advice to senior leaders on highly sensitive and complex issues.
3. Act as media liaison contact when MOJ Press Office receives any Legal Aid related enquiries.
4. Create proactive announcements using a digital-first methodology to reach stakeholders and audiences, using the most appropriate channels - copywriting, designing and publishing information and publications. This includes creating, curating, and maintaining compelling online and digital content for our UK and social media communication channels.
5. Advise and support GOV.UK publishers across the LAA to meet the demands of our devolved publishing arrangements. This means building relations with individual publishers in a range of operational teams. Examples include civil and crime casework, procurement, exceptional and complex funding, and contract management.
6. Compile a daily media summary and a weekly report anticipating potential media interest to key LAA stakeholders including non-exec directors, policy, and operational leads.
7. Champion a robust evaluation culture across the team and wider agency. Gathering data and insight to inform our campaign activities to better target and engage our key audiences.
8. Provide weekly updates and contribute to monthly reports to demonstrate impact to senior leaders, measuring the performance of campaigns, identifying improvements, and highlighting successes.
9. Help organise and deliver high-profile events and other activities using a mix of live and virtual channels that engage audiences both externally and internally. Work to the highest professional standards, both on time and within budget.
10. Demonstrate the ability to create and maintain positive, professional, and trusting relationships across the agency, MoJ, other government departments and with our wider stakeholders. A flair for networking and influencing is highly desirable.
11. Liaise with customer service teams to support them in delivering customer-focused communications and feedback on social platforms. Take a hands-on approach - using insight and best practice guidance when advising internal clients.
12. Ensure a continuous improvement approach in your own and the team's work and consider how your contribution and impact can improve the team's overall performance., To apply complete an application based of the following behaviours, each behaviour should be no more than 250 words:

· Communicating and Influencing

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people's individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests.

· Delivering at Pace

Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team's efforts focused on the top priorities. Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation. Ensure the most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively. Regularly monitor your own and team's work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance. Allow individuals the space and authority to meet objectives, providing additional support where necessary, whilst keeping overall responsibility.

· Working Together

Encourage joined up team work within own team and across other groups. Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support. Invest time to develop a common focus and genuine positive team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another. Put in place support for the wellbeing of individuals within the team, including consideration of your own needs. Make it clear to all team members that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Actively seek and consider input of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

When submitting an example of a behaviour remember to include the situation, what you did and why, and what was the outcome / result.

Please note that if we have a large number of applications will we do an initial sift on the Communicating and Influencing behaviour.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the following, 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.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

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.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ's Flexible Working policy.,

• You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government


• You were studying abroad


• You were living overseas with parents


In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Success Profiles, Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Experience
Diversity & Inclusion
Technical Skills
Communications - Ideas: Digital
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Any candidate who has been assessed as being appointable to the role they applied for may be offered a similar, lower grade role, if one is available. Furthermore, any candidate who has just missed meeting the criteria for a particular role, may be appointed to a similar role at a lower grade if such a role is available, and if they have been assessed as meeting the criteria for the lower grade role. These appointments will also be made in merit order.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

· Good project management skills with excellent planning, prioritisation, and organisational abilities.

· A demonstrable understanding of channel management and how different content works on different channels and audiences.

· Demonstrate a track-record of delivering compelling communications across a range of no and low-cost channels with a strong audience focus and demonstrable experience working in a highly reactive and responsive environment.

· Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines and carry others with you under such circumstances.

· Be a skilled influencer who can make the case for creative ideas, convincing clients of the most effective way forward and inspiring the team to deliver them.

· Have a flair for networking and influencing with the ability, to create and maintain positive, professional, and trusting relationships across the LAA, Ministry of Justice and our wider stakeholders.

· Able to work in a busy team in a fast-paced environment with the confidence and skills to operate on your own, influencing, and upskilling colleagues.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

· Experience of creating engaging digital content using a range of digital tools, including video.

· Practical experience of using analytics and digital insight (Google Analytics, Hootsuite, BrandWatch) to measure impact and, maintain and improve engagement.

· Experience of working in a press office or other experience of handling reactive enquiries in a fast-paced and challenging communications environment.

Assessment approach, o Leading and communicating - express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others.

o Delivering results, achieving commercial outcomes - be aware of and comply with departmental procurement processes and know when to access commercial expertise. Develop outline communication plans, identifying the most effective channels and tools to engage audiences and maximise reach. Design and develop engaging, targeted content and messages suitable for use across a range of channels. Demonstrate an awareness of how channels work together and complement each other. Explore opportunities to use low/no cost channels, including earned, owned, and paid for channels.

o Digital - demonstrate a practical understanding of emerging digital services, tools, and trends, including techniques for optimising digital content. Actively engage with partners in online networks.

o Internal communication - demonstrate a practical understanding of organisational functions, roles, and communication requirements, to enable the design of contextualised and tailored content for internal audiences.

• Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important to them and to where they work. Examples of action they have taken (in or outside of work) to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding) or improve inclusion for others will increase the strength of their answer.


• You will be asked to deliver a five-minute presentation assessed against Communications - Ideas: Digital (please see the description above). Details will be shared prior to the interviews, to give you a chance to prepare followed by an interview., To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. 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.


For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert)., Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

The national salary range is £32,827 - £35,678. London salary range is £37,174 - £40,403. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Number of jobs available
1
Detail of reserve list
12 Months
Region
East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber
City/Town
Birmingham , Brighton and Hove , Bristol , Cambridge , Cardiff , Jarrow , Leeds , Liverpool , London, Manchester , Nottingham
Building/Site, The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

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 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.

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.

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.


• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.


• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.


• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.


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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);


• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);


• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)


As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Interview dates
Interviews are planned for week commencing 7th October 2024
Closing Date