Ministerial Correspondence Support Officer (2-year FTC / Loan)(Ref: 90436)

Ministerial Correspondence Support Officer (2-year FTC/Loan)
AO
Private Office and Parliament Directorate
The Ministerial Correspondence Support Team (MCST) is recruiting on a 2-year Fixed Term Contract or Loan agreement for an AO Ministerial Correspondence Support Officer. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.
If you are applying from another Government department and were successful, the expectation would be for you to transfer across on Loan. If you are applying to this role on promotion, please refer to your own departments policy in respect of your grade on return from Loan.
The Ministerial Correspondence Support Team is based in the Private Office and Parliament (POP) directorate.
Location:
Successful candidates will have the option to be based at the following location:
1. 102 Petty France, London
In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France) at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.
Ways of Working
At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, this role is available as:
+ Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
+ Flexible working patterns
+ Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.
If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:
+ promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
+ pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)
Security Clearance
This role requires National Security Vetting given the access to sensitive information afforded by the job role. You can find more information by reviewing the information held in the following links:
United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The vetting charter - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In addition, there is a minimum UK residency requirement set by the Cabinet Office which is dependent on the security level required for the role.
This role requires SC and to be eligible to apply for this role you should have been present in the UK continuously for the past 5 years.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
The Work of the Ministerial Correspondence Support Team
The Ministerial Correspondence Support Team (MCST) sits in the Private Office and Parliament directorate. The Directorate is the interface between the Permanent Secretary, Ministers, the rest of the Department and Whitehall.
MCST is responsible for the effective processing of the department’s correspondence with Members of Parliament and the public, and manages the Department’s write-round process. Ministers and senior officials place great importance on this work, seeing it as a core service that the department provides to MPs and the public. The team is based within the Private Office and Parliament directorate and as such the role may involve direct exposure to Ministers.
Ministerial Correspondence Support Officer - the role
This is a unique opportunity to gain invaluable insight into the workings of the department, the policies for which it is responsible and seeing exactly how the department functions and the key issues that are affecting correspondents. You will be expected to liaise with colleagues and officials alike at all levels.
The role of the Ministerial Correspondence Support Officer is critical to the effective and efficient running of MCST. The post holder will be expected to show determination, flexibility and commitment. Training will be provided and development opportunities are available and actively encouraged. Roles in the Ministerial Correspondence Support team are varied and you will be expected to work across the different parts of the team.
Main duties may include but are not limited to:
1. Accurate scanning and logging of ministerial and treat official correspondence on MCST’s correspondence management system;
2. Liaising with MoJ officials on the handling of correspondence;
3. Identifying and processing correspondence that falls within the remit of other Government departments;
4. Working as part of the cabinet committee write round team to issue and provide timely responses to write rounds;
5. Monitoring the department’s general queries email inbox and processing correspondence;
6. Checking draft replies before recording them and referring them to the ministers’ offices, returning any to drafters that are inadequate with an explanation of changes required;
7. Checking and despatching ministerial replies and updating details on the database;
8. Post opening and re-directing incorrectly addressed mail;
9. Keeping abreast of departmental changes and new initiatives
10. Further duties including assisting senior colleagues; drafting replies to correspondence, assisting with file reviews, Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.
Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Experience
You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words stating what you would bring to the role, with reference to the Skills and Experience listed above.
Behaviours
During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviour (see Annex A for more information):
+ Delivering at Pace
Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Delivering at Pace. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.
Candidates invited to Interview
Please note that interviews will be carried out virtually (via Microsoft Teams).
During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and strengths-based questions to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role.
There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.
You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Behaviours
During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviour (see Annex A for more information)
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Working Together
Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf, Using the STAR method can help you give examples of relevant experience that you have. It allows you to set the scene, show what you did, and how you did it, and explain the overall outcome.
Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.
+ Where are you?
+ Who was there with you?
+ What had happened?
Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.
+ What was the task that you had to complete and why?
+ What did you have to achieve?
Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information on what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.
Results - Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures. Explain how the outcome benefitted the organisation or your area. Make the outcomes easily understandable.
+ What results did the actions produce?
+ What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
+ Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience?
Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Working Together, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
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 (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

+ You will have excellent organisational skills and the ability to work to deadlines
+ Effective written and oral communication skills using a variety of channels
+ Ability to work with a wide range of colleagues and senior officials
+ Demonstrate excellent teamwork skills and the ability to work flexibly to support colleagues across the wider directorate
+ Excellent IT skills including using Microsoft Office programs
+ Ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure
+ You will be able to manage competing demands and prioritise appropriately
+ A high standard of written English, including grammar, spelling and punctuation
+ Excellent attention to detail
Desirable:
+ Previous experience of working in a ministerial / correspondence environment
+ An ability to understand and act on statistical information

Alongside your salary of £27,000, Ministry of Justice contributes £7,821 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Access to learning and development
+ A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
+ A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
+ Annual Leave
+ Public Holidays
+ Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ