Receptionist

Ministry of Justice; Ashton-under-Lyne; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave 25 days (plus holidays)

LGPS pension

Training & development

Family-friendly policies

Flexible benefits

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice in Ashton-under-Lyne is seeking a proactive Reception/Administrative Assistant to be the first point of contact for Probation Service clients and visitors, handling face-to-face, telephone and email inquiries with professional courtesy.

You will coordinate building logistics, manage meeting spaces and events, support safety procedures, and provide confidential administrative support across teams in a flexible hybrid role.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering front desk/reception services.
• Ability to handle inquiries with discretion and professionalism.
• Good organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for Probation Service users and visitors, greeting them and logging attendance.
• Manage building logistics: mail, PPE, stationery, room bookings, events, and registrations.
• Support health and safety: act as key holder, test alarms, monitor CCTV, assist evacuations, and log incidents.
• Provide confidential admin support to operational teams: file processing, data entry, scanning, and archiving.

Skills

Reception duties

Customer service

Security awareness

Health & safety

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• To 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.
• Through observation and situational awareness to use tact and diplomacy to diffuse potentially violent situations and recognising where additional support is required, be that internal management or external security/policing presence, and to be 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, referring more technical enquiries to an appropriate manager.
• To 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, support and service meeting rooms including preparing for events and event registration as required.
• To 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.
• To assist in maintaining Health and Safety and security aspects of the building, including acting as key holder, operating the physical security of the building, the testing of fire alarms, testing panic alarms, monitoring CCTV and assisting evacuation measures and where necessary to act as Fire Warden/First Aider and in the absence of a line manager to support risk assessments where trained.
• To log building faults and incidents and keep a log of maintenance and repairs escalating issues through the appropriate channels and making decisions (within guidelines) on the urgency of the faults in order to maintain the security of the building. In the absence of the Senior Admin Officer escorting contractors and visitors around the building.
• Where necessity arises to support the case administration of Person on Probation by providing a confidential and high-level administrative support service to operational teams, to include:
  • Process and update computer based and manual files and filing systems
  • Use a range of computer software in providing comprehensive administration support
  • Produce a range of documentation and correspondence
  • To access databases for information as necessary and input information as required
  • Scanning and archiving data, some of which is sensitive and highly confidential

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Additional Information 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). 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. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS 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 HMPPS' Flexible Working policy.

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. Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit 250 Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service Experience We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods, Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Changing and Improving Managing a Quality Service

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, plus public holidays.
• Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis
• Pension The National Probation Service is covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) run through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF). Please visit www.gmpf.org.uk for further information. Please note: Any current Civil Servant who is a member of the PCSPS, by accepting an offer of employment to the National Probation Services will be opted out of the PCSPS and auto enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• 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.
• Eligibility All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
• 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 www.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 Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [e-mail]);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team ([e-mail]);
• 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. 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 TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team. For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

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.

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 is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.