receptionist

Ministry of Justice; Camborne; On-site; GBP 6,200 - 8,500; Part time

Job summary

Ministry of Justice is seeking a part-time receptionist to work in a busy Probation Office on the main reception desk. The role covers 12 hours per week, including Thursday mornings until 1pm and occasional evenings on a Wednesday/Thursday until 9pm.

You will provide front-desk support, handle enquiries, and assist with office and safety procedures in accordance with corporate policies. Based in the Probation Office, the post requires handling confidential information, coordinating room

Qualifications

• Experience in front-facing reception and handling enquiries.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and data accuracy.
• Familiarity with basic health and safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Be first point of contact for Probation Service; greet visitors and handle calls and emails.
• Manage building logistics: mail, PPE, stationery, meeting rooms, event registrations.
• Support security duties including logging faults, CCTV monitoring and evacuations.
• Maintain safe working environment; assist with risk assessments when trained.

Skills

Reception duties

Customer service

Health & safety

Security awareness

Cash handling

IT skills

Tools

MS Office

Job description

This is an administrative role based within the Probation Service (PS) Directorate in HMPPS. The job holder reports to the designated Line Manager and supports the provision of business specific and transactional office-based activities. The job holder works collaboratively with other team members to provide reception duties and a range of administrative support services. The job holder may be expected to support a number of teams/functions within the operational area and is to offer support and cover during periods of absence, for which training will be provided. The job holder must promote diversity and anti-discriminatory practice in the performance of the post in a way that embraces Equality and values Diversity. The post holder must adhere to all policies in respect of the sensitive/confidential nature of the information handled whilst working in this position. NB: Core Hours include regular unsocial hours (evenings and/or weekends) as determined by the business need., 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

• 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

We are looking for a part-time receptionist to work 12 hours per week. This will include Thursday mornings until 1pm and cover for some evenings on a Weds/Thurs until 9pm. You will be working in a busy Probation Office on the main reception desk.

Sifting on a lead behaviour - Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead behaviour (Managing a Quality Service). Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to full sift, or progress straight to interview.

Statement of suitability - A statement of suitability (max 250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience evidence of your suitability for this role in reference to the essential criteria. Please make sure that you are using the STAR method when answering the interview questions. The STAR method is a structured approach to answering interview questions by outlining the Situation, Task, Action, and Result of your experiences.

A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, 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 Delivering at Pace Managing a Quality Service Experience We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods Statement of Suitability Statement of Suitability Guidance for the Statement of Suitability Please describe how your skills and experience will help you fulfil the role as described in the Job Description Evidence of Experience Statement of Suitability

Technical Technical Questions Application Form Question Word Limit 250 IT Skills; Microsoft: Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint (or equivalent i.e. Lotus Notes)

Interview stage assessments Interview Dates To be confirmed

behaviours Changing and Improving Communicating and Influencing, Technical Test Level of security checks required DBS Standard