Receptionist

Ministry of Justice; North East; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice is seeking an administrative receptionist within the Probation Service Directorate. This office-based role involves welcoming visitors, handling calls, and delivering a range of clerical support across the Durham and Darlington area as required.

Core hours include unsocial hours and occasional late-night reporting, with duties across multiple offices to support Probation Practitioners and maintain efficient operations. Training will be provided for coverage periods.

Responsibilities

• Be first point of contact for Probation Service and greet people professionally face to face and via phone/email.
• Log arrivals and departures, issue visitor passes and security fobs as necessary.
• Use tact and diplomacy to diffuse volatile situations and escalate when needed.
• Answer enquiries at reception about the Probation Service and local support services.
• Coordinate logistics for the building including mail, PPE, stationery, and room bookings.
• Manage petty cash, travel warrants, and transport between Probation properties.
• Support health, safety and security tasks, including fire alarm/panic alarm checks and acting as Fire Warden/First Aider when required.
• Log faults and incidents, escalate issues, and support contractor access and building security.
• Provide confidential admin support for case administration and maintain filing systems and databases.

Job description

• This is a full time, office based role, working Monday-Friday and there will be a requirement to cover late night reporting and to cover at other offices in the area as the need arises
• There is an expectation to cover other office locations within the Durham and Darlington areas as required'
• It is a requirement of the Receptionist role that late night reporting is covered - this involves working outside of usual office hours, no later than 7pm, once per week in order to support Probation Practitioners to facilitate appointments for those who cannot attend during usual working hours.

Overview of the job 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

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 o 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