Visits Coordinator - Admin

Ministry of Justice; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Justice is seeking a front-line visits coordinator in the Midlands region. You will manage enquiries from families and visitors, enter bookings on the system, and send visiting orders.

You will also prepare visits lists and safeguarding lists for visits, switchboard and visits centre. The role requires updating public protection information, monitoring alerts for prisoners and visitors, and arranging visits for disabled or special circumstances.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for families/friends of prisoners and official visitors including solicitors, Police, Probation etc and responsible for informing them of all visiting procedures for the establishment
• Receive telephone calls and e-mails from visitors booking a time/date to visit, allowing the visit to be entered onto the booking system, sending out visiting orders and ensuring these are valid at the time of booking
• Produce and distribute visits lists in advance of all sessions and Safeguarding lists for visits, switchboard and visits centre
• Ensure that public protection and security information is kept up to date and relevant on the booking system
• Monitor for any alerts identified for prisoners and their visitors to ensure safety of all concerned and raise issues around underage visitors Informing security of any issues
• Undertake initial work to arrange visits for disabled visitors and special circumstance visits e.g. bereavement
• Provide administrational assistance in area of work and maintain accurate filing system for area of work
• Respond to queries relating to area of work, redirecting where required
• Operate the switchboard appropriately by Identifying the callers needs ensuring all messages are communicated to the appropriate parties

Job description

This vacancy is only available to existing Civil Servant employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

General Information

Working Pattern

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

Vacancy Approach

Cross Government

Location

Region

Midlands

Closing Date

04-Sep-2026

Business Unit

Sudbury

Post Type

Permanent

AA

Number of jobs available

1

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

21080

Descriptions & requirements

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

• Be the first point of contact for families/friends of prisoners and official visitors including solicitors, Police, Probation etc and responsible for informing them of all visiting procedures for the establishment
• Receive telephone calls and e-mails from visitors booking a time/date to visit, allowing the visit to be entered onto the booking system, sending out visiting orders and ensuring these are valid at the time of booking
• Produce and distribute visits lists in advance of all sessions and Safeguarding lists for visits, switchboard and visits centre
• Ensure that public protection and security information is kept up to date and relevant on the booking system
• Monitor for any alerts identified for prisoners and their visitors to ensure safety of all concerned and raise issues around underage visitors Informing security of any issues
• Undertake initial work to arrange visits for disabled visitors and special circumstance visits e.g. bereavement

Provide information to outside agencies when requested, such as assisted prison visits scheme Undertake other administrative tasks including:

• Provide administrational assistance in area of work
• Maintain accurate filing system for area of work
• Respond to queries relating to area of work, redirecting where required
• Operate the switchboard appropriately by Identifying the callers needs ensuring all messages are communicated to the appropriate parties

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 aMoJoffice 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 withthe HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

-You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service(HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist

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

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.

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'.

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

Civil Service Nationality Rules

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• 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

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Band 2 SSA Visits Booking JD153 v7.0 (1).pdf(Job Description Attachment)

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.

250

Developing Self and Others

Communicating and Influencing

Working Together

Managing a Quality Service

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates

Expected September 2026

Behaviours

Developing Self and Others

Communicating and Influencing

Working Together

Managing a Quality Service

Strengths

Level of security checks required

DBS Standard

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.Please see ourcandidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.