Diary Manager - Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales. Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service. Case Management The Diary Manager role provides efficient diary management, coordinating schedules and meetings to the Head of Case Management and the Senior Management Team. The role is based in our Case Management Directorate which is the largest department in the Legal Aid Agency. The Case Management team is central to the Agency, it is responsible for handling legal aid applications, processing case payments and dealing with correspondence and enquiries received in both Civil and Criminal Legal aid matters. Our dedicated staff ensure that 600,000 new clients access justice each year, while ensuring that legal aid lawyers are paid fairly. We listen and engage with all staff in case management, ensuring we always value the 'caseworker voice' and that this is represented when delivering change. We support all staff in our work, recognising success and promoting a positive and healthy work-life balance. We have a culture where new ideas are encouraged and appreciated. Finance, Performance and Governance The Finance, Performance and Governance Team in Case Management leads on the delivery of actions relating to Finance matters, Performance Monitoring and Governance against policies and procedures for the directorate., The role holder will provide support to the Head of Case Management acting as their Diary Manager which involves arranging meetings and acting as note taker across various Senior Management meetings and forums. Due to the nature of the work involved discretion and absolute confidentiality are essential. The role holder will also provide support to members of the Senior Management Team including managing calendar appointments, arranging meetings, acting as a note taker and monitoring the progress of actions. The role holder will also provide effective diary management and administrative support to the Chief Executive's Office, assisting with workload pressures and covering responsibilities during annual leave periods. The LAA offers hybrid working arrangements where business need allows. Due to business need this role requires regular attendance in your base location for meetings, training, development and supporting engagement in the office. There is also a requirement for occasional travel to other LAA Offices nationwide.,

• Provide proactive diary and correspondence management for the Head of Case Management, effectively prioritising competing demands and resolving scheduling conflicts using sound judgement and initiative.
• Ensure the Head of Case Management is fully briefed and provided with all relevant information and documentation in advance of meetings and engagements.
• Support the Senior Management Team with diary management and organising meetings and events, including booking appointments, arranging venues, travel and accommodation.
• Prepare agendas, attend meetings as required, and produce accurate minutes and records of discussions and decisions.
• Monitor and track actions arising from meetings including Senior Management meetings and Operational Leadership meetings, ensuring deadlines are met and escalating issues appropriately where required.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders and partner organisations.
• Provide administrative and secretarial support to other senior managers within the Case Management Directorate as required.
• Act as Appeals administrator for the Criminal Cases Unit, liaising with Bar counsel and other external stakeholders to schedule appeal meetings. Acting as the point of contact for enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with the Head of Finance, Performance and Governance to coordinate activity across the Senior Management Team.
• Manage travel bookings for the Senior Management Team and wider Case Management Directorate, ensuring compliance with organisational policies and service level agreements.
• Prioritise and manage routine administrative activities, including handling correspondence and responding to enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for improvements to practices, contribute to change initiatives and support the implementation of new ways of working.
• Work collaboratively with other Diary Managers to share best practice, improve consistency and ensure resilience across the service.
• Provide flexible diary management and administrative cover to the Chief Executive's Office during periods of peak demand, annual leave and other staff absences to ensure continuity of service.
• Attend LAA offices for face to face meetings, Senior Management support and training as required., 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.
As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes. The LAA's goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities. Reasonable Adjustments We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you. Complaints procedure If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days. If you are dissatisfied with our response, we will forward your complaint to the Civil Service Commission, an independent body, for review. 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). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. 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 role: all successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) - See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location's respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended). 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. MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer. All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet. Flexible working hours The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ 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 MoJ's Flexible Working policy.


• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloads, meet competing deadlines and work effectively under pressure.
• Established communication, influencing and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience of tracking actions and monitoring progress to ensure deadlines and commitments are met.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams.
Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills
• Proven experience of providing diary management and administrative support to senior leaders within a busy office environment.
• Ability to prepare clear and accurate correspondence, meeting papers, agendas and minutes.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and as part of a team
Person Specification
• The role holder is someone who enjoys working as part of a team and on their own in a fast-changing environment
Assessment approach, Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the essential criteria "Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloads, meet competing deadlines and work effectively under pressure". Candidates who pass the initial sift will progress to a full sift, or progress straight to interview.,
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together
Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential. For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important to them and to where they work. Examples of action they have taken (in or outside of work) to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding) or improve inclusion for others will increase the strength of their answer. There will be a practical exercise to assess candidate's experience of planning and prioritising workloads to meet deadlines. The exercise will be run via MS Teams and candidates will will require access to a computer and will share their screen whilst being monitored during the exercise. Full details of the exercise will be provided during the interview.

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

The national salary range is £29,303 - £31,061, London salary range is £33,551 - £35,564. Your salary will be dependent on your base location Working Pattern Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working Vacancy Approach External, 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. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. Pension The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best. 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. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. 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 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• 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.