Registration Officers Registration Services

Job Reference: SCC01493/AMB

Inside this pack: • What You Will Be Good At • What You Will Deliver • What We Will Offer You in Return • Living our values

After reading the information pack and completing the on-line form, if you have any further questions about the role please contact:

Maria Pitman on 07824 082088 or email mlpitman@.gov.uk

Mandy Latham on 07824 082089 or email [email protected]

Tracey Doherty on 07824 082092 or email [email protected]

If you have any questions about the benefits we offer, or our recruitment process, please contact our Recruitment Team on [email protected] or telephone on 01823 355209

We will notify you by email if you have been selected for interview or have been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please check that the automated email has not gone in your junk mail folder before contacting us.

What You Will Be Good At Key Competencies You should demonstrate a commitment to our four key values – Customer Focus, Can Do Attitude, Collaboration and Care and Respect as described on the attached information sheet.

Interpersonal Skills: • Develops and sustains professional working relationships based on mutual trust, respect for individual rights and cultural needs and the promotion of equality and diversity. • Self confidence and approachable nature.

Clerical /Administrative: • Ability to collect, deal with and record facts and figures with care and attention.

Communication skills: • Ability to confidently and concisely communicate with the public, partner agencies, the General Register Office, the Area Operations Manager, County Registrar, County Superintendent Registrar and other staff in an appropriate and accurate manner, orally, electronically and on paper.

Problem solving: • Ability to deal with difficult and emotive problems in a rational manner, offering solutions that ensure legalities or professionalism remain uncompromised.

Work Experience Knowledge & Skills Essential Desirable • Experience of working with the public in • Experience of providing a service for a frontline environment the public in sensitive situations • Previous administration/clerical • Previous experience of working in a experience Registration Service. • Effective personal organisational skills • Experience of public speaking and the ability to balance conflicting • Knowledge of working with legal priorities whilst taking accountably for procedures own workload • Working in an environment of change • Ability to manage your own time • effectively whilst remaining professional Previous knowledge of the legal procedures associated with the • Use of Microsoft Office Applications Registration Service. • Experience of following prescriptive • Clear, legible handwriting for Registers and processes in a consistent manner whilst Certificates dealing with exacting legal procedures

• Reconcile daily income against sales • Work independently as well as in different team environments • Comfortable working with remote supervision • Ability to retain concentration whilst performing detailed work accurately and within set timescales • Excellent customer care skills. • Excellent personal organisational skills • Ability to clearly and confidently direct the public through a legal process • Ability to remain calm in challenging situations • Good understanding of English grammar and spelling • Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016)

Qualifications Essential Desirable • Grades 9-4 (A* - C) in English and Maths • IT qualification such as ECDL or or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and equivalent Maths or equivalent

Personal Attributes Essential Desirable • Embrace a flexible and modern approach • Availability to work at short notice to working • Confidence to work in unfamilar offices

• Take accountability for personal • Understanding of Local Authority development practices and structure • Self-reliance, resourcefulness and initiative, and ability to work • Ability to travel throughout Somerset independently and • Ability to maintain confidentiality • Ability to maintain tact and empathy whilst remaining professional

• Excellent communication skills at all levels, including face to face, over the phone, electronically and in writing • Able to work effectively and collaboratively across various teams • Willingness to actively engage in innovative and new ways of working • Ability to dress appropriately to the occasion

All disabled applicants meeting the essential criteria will be interviewed.

Somerset has signed the Charter for Employers who are Positive about Mental Health

MINDFUL EMPLOYER is a UK-wide initiative. www.mindfulemployer.net

What You Will Deliver

Key tasks and responsibilities:

Main duties as determined by the County Superintendent Registrar and County Registrar of Births and Deaths and include in general: -

1. To register births, still births, deaths and associated duties. Reporting of deaths to HM Coroner in line with Handbook procedure;

2. Accurate and efficient processing of current certificate applications;

3. To register civil marriages, civil partnerships and conversions, and carry out associated duties at the Register Office, other registration offices, approved venues, and registered buildings where a Registrar is required;

4. Legal preliminaries for civil marriage and civil partnership, which involves interviewing members of the public and checking key documents ensuring legal validity of Notices ready for civil marriage and civil partnership;

5. Conducting civil marriage and civil partnerships ceremonies within Register Office, registration office or approved premise ensuring legal and declaratory words are repeated accurately and in appropriate surroundings;

6. Quarterly copies; cross check that information within the ‘paper’ Register is exactly accurate to digital records and returning on a quarterly basis to General Register Office (GRO), keep Registers and associated records up to date to include SR certifying, deposition and archiving;

7. Assist the County SR/County RBD to ensure internal procedures are followed to enable consistent working practices across the service in Somerset;

8. Be financially accountable. Accurately collect and record, with local authority approved mechanisms, and account for cash, cheques and card transactions in receipt of services delivered locally per office and bank appropriately;

9. Maintain a working knowledge of the regulations within the GRO Registration Handbook, circulars via the internet and County Council policy and procedures;

10. Non-statutory associated work includes Citizenship ceremonies, Welcome Ceremonies (Baby- Naming), Renewal of Vows with further civil ceremonial developments;

11. Be responsible for the security and safety of statutory and certified Stock for the County, in liaison with line managers and County SR and County RBD per office, in line with national and local procedural requirements;

12. Provide a high level of customer care;

13. To take full responsibility for all registration activities to include use of internet-based systems for registration (RON) and associated applications regardless of working in a team environment at a larger office or lone working within a dispersed team;

14. Each individual takes responsibility for services delivered to the public, applies key knowledge and makes key decisions in the presence of the public on a case-by-case basis

15. To participate in the performance management/appraisal process of Somerset County Council;

16. To undertake such other duties to assist the management team at a similar level of responsibility as attached to this post, from time to time.

17. Understand, uphold and promote the aims of the council’s equality, diversity and inclusion policies; health, safety and wellbeing of self and others; and Organisational values in everything you do. Equality and Diversity practice covers both interaction with staff, service users and communities and includes challenging discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity for all.

Contacts & Relationships

The jobholder has contact with any member of the public requiring service at key life events.

The jobholder is individually responsible for completing the statutory service with each member of the public and the corresponding advice that requires if not straightforward.

The job holder will work with Registration Service Stakeholders such as Coroners, Bereavement Officers, Approved Venues on a day-today operational level.

The jobholder will be dealing on a daily basis with situations requiring tact and empathy for registrations as well as skills required when conducting celebratory services such as marriage.

Further information specific to this job:

Somerset Registration Service has responsibility for all births, deaths and marriages within the county boundary of Somerset and the unitary authority of North Somerset. This geographical area is further divided into three – East Somerset, and North Somerset. Registration Officers work part time and we have 8 vacancies to fill across the patch, varying from 10 hours to 24hours. Somerset Registration Service registers in the region of 5,000 births, 5,000 deaths and excess of 2,000 ceremonies each year with circa 3,500 notices of marriage and 400 new British Citizens welcomed.

Working Hours and Remuneration The contracted posts are: : 12.5hrs Weston Super Mare 22.5hrs (x2) 16hrs (x2) and 22.5hrs 10hrs 19.5hrs

There is a process for you banking and claiming additional hours to manage extra hours. Mileage and time taken travelling are paid from travel base as per Somerset County Council policy. Somerset County Council is subject to Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English will be an essential requirement for customer-facing roles.

What We Will Offer You in Return

Grade 12, between £22,183 to £25,481 per annum Salary and Hourly rate £11.49 grade: Appointments are normally made at the bottom of the salary scale.

Contract Permanent, part time as below type: Location: Bridgwater: 12.5hrs Weston Super Mare 22.5hrs (x2) Taunton 16hrs (x2) and 22.5hrs Frome 10hrs Shepton Mallet 19.5hrs Hours of Contracted hours plus additional hours based on demand, including work: working weekends and Bank Holidays. Annual For this grade: 27 days. leave: This is inclusive of two statutory days. In addition, there are 8 bank holiday days.

Please note, the amount stated will be pro–rata for part-time and fixed term contract posts.

The annual leave year starts on 1st April or 1st of the month in which the contract commences.

Probationary The appointment will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months. period: Internal applicants who have already completed their probationary period would not normally be expected to complete this again.

Notice Following completion of the probationary period, this post will be subject period: to a notice period of one calendar month on either side.

The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulations 1968

Disqualifications for appointment No person shall be qualified for appointment –

(a) to any registration office –

(i) if he has been declared bankrupt and has not subsequently obtained his discharge, or he is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order, or if he has made any composition or arrangement with his creditors and has not subsequently paid his debts in full or obtained a certificate of discharge; (ii) not used

(iii) if he is, or has been during the 12 months preceding the date on which the appointment is to take effect, a member of the council or of a committee of the council having duties in relation to the appointment of registration officers;

(iv) if he holds any office as authorised person, secretary (for marriages) of a synagogue or registering officer of the Society of Friends;

(v) if he is a minister of religion, a medical practitioner, a midwife, an undertaker or other person concerned in a burial or cremation business, a person engaged in any business concerned with life insurance, or a person engaged in any other calling which would conflict with or prevent the proper performance in person of the duties of the office for which he is a candidate;

(vi) if he is an officer or servant of the council appointed by them as the proper officer;

(b) as superintendent registrar, if he holds office as a registrar;

(c) as registrar, if he holds office as a superintendent registrar or is a coroner or is an officer or servant of a local authority employed by them in the performance of duties relating to their functions as a burial authority.

Living our values – 4 Cs At work, the way we do things matters as much as what we do. At Somerset County Council we have four key values – the 4Cs – that all employees are expected to work to. They will form part of every member of staff’s personal review.

Customer focus This is about putting the customer at the heart of everything we do. Collaboration This is about working with others to deliver our services. Can do attitude This is about getting the job done and doing it well. Care and respect This is about treating others as they would wish to be treated – with care, respect, dignity and understanding.

What does this look like in practice? The 4Cs describe our values. In practice, this means that we think from a customer or a community perspective to make sure we get things right first time and continually improve the services we provide. We must have a clear view of what our customers and service users say they need, rather than build services based on what we think they need. We operate a ‘no wrong door’ policy – whichever authority or department deals with the customer’s query, we help them get there. As we build links with other authorities and organisations we talk to each other and our managers about how we think we could change, even the smallest things, for the better. We work together, establishing positive, respectful and empowering ways of working as strong teams. We act with integrity, communicating clearly, admitting to our mistakes and striving to learn from them. When we think we need to speak out or challenge, we are prepared to do so in a constructive and positive way, but we remain objective.