Job Description Line Managers should make sure that they bring this vacancy to the attention of any member of staff who is eligible but absent from duty. Job Title: Assistant Clerk to the Sheriff Appeal Court Court Location: Parliament Department/Section: Sheriff Appeal Court (Civil) House, Edinburgh £23,802 - £29,345 Grade: EO Starting salary: Number of Responsible to: Clerk of Court vacancies: 1 to the Sheriff Appeal Court Contract type: Permanent (Full Time) The closing date for applications is 7 August 2020 Closing Date: Interviews will be held week commencing 17 August 2020 Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service staff should make applications on EROL via the following link http://sauctxap1/RecruitmentForms2/ How to apply Interested common citizenship, HMCTS & Judicial College staff should request the appropriate application form and vacancy information from: David Grant [email protected] Tel: 0131 240 6885 or Keren Ramsay [email protected] Overall Purpose To effectively manage Court business in the civil department of the Sheriff Appeal Court to ensure the effective disposal of business and smooth running of Court. Applications are invited from permanent substantive EO graded staff who are interested in a level transfer and from staff seeking promotion provided they have successfully completed their probationary period. Key Responsibilities Page 1 of 4 Job Description General To line manage, develop, coach and monitor the work of the civil Sheriff Appeal Court administrative officer. To conduct interim and annual reviews on staff performance in accordance with Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service guidelines and assisting them with completion of personal development plans and role profiles. To advise Appeal Sheriffs, colleagues, solicitors and members of the public on technical and procedural matters in relation to the Sheriff Appeal Court; To liaise with the Deputy Clerk in respect of staffing, workload and training for the Sheriff Appeal Court; To assist in collating and submitting monthly statistics and targets; To ensure practices and procedures are in place in order that work is completed accurately and targets are consistently met; To respond to and be flexible towards changing demands; To demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and assertiveness in dealing with different customers; To regularly monitor and review work with a view to eliminating wasteful practices and improving efficiency; To be willing to take part in working groups, liaison committees etc with external customers in other organisations and to encourage team members to do so To ensure systems are in place to meet targets To demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills by accurately processing court documentation and by working and communicating in a court environment To use technical and specialist knowledge to ensure that appropriate procedural paths are followed To keep own technical knowledge, practices and procedures up to date Specialist Post To assist at the public counter, dealing with all aspects of enquiries, transactions and dealing with all customers including party litigants; To conduct an initial check of all incoming applications; To liaise with the procedural Appeal Sheriff; To check and process stated cases; Quality control of daily fees, ensuing correct fees are applied; To maintain the Sheriff Appeal Court register; To maintain guidance and desk instructions for use by sheriff courts and for use centrally; To support and provide cover for the Clerk of Court in the operation of the daily business and by clerking the Sheriff Appeal Court as required; To liaise with staff in the sheriff court in relation to Single Bench appeal procedure. To assist in the creation and maintenance of the Sheriff Appeal Court programme Working Relationships Page 2 of 4 Job Description The jobholder will be required to have contact with the groups identified below. Contact will be by e-mail, letter, telephone and face to face. (Frequency: Daily; Weekly; Monthly; Occasionally). General Public Daily Staff at other Courts Daily Sheriffs / Sheriffs Daily Temp Sheriffs Occasionally Principal Solicitors Daily Staff at the Procurator Occasionally Fiscals’ Office Local Council Occasionally The Procurator Fiscal Occasionally Police Occasionally HQ Staff Monthly Training and development opportunities All Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service staff will receive: local and corporate induction training on the job training a Personal Develop Plan (PDP) as part of regular performance reviews personal online access to training courses and development programmes which are available to Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service staff The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is also an: Institute of Leadership & Management Accredited Centre SQA Approved Centre Employment Checks If successful, common citizenship staff and internal SCTS staff will be given a conditional offer which is dependent on pre appointment checks. These checks will confirm if the successful applicant’s performance, conduct or attendance has been the subject of formal disciplinary, capability or absence warning which is still in effect at the closing date for the vacancy. Informal warnings and expired warnings will not be considered. If an individual receives a subsequent live formal warning after the closing date for the vacancy this may mean the offer is withdrawn on the grounds of suitability. For staff transferring from other Government Departments/Agencies a further Disclosure Scotland check may be needed to satisfy the standard level check required by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. Some posts may also be subject to “secure check” security clearance: Secure check Some posts at Sheriff Clerk, Sheriff Clerk Depute level and senior staff posts may require a Page 3 of 4 Job Description higher level of security clearance (“Secure Check”). This arises out the implementation of the disclosure provisions in terms of Part 6 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and allows a civil servant to have access to top secret and secret papers relating to court hearings and information gathered by covert surveillance or infiltration by the security services, drug enforcement agencies, into serious organised crime units. This is to ensure that the court can discharge its function of being able to process all types of criminal business which may come before it. In larger courts the responsibility may also apply to the post which normally covers the Sheriff Clerk. In the Supreme Courts the responsibility may also apply to a small number of posts (sufficient for operational capability related to the average volume of cases where higher level security is required) graded at HEO and SEO and above. If an individual’s “Secure Check” status is not confirmed the individual may, subject to operational feasibility, be given a period of 18 months in which to achieve the “Secure Check” status but will not during that period be able to process work that requires the higher level of security clearance. Additional Information The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service processes data which is sensitive and deals with matters of a private nature, this often can result in staff interacting with vulnerable members of society or having access to personal and confidential information. As a result, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) which means that we cannot employ individuals with certain unspent and/or spent convictions. Corporate/Local responsibilities & requirements The job holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service’s: Values & Behaviours Civil Service Code of Conduct Attendance Management Policy Dignity at Work Policy Conduct and Discipline Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Health & Safety Policy Electronic Communications Policy and Data Protection Act Data Security Policy Job descriptions should be reviewed on a regular basis and at the annual appraisal. Any changes should be made and agreed between post holder and line manager. The above lists are not exhaustive and the job holder may be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. Page 4 of 4 .