Job Description
We've got a great opportunity for a full- time long term temp role within the Southend Courts, to join a fast-paced office, working as part of the Court ushers team.
Overview:
- Full time 37 hrs per week
- Monday - Friday
- Long term Temporary ongoing role
- Pay - £12.21 per hour
- Location - Southend
- Start date ASAP
Background and key purpose of the role
The Court Usher acts as an essential first point of contact for all the court users involved in hearings. There will be regular contact with the judiciary, assisting the administrative staff with the smooth flow of court work. You will meet members of the public and their legal representatives; prepare court /hearing rooms, and complete documentation, as well as ensuring the court runs smoothly and efficiently. You will also carry out some general clerical work as required to support the work.
Key responsibilities may include:
Administration
* Collecting and delivering files and bundles to the judiciary and clerks ensuring they have the necessary papers
* Providing support to colleagues & judiciary outside of court / hearing times
* General clerical work, including use of computers and Switchboard
* Filling out forms
* Operating recording equipment and maintaining records of recordings of hearings
* Sort and deliver lists of hearings for internal & external notice boards
Correspondence
* Completing standard forms, etc where the information is clearly defined.
* Straightforward drafting such as acknowledgements and receipting, confirmations, court orders, warrants etc.
Post Handling
* Opening, sorting, distributing and dispatching post as required
* Collecting and delivering post from appropriate offices
Monitoring Stock
* Ensuring Court rooms are supplied against requirements for relevant forms and stationary
* Collecting and delivering stationary around the offices
Data Entry and recording
* Resulting, checking accuracy and completeness against guidelines or a proforma, straightforward money handling e.g. issuing jury payments, spending petty cash under instruction.
Operating equipment
* Office and court equipment e.g. computers, fax machines, scanners, photocopiers, switchboards, franking machines, messaging equipment, tape, and video recorders etc.
Handling telephone calls
* Answering standard enquiries and passing messages to others.
Arranging meetings
* Preparing rooms for hearings, tribunals, trials, meetings and clearing the court / hearing room down at the end of the day etc.
* Using electronic diaries
Reception of parties to court
* Including members of the public, judiciary, juries, solicitors and barristers, the police, representatives of external Agencies etc.
* Providing information related to proceedings, escorting court users into and from the building, swearing oaths etc.
* Calling people into court / hearing rooms in priority order, discussing with Court Clerks and Legal Advisers and liaising with the Witness Service as necessary
* Answering face to face enquiries
* Keeping parties informed of changes eg, of courtrooms and hearing times