Admin Officer – Barnet Civil and Family Court
Contract: September 2026
Salary: £15.59 per hour
Location: Finchley, North (London)
Temporary contract role until September 2026 with immediate start date (compliance dependent) for a six‑month duration, with a possible extension, offering five days in office work setting.
Background
Good administrative staff with excellent customer‑service skills are vital to the effective operation of the Courts, Tribunals and other offices within Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Most staff in HMCTS are employed in administrative roles. HMCTS embraces Lean principles and continuous improvement techniques to provide high standards of customer service.
The Key Purpose of the Role
Administrative Officers are assigned to teams to carry out a variety of general administrative duties to progress cases through the court/tribunal system or provide support to other functions within HMCTS. Continuous‑improvement tools and techniques are used in HMCTS and so there will be opportunities to exercise discretion and initiative and continually seek to improve, within a framework of systems and processes (SOPS). Problem solving is carried out by reference to lean techniques (e.g. problem‑solving hubs) and comprehensive guidelines and instructions – complex or difficult issues are normally referred to or will involve a team leader or supervisor. In some positions, role holders will have regular contact with court / tribunal users, including members of the Judiciary and the legal profession. Administrative Officers work within a team with regular management support and are responsible for their own time, although there may be some opportunity to provide advice and carry out limited supervision of others. Whilst the post holder will be allocated to a specific office base, there may be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc basis at other local HMCTS offices. Working as part of a flexible team, the postholder will be expected to undertake a range of the functions and responsibilities specified. It is not intended that each post will be responsible for the full range of duties.
Key Responsibilities
Administration
* Preparing papers and files for court, tribunals, hearings and meetings.
* Producing court/tribunal documents.
* General photocopying and filing.
* Creating and updating records on in‑house computer system and data input.
* Post opening and dispatch.
* Booking, preparing and organising meeting rooms, supporting training courses and other group activities.
* Preparing meeting agenda, joining instructions, handouts, etc.
Drafting
* Standard letters and correspondence, minutes, notes, reports, submissions, etc., according to guidelines and instructions.
Operations
* Clerking civil and family courts, tribunals and hearings, ensuring papers and materials are available and up to date.
* Assisting court users, supporting listing and rota management, checking files.
* Contacting relevant parties, scheduling, serving court documents, executing a range of warrants, collecting fines and fees, including the use of chip and pin.
* Handling counter (face‑to‑face), written and telephone enquiries.
* Working as a team to ensure Team Information Board (TIB) meetings are relevant, timely and productive.
* Working as a team to problem‑solve, assess the impact of new SOPS, contribute to small projects.
* Undertaking ad‑hoc roles within the band such as Jury Bailiff Officer, L+D Coordinator, H+S roles.
Processing Casework
* Including standard documentation and information, court orders, claims, fines and fees, legal aid.
* Resulting courts accurately, interpreting accurately the information required on a court file.
* Working to workload targets in terms of throughput and accuracy.
Checking and Verifying
* Documents, records, accounts, claims and returns for approval, results, statistics, plans, etc. against criteria, regulations or procedures.
* Ensuring compliance and administration documentation meet quality standards.
* May be required to cross‑check and validate work completed by colleagues.
Collecting and Assembling Information
* For returns, results, accounts, statements, warrants, statistical analysis, reports, etc.
* Work may require interpretation of source materials, preparation of bundles, chasing.
* May need to modify and adjust information and make decisions to allow work to be completed.
* Prepare and run the daily TIB meeting, as required.
Undertaking Calculations
* Produce basic statistical analysis reports and, where required, process financial information.
* Check the work of others, update records, assess the value of goods and/or property, reconcile accounts, prepare invoices, gather information and run straightforward reports.
* Spend limited sums of money on behalf of an office or unit.
* Calculate the anticipated numbers of jurors to be called and manage the numbers to be as efficient as possible.
Communicating with the Public, the Judiciary, Other Court and Tribunal Users and Representatives of Other Agencies and Organisations
* Communicate and work with the Judiciary, Magistracy, Cluster Managers, Court staff and other internal and external stakeholders, suppliers and customers to collect information, check facts, communicate or enforce judicial decisions, give advice on the completion of forms or court procedures, etc., and provide excellent customer service.
* Deliver a helpful, prompt, polite and 'right‑first‑time' service to internal and external customers.
Other Duties
The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.
Skills & Qualifications
5 GCSE passes (or equivalent) grades A*-C, or NVQ Business Administration Level II or administrative experience. Relevant computer skills to undertake the level of work required.
Operational Delivery in HMCTS
This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession. Operational delivery professionals are the outward face of government, providing essential services to the public in a variety of roles. They work in many different departments and agencies across the breadth of the UK, delivering service to customers in:
* Face‑to‑face roles in HMCTS, for example a court usher.
* Contact Centre roles in HMCTS, for example call centre advisers.
* Processing roles in HMCTS, for example staff at the County Courts Money‑Claims Centre and Courts and Tribunal Administration.
Being part of the operational delivery profession means belonging to a cross‑government community of people. This will offer you access to information on professional standards, skills development and qualifications to help you continue to improve your development and performance and expand your career options.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Brook Street is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant and guarantees interviews for all candidates who are veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel and who meet all essential criteria for the vacancy. As a Disability Confident Leader and holder of the Gold Award status from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, Brook Street, as a supplier to the Public Sector Resourcing Framework (PSR), will offer you a guaranteed interview with a PSR Sourcer.
If you identify as a candidate with a disability and/or as a veteran or spouse/partner of military personnel and meet all essential criteria for the role, we encourage you to reach out to us via the Brook Street website. We are committed to engaging with you.
In cases where we have a high volume of ex‑military candidates/ military spouses/ partners who meet all essential criteria, Brook Street will interview the best candidates from within that group.
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