Project Support Officer (Private Law Reform)

Job summary

We’re recruiting a Project Support Officer to provide effective, efficient support to the Private Law Reform (Pathfinder) programme and the delivery of projects and workstreams.

Job description

If you join us you will have a varied role in supporting this key strategic programme, including:

• Supporting internal and external stakeholders with project administration
• Action, risk and issue tracking
• Arranging meetings
• Maintaining and distributing project documentation
• Planning workshops
• Supporting of data collection for evaluation and analysis by colleagues

This is an important role in which you will work closely with senior leaders within Cafcass as well as with external partners, including the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Person specification

Who we’re looking for

This importance of this strategic programme to Cafcass and the wider sector in which we operate in cannot be overstated. Reflecting this, we have some clear requirements for a Project Support Officer:

• Minimum of NVQ3 (or equivalent) qualification
• Project Management qualification at practitioner level (or training and equivalent knowledge and experience) is highly desirable.
• Experienced in supporting a range of projects, including project planning, maintaining project documents, and producing internal project communications.
• Ability to plan and prioritise a range of project activities, identifying resource requirements and co-ordinating a range of tasks/activities to ensure achievement of project milestones.
• Knowledge and experience of the project lifecycle and the range of tasks required to successfully support delivery of complex programmes of technical change.
• Confident in using a range of core IT applications such as MS Office, Accelerator, particularly including the management of data/project information.
• It may be an advantage if you have experience of working within the Family Justice System or the Public Sector generally.

We’re expecting a lot of interest in this role, so we encourage you to please ensure the above – and any of the other key requirements we have (please refer to the job description, which is a ‘vacancy document’) – is clearly demonstrated in your CV and/or application form.

Where will you work?

There will be some travel - we have 30+ offices – and you can also expect to meet with your manager and team at regular intervals in-person, especially during your induction, as we know the value of this for colleagues. However, you can also expect to work remotely too, and we provide excellent equipment and technical support for you to do this. We can discuss what this might look like if we have the chance to speak with you.

Benefits

As an organisation, we’re proud of the extensive wellbeing support available for colleagues, as well as excellent benefits, all of which we hope encourages you to work within our dedicated team. You can find out more by visiting our website.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

If you’re preparing to apply, we encourage you not to rely heavily on AI tools when creating your application. While we recognise the benefits AI can offer, your application should reflect your own experience, insights, and motivations. This helps us genuinely understand what you will bring to the role.

Applications that appear to contain generalised or inauthentic content may limit our ability to assess your suitability, and where it is clear that AI has been used, it may affect our decision-making during the screening process.

Next steps / timelines

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date:

2nd February

Initial interviews:

By Friday 13th February

Final Interview:

TBC but between 23rd February and 6th March

Please note the following:

• We only plan to advertise this vacancy for a short period. If once we’ve done an initial, informal review of applicants we may decide to extend the advert to allow more people to apply. This will not mean anyone that’s already applied has been discounted. If we extend, this may mean the above timeline has to change.
• Initial and final interviews are likely to take place remotely via MS Teams.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Imogen Nicholson (Head of Practice (Strategic Development & Change)
• Email : imogen.nicholson@cafcass.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrresourcing@cafcass.gov.uk

Further information

https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/working-for-us