Vacancy -- Office Manager

Cafcass Cymru is a child-focused organisation, which provides statutory services to vulnerable children and specialist advice to the Family Court.

The primary duties of Cafcass Cymru, as set out in the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 are to:

• Safeguard and promote the welfare of the children
• Give advice to any Court about any application made to it in such proceedings
• Make provision for children to be represented
• Provide information, advice and support for children and their families.

The organisation is committed to providing an effective and efficient child focussed service that recognises the unique needs and rights of individual children. Cafcass Cymru currently employs 225 staff who work from a number of offices across Wales.

The Office Manager provides an efficient and effective support service to the Chief Executive of Cafcass Cymru to assist him in meeting his corporate responsibilities and in achieving his personal and business objectives.  You will be responsible for the day-to-day smooth running of the Chief Executive’s office, providing support to the Deputy Chief Executive ensuring that the business is managed effectively and efficiently.

You will also be working very closely with the Office of the DG/Chief Executive NHS Wales and will provide cover for the SEA when he/she is on leave, etc.

As Office Manager you will:

• Arrange internal and external meetings, commission and prepare briefings in support of those meetings.
• Set agendas, prepare papers, take the minutes, and follow up actions at the Director’s Senior Leadership Team meetings.
• Organise ad-hoc events, involving internal and external stakeholders. including booking venues and catering, drafting agendas, collating attendee lists, circulation of event papers, admin requirements on the day, follow up of action plans.
• Organise ad-hoc staff briefing sessions with the Chief Executive, utilising audio conferencing and video conferencing facilities as required.
• Manage the Chief Executive’s fast-moving diary to ensure proper use of his time, facilitating delivery of work priorities.
• Prepare the Chief Executive’s electronic day folder comprising all papers for the following day, ensuring he is fully briefed.
• Provide secretariat duties for Cafcass Cymru Advisory Committee and Cafcass Cymru Partnership Committee including drafting agendas, commissioning of all relevant papers, drafting minutes and following up all actions.  This is an important and pivotal part of this role.  (Excellent minute taking and secretariat skills are crucial to this role).
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with key external stakeholders including Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Services, Cafcass England, Ministry of Justice, All Wales Heads of Children’s Services, ADSS Cymru and third sector organisations.
• Provide secretariat duties for the Deputy Chief Executive, including arranging Head of Operation and Operational Leadership Group meetings, including agendas, drafting minutes and following up all actions.
• Manage own and prioritise the Chief Executive’s emails, managing the majority of onward work distribution without recourse.
• Operate an efficient and effective bring forward system to ensure that deadlines for outgoing and incoming business are met.
• Receive incoming telephone calls, redirect or take action as required.
• Act as the initial point of contact for the Chief Executive of Cafcass Cymru and the Senior Leadership Team.
• Act as the initial point of contact with the Ministers and Minister Private Offices and the Judiciary. 

Appropriate handling of confidential information in relation to staffing issues including recruitment, performance management, complaints, and disciplinary procedures. 

This post provides the opportunity to work in a high profile role within a child focussed organisation, providing administration support to the Chief Executive. The post offers opportunities to develop links with Senior Managers across Cafcass Cymru, the Welsh Government and with key stakeholders.

19/10/2022, 16:00

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

• Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
• For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
• Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.