2148 - Legal Administrative Officer

Fixed Term Contract for two years with a view to permanency

Minimum Hours: 29 hours

Organisational Overview

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) protects people in England and Wales who may not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and finance. We are an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), set up in 2007 following the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005.

OPG is responsible for registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection.

OPG is a fantastic place to work offering a range of development opportunities. The OPG is a disability confident employer and is committed to developing a supportive and inclusive environment that reflects the diverse community we serve.

Transformation will ensure we can better support adults at risk and create high-quality services that are accessible and affordable.

Team Overview

The legal team is a part of the Legal and Information Directorate within the OPG. The team offers legal support to the Public Guardian and their office in delivering their statutory duties. This includes legal advice of matters and policy, and acting for the Public Guardian when required in the Court of Protection.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide administrative assistance to Legal Paralegals, Lawyers, and Operational Managers.
• Monitor and manage routine correspondence (post and email), set calendar reminders, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Submit court application documents to the Court of Protection (COP).
• Serve court applications to external parties and any actions directed by court orders.
• Prepare and distribute court bundles for hearings.
• Issue safeguarding letters to various entities (e.g., DWP, financial institutions, care homes, local authorities).
• Operate and update a case management system, ensuring data accuracy and compliance with regulations.
• Follow data assurance policies and maintain information security.
• Manage office supplies, oversee stationery ordering, and ensure stock levels are maintained.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and education.
• Engage in regular appraisals to enhance skills and meet role competencies
• Hybrid working arrangement, including office attendance is required for certain tasks.

Agreed Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to work from their base location office on a weekly basis in line with current Civil Service requirements.

Occasional travel to other offices may be required.

Skills & Qualifications

• Computer literate with a confident approach to learning new and specialist software. Proficiency is required in the use of Microsoft Office computer packages and Adobe, i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, MS Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent written & oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of working in a legal environment
• Flexible approach to dealing with the changing nature of the work and working to tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage time efficiently.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in all work.

• Experience handling sensitive and/or confidential data.
• Experience of working in an office environment.
• Experience working with a legal case management system.

This vacancy is being advertised using Success Profiles which will assess your Experience, Behaviours, Strengths and

Ability.

There will be 3 stages to the application process.

Stage 1 – Sift

Candidates will be expected to provide a Personal Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words in support of your application based on essential and desirable skills.

Stage 2 - Practical Assessment

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to carry out a practical assessment which will test your ability to carry out administrative tasks.

The written assessment may be held remotely via MS teams. You will be asked to have your camera on during the assessment.

Stage 3 – Interview

• Strengths relevant to the role
• The following Behaviours at Level 1:

• Previous work experience