Court Usher

I have an full time temporary contract opportunity at The Courts as an Usher based in Swindon

**Job Description**:
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 of HMCTS.

Although many of the tasks are straightforward, regulated by well-established guidelines and/or detailed instructions, an Usher needs to be prepared to react quickly and professionally to situations, some of which may be unexpected. You will be comfortable in dealing sensitively and professionally with people from all walks of life; many of whom may be vulnerable and under stress. Advice and support is readily available and there is little discretion to depart from standard procedures, which may well require you to take a firm stance when those procedures are not understood or welcomed by a court user. Ushers work within a team with regular management support and are responsible for their own time.

Whilst initially you will be allocated to a specific court or office base, there will be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc basis at other courthouses and local HMCTS offices.

**Key Responsibilities, but will not be restricted, 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.