Deputy Registrar - #1757823

Job title: Deputy Registrar

Salary: B1 £24,404 - £25,183

Hours: Full time (37 hours)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Based in Merrion House, central Leeds

As a deputy Registrar you will be taking up an entry level role at Leeds Register Office to join our dedicated staff in delivering a variety of essential front-line statutory services. The Register Office is responsible for registering all births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships which take place in Leeds.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions .

About You

The deputy registrar post provides a diverse range of roles and responsibilities:

• You will be creating copy certificates of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships, so the ability to enter manual and electronic information with high levels of accuracy is essential.
• You must have excellent customer care skills with experience of dealing sensitively, efficiently and professionally with customer enquiries.
• You should be flexible and be able to adapt to regularly changing demands and priorities.
• You will also be a good team player but able to work independently with minimum supervision to make decisions and meet deadlines.
• Although your main base will be in Merrion House, you will also work occasionally at other locations across the city to attend at marriage and civil partnership ceremonies.
  
  
  

Working hours are 8.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday although the services does operate a limited flexi-time scheme. The role also involves working on one in four Saturdays for which additional out of hours payments are made.

About The Role

You will be using registration records dating from 1837 to the current day to create copies of certificates. Whilst the majority of records are held electronically, many certificates will be produced by photocopying, typing or copying by hand. You should therefore have experience of inputting information electronically and be able to write neatly and legibly.

As a deputy registrar you will also be dealing with people at key stages of their lives, whether by providing a reception service for customers arriving for their registration appointment, or by attending a marriage or civil partnership and sharing in the joy of the ensuing celebrations. And, in making a permanent record of these events, as the deputy registrar, you will be creating a permanent piece of the history of Leeds.

If you enjoy working closely with members of the public there can be few more satisfying roles.

In delivering our services you will also be representing Leeds City Council so have the opportunity of displaying our values and demonstrating what a great service the council can provide to members of the local community. Best City Ambition

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
  
  
  

How To Apply

Please fully complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Lauren Martino, Registrars team Leader . Call 0113 378 9608 or email [email protected] .

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

• To create copy certificates of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships
• provide administrative support and assistance to the Registration Services Manager
• To register marriages
  
  
  

Responsibilities

• To process requests for copy certificates and prepare copies of register entries using manual and computerised systems.
• To search historical indexes and provide assistance to customers with family history enquiries
• To support contact centre operations by processing enquiries and resolving procedural failures with minimum intervention by senior staff
• To maintain records of certificate applications and to prepare routine correspondence
• To prioritise and to work efficiently and effectively in order to achieve service delivery targets
• To ensure the security of registers, register pages, certificates, schedules, related documents and fees collected
• To ensure the highest levels of accuracy in manual records and electronic registrations
• To register marriages
• To identify and take appropriate action to deal with forced and sham marriages/civil partnerships
• To attend and support the Senior registrar at Civil Partnership and Citizenship ceremonies
• To collect, monitor and process records of returned marriage schedules and to provide feedback on data quality
• To provide a sensitive, polite and professional service to customers and to consistently achieve high levels of customer satisfaction
• To receive, reconcile and bank income in accordance with Financial Regulations and to provide accurate and timely financial information to management
• To use own initiative and judgement to take ownership of and resolve basic customer enquiries
• To process internal recharges and raise orders
• To provide a registrars reception service, dealing with first line customer enquiries.
• To recognise and respond sensitively to the needs of customers particularly in cases of high priority or emotional strain
• To provide administrative support and assistance to the Registration Services Manager
• To make registration appointments and maintain the status of bookings on the electronic diary.
• To assist in staff training, coaching and mentoring, where required
• To handle telephone, email and work queue enquiries
• Where required, to liaise and work with other offices, departments and organisations to resolve queries and provide a comprehensive service for customers
• To work as part of a team and assist other members of staff in completing day to day duties and achieving service targets
• To have an awareness of other council services and to advise or direct customer enquiries appropriately
• To maintain an up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and service developments
• To handle personal information sensitively and confidentially with due regard to GDPR, the Data Protection Act and relevant Registration legislation.
• To support the implementation of new legislation and process change to ensure that the service is delivered efficiently and effectively
• To work flexibly to meet the needs of the service, colleagues and customers
• Flexible and adaptable to change and to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and appropriate CPD programmes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve service targets, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the values, standards, and equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Four GSCEs (Grade A-C) or equivalent including Maths and English or other appropriate qualifications.

Customer Services NVQ Level 2 is desirable.

Location and working hours

Location - The registrars service is based at Merrion House, Merrion Way, LS2 8BB. The postholder will also be required to work from a variety of other locations which are registered for marriages /civil partnerships as well as any other place where a ceremony has been arranged eg hospitals, hospices, prisons and private addresses.

Hours – 37 hours per week (Monday to Friday) plus one Saturday in four on a rota basis for which a Saturday enhancement is paid and a day taken in lieu. Overtime is paid for working any other Saturdays. There may also be a requirement to attend ceremonies on Sundays and Bank Holidays for which enhancements will also be paid.

Dress Code – Staff are expected to maintain a standard of dress and presentation appropriate for greeting customers and for attending ceremonies.

Personal Specification

Method of assessment will be through one or more of the following application form, test, interview, and certificate.

Essential Requirements

It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills Required

• Able to take ownership of and deal effectively with basic customer enquiries and problems
• Able to work with high levels of accuracy and with attention to detail.
• Commitment to delivering high quality customer care and meeting the needs of customers
• Able to communicate confidently, effectively and sensitively with a wide variety of customers in person, in writing and by telephone
• Able to demonstrate patience, tact and understanding and to deal with difficult situations in a calm, confident and effective manner
• Good command of written English with the ability to prepare written documents in a clear and legible manner
• Awareness of and ability to respect and maintain confidentiality and to comply with Data Protection, GDPR and other relevant legislation
• Ability to prioritise and work within time constraints
• Adaptable and flexible and able to cover other duties at short notice
• Able to work on own initiative.
• Able to work efficiently and effectively with a variety of IT systems
  
  
  

Knowledge required

• Using Microsoft applications eg Outlook, Word, Excel
• 4 GCSEs (grade A-C) or equivalent including Maths and English Language or other equivalent qualification
  
  
  

Experience required

• Dealing with members of the public in a face to face environment
• Working to customer care standards and performance targets
• Working in an unsupervised role and taking initiative to resolve queries
• Working as part of a team, supporting colleagues to meet targets and deliver a responsive service
• Accurately creating and updating electronic records
• Working flexibly, adapting to and dealing with conflicting demands
• Working in accordance with strict legislative or regulatory requirements
• Handling cash on a regular basis, reconciling and recording fees received
  
  
  

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

• Able to travel to various work locations across Leeds
• Mature judgment, articulate and confident disposition
• Effective and active listening skills using diplomacy and tact
• A professional approach and presentation
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills, and continuous professional development
• Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.
  
  
  

Desirable requirements

It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

Knowledge Required

• Customer services NVQ Level 2
  
  
  

Experience required

• Working with sensitive or confidential information
  
  
  

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