LOND1324 – B3 Area Communication
Manager
CPS London
Candidate Information Pack
Area Communication Manager
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How to apply
The recruitment process will include an online application and CV, followed by an interview and
assessment.
***Please note the closing date for submitting completed on-line application forms is
midnight on Tuesday 30th May 2017***
When you apply, you will be asked to provide some specific information, which you will type on
screen. As all application forms are anonymised, we ask that you do not include any personal
details. You will be asked for information to support your application, which in this case will
include a CV section and a personal statement.
Please read the information below carefully before you apply to ensure you understand what is
required.
 Personal Statement (using the text box provided online)
You will also be asked to complete a personal statement of no more than 1200 words setting out
how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience, as detailed in the job description
also addressing the core competencies for this role which are Managing a Quality Service,
Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating & Building Capability for All as
detailed in the Person Specification.
 CV Section (using the text boxes provided online)
You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV
section.’ You will be required to provide information regarding your skills, employment history and
qualification details.
Please note that it is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the specified application information in
the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post. No prompt will be given if
applications are submitted without the requisite information and candidates who do not submit the
required documents will not be considered for the post.
In the event of any queries please contact Sam.Brand@cps.gsi.gov.uk or call 0151 213 5037 in
advance of the closing date.
Area Communication Manager
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Job Description
Job Title:
Area Communication Manager
Department
/Division:
Business Centre
Pay Range:
B3
Reports to:
Date
Completed:
Career
Family:
Area Business Manager
June 2016
Communications
Role Purpose
The postholder is the Business Centre communications expert delivering high quality internal and external
communications campaigns within the Area. They provide specialist communication advice, expertise and
guidance to Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) and Area Business Manager (ABM), advising and guiding senior
managers in the Area at a strategic level. Working with a high degree of autonomy, they will develop, deliver
and evaluate a communications strategy that supports delivery of organisational objectives, understanding
of the CPS vision and strategy, and improves public awareness of, and confidence in, the CPS locally.
Responsible for proactive and reactive media handling in the Area, they will also work closely with HQ
Communications Division contributing to national communication campaigns and media management. The
postholder will work collaboratively with peers across Partner Areas; sharing good practice and lessons learnt to
deliver the business and to ensure resilience.
Area of
Accountability
Corporate
Communication
Accountabilities
Develop and deliver an Area communications strategy to support organisational
objectives, working with the senior team to set the direction, and ensuring it is
aligned with the national communication strategy and Area business plans.
Provide communications advice and activity to support the delivery of key
business programmes. This includes identifying local priorities for action and
evaluating outcomes and impact to help inform future activity.
Ensure that corporate communications are given a suitable local context, are
quality assured and effectively disseminated to staff across the Areas, checking
understanding on a regular basis.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with communications staff
in other Criminal Justice System (CJS) agencies, developing joint communication
strategies where appropriate to ensure that CPS issues are given suitable
consideration and prominence.
Internal
Communications
Contribute to CPS-wide communications strategies on priority issues. Contribute
to national policy communications work, localising centrally produced materials to
gain regional coverage.
Draw on audience insight to inform internal communication strategies, seeking
the most appropriate channels to deliver targeted messages.
Advise the Area Strategic Board (ASB) and other senior managers on
communications activities aimed at improving staff engagement; develop
appropriate channels, messages, meetings and events to improve engagement
with internal audiences
Use Area employee engagement data, including the People Survey, to identify
challenges and barriers and propose action for improvement.
Area Communication Manager
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Corporate
Communication
Internally promote the work of Area staff through local channels and ensure it is
effectively represented in CPS-wide channels by contributing regular articles and
information for use across the range of publications and forums.
Proactively engage key internal stakeholders and SMT on internal matters,
advising them and supporting delivery of major announcements to staff.
External
Communications;
Media, Digital and
Campaigns
Plan and implement external communication strategies, providing advice on media
handling and crisis communications to ASB and lawyers, communicating complex
information clearly and concisely.
Support CPS staff in their dealings with the media, including negotiating
interviews, providing briefing and media training. Advise on handling high profile
and sensitive issues, considering how best to protect the organisation’s reputation
and integrity of casework.
Promote CPS policies, Area cases and the work of our staff through timely media
handling, including producing high quality media materials, including press
releases, statements, briefings, articles and Q&A, organising and managing media
briefings and pitching interviews and feature pieces.
Develop and maintain strong links with key Area media outlets including individual
journalists.
Handle local and regional media enquiries relating to casework and CPS policy in
a timely way, and reflect key messages. Monitor media coverage of CPS and
wider criminal justice issues, identifying opportunities for positive coverage and
initiating rebuttal action when appropriate.
Liaise with HQ Press Officers over proactive and reactive stories which may be of
interest to the national media and collaborate on statements, responses and
handling as necessary.
Collaborate with the HQ press office on local delivery of national external
communications campaigns. Contribute to national policy communications work,
localising centrally produced materials to gain regional coverage.
Maintain the Area’s website and intranet, ensuring all content is accessible, up to
date, clearly written, timely and relevant.
Leadership and
Team Work
Establish effective relationships with colleagues to support delivery of business
outcomes, to ensure detailed knowledge of ongoing work and potential
opportunities and risks.
Undertake compliance and quality assurance checks to ensure that key
deliverables contained with the Area communications strategy are being delivered
and met. Provide suggestions/reports to ASB/senior managers as necessary to
improve Area compliance with key communication requirements. Provide updates
on communications, media and engagement for senior managers and ASB as
appropriate.
Contributes to the Area Communications Alliance, collaborating with and
supporting colleagues to deliver shared objectives.
Delivering a
Quality Service
Be alert to emerging trends in communications, and apply knowledge of digital and
social media to campaign planning.
Embed timely evaluation into Area communications activities, in line with national
policies and following Government Communication Service guidance. Assess the
effectiveness of strategies and use it to inform future work.
Area Communication Manager
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Promote consistency of approach by wherever possible, following and advocating
the Government Communication Service Standard Operating Model.
Ensure evaluation of Area communications activities, in line with national policies
and following Government Communication Service guidance. Assess the
effectiveness of strategies and use it to inform future work.
Ensure that press statements/submissions and teams’ external communications
materials are produced to the required standard, and tailored to specific
audiences. Adhering to Plain English/Welsh Language Standards guidelines and
the CPS style guide and that all corporate communication materials including
digital are clear, concise and fit for purpose.
Supervisory Responsibility
Depending on the structure/size of the Area the postholder may have line management responsibilities.
In Areas where the postholder has line management responsibilities, they will be directly line managing
employees at B1/A2. This will cover the full range of management including performance management
and annual leave. They will identify and address the development needs of their direct reports to ensure
they acquire relevant knowledge and experience in order to deliver a quality customer focused service to
the department. Provide clear leadership and direction to their team. Along with senior managers they
will be responsible for managing the team through periods of change and ensuring standards of
performance are maintained. Delegated authority to challenge and ensure appropriate spend by all
managers irrespective of grade.
Financial Responsibility
No direct budget responsibility, but will ensure that all communication work represents and delivers good
value for money.
Decision Making Authority
Decisions on handling issues and the deployment of lines to take during the course of direct discussions
with the media. In liaison with line management and other Area staff decisions on communication plans,
determining appropriate internal communication messages and channels decisions required when
undertaking the representational part of the job.
Digital Working
Postholders will work to achieve efficiency through digital working and seek ways to improve working
practices and systems as an individual and the work of the team.
Key Contacts
Internal:
All CPS staff
Chief Crown Prosecutors (CCPs)
Area Business Managers (ABMs)
Head of Business Centre
Unit Heads
Victim Liaison Unit (VLU) staff
Victim Right to Review (VRR) staff
Equality, Diversity and Community Engagement
Mangers
Communication Division
Area Communication Managers (ACMs)
Area/Local Trade Union Representatives
Area Communication Manager
External:
Press Officers in other Government
and non-Government organisations especially
criminal justice partners
Media including broadcast, print and digital
Community/Charity organisations
For Wales only– Welsh Language
Commissioner/Commissioners Office
Public – community, victims and witnesses
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Person Specification (B3)
The CPS Values
Alongside the competencies listed, candidates will be expected to display CPS values which will be
tested at various stages of the process:
We will be independent and fair
• We will prosecute independently, without bias and will seek to deliver justice in every case.
We will be honest and open
• We will explain our decisions, set clear standards about the service the public can expect from us
and be honest if we make a mistake.
We will treat everyone with respect
• We will treat everyone with respect.
We will behave professionally and strive for excellence
• We will behave professionally and strive for excellence.
Skills
Method of
Assessment
Criteria
Application
Managing a Quality
Service
Making Effective
Decisions
• Make effective use of project management skills and
techniques to deliver outcomes, including identifying
risks and mitigating action;
• Work with team to set priorities, goals, objectives
and timescales;
• Develop proposals to improve the quality of service
with involvement from diverse range of staff,
stakeholders or delivery partners
•
•
•
Leading and
Communicating
•
•
•
Delivering at Pace
•
•
•
Area Communication Manager
Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of
evidence/data and draw key conclusions, outlining
costs, benefits, risks and potential responses;
Recognise scope of own authority for decision
making and empower team members to make
decisions;
Invite challenge and where appropriate involve
others in decision making to help build engagement
and present robust recommendations
Continually communicate with staff, helping to clarify
goals and activities and the links between these and
departmental strategy;
Recognise, respect and reward the contributions and
achievements of others;
Communicate using appropriate styles, methods and
timing, including digital channels, to maximise
understanding and impact.
Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes
on time and to standard, giving credit to teams and
individuals as appropriate;
Plan ahead but reassess workloads and priorities if
situations change or people are facing conflicting
demands;
Regularly monitor own and team’s work against
milestones or targets and act promptly to keep work
on track and maintain performance.
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Interview
Assessment
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Skills
Changing and
Improving
•
•
•
Building Capability
for All
•
•
•
Area Communication Manager
Method of
Assessment
Criteria
Finds ways to improve systems and structures to
deliver with more streamlined resources;
Regularly review procedures or systems with teams
to identify improvements and simplify processes and
decision making;
Prepare for and respond appropriately to the range
of possible effects that change may have on own
role/team.
Identify and address team or individual capability
requirements and gaps to deliver current and future
work;
Identify and develop all talented team members to
support succession planning, devoting time to coach,
mentor and Develop others;
Proactively manage own career and identify own
learning needs with line manager, plan and carry out
work-place learning opportunities.
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No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Diversity & Equality
The Crown Prosecution Service has an Equality and Diversity policy which aims to create and
sustain a working environment that is fair to all. Our benefits support this and assist you to
achieve a work/life balance.
Applications are welcomed from all people across all sectors of our diverse communities and
from all backgrounds. Applications are particularly welcomed from those who are currently underrepresented at different levels within the CPS.
The CPS aims to select the best people for its jobs by going beyond compliance with
equalities legislation to establishing best practice.
The Civil Service Commissioners & The Civil Service Code
The Commissioners have two key functions:
The first is to maintain the principle of selection for appointment to the Civil Service on merit on
the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the
Commissioners discharge their responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and
chairing the final selection panel. For more information please see
www.civilservicecommissioners.org
The second is to promote an understanding of the Civil Service Code which sets out the
constitutional framework in which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to
uphold, and to hear and determine appeals made under it. For more information please see
www.civilservice.gov.uk
The CPS adheres fully to the Civil Service Code; and the requirements and best practice
suggested by the Civil Service Commissioners.
Area Communication Manager
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