Head of Communications at The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

Placed: 14/06/17
Region: United Kingdom
Category: Jobs


Content of the advertisement:

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (UKSC) is the final Court of Appeal for arguable points of law of general public importance arising from civil cases throughout the United Kingdom; and from criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Court also hears cases to determine issues relating to the legal competence of the devolved administrations, Parliaments and Assemblies.
The UKSC is independent of the Ministry of Justice and of the separate Court Services in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As an administration it is a non-Ministerial department headed by a Chief Executive who is also the Accounting Officer.

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 sets out the statutory framework and defines the responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor, the President of the Court and the Chief Executive. An on-going task for the Court is to ensure that the separate roles of the Judiciary, Executive and Legislature are clear and widely publicly recognised.
The Head of Communications is responsible for promoting public understanding of the Court and its decisions, managing a complete range of external relations activity. The post-holder has responsibility for providing a high-quality media relations function and ensuring our digital presence – both on owned and social media channels – remains up-to-date and engaging. The post-holder also has responsibility for overseeing arrangements for the recording and live-streaming the Court’s proceedings and making footage available to broadcast media.
The Head of Communications has overall responsibility for the UKSC’s front of house reception staff, and its education and outreach work (including the provision of guided tours of the building), and has responsibility for the events held at the Court throughout the year with support from the Events and International Visits Manager. The post-holder also oversees internal channels, including the corporate intranet.
These services are also provided for the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), on which the UKSC Justices also sit. This remains the final court of appeal for 27 small jurisdictions, including British Overseas Territories, Crown dependencies or small independent former or current Commonwealth countries.
1. Advice and Guidance: The post-holder will: be responsible for managing day-to-day contact with journalists and bloggers and for advising on the development of positive relationships with the media and the ownership for risks associated with public reputation for the Justices and the Court; offer advice on the preparation of speeches, lectures and articles to the President, Deputy President, Justices and Chief Executive; be able to present complex legal issues in a simple way while retaining attention to detail; and work with the Justices and Judicial Assistants to produce press summaries of judgments and arrange media briefings as necessary.
2. Policy: The post-holder will: oversee the UKSC’s communications and stakeholder relations strategy to promote and support the strategic direction of the Court and the delivery of its business objectives; lead the Supreme Court’s proactive approach to digital innovation and social media; continue to develop the provision for broadcasting proceedings of the Supreme Court.
The post-holder will work across the organisation, establishing and managing a network of contacts with other courts including international Supreme Courts, Government departments and the devolved administrations. This will include developing working relationships with the Judicial Communications Office for England and Wales and its equivalents for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Ministry of Justice Communications Directorate and others.
3. Management:
The post-holder will: oversee the efficient management of the Supreme Court communications team; ensure the accurate and timely preparation and delivery of press releases, statements and briefings; build on the Court’s reputation for proactive media engagement to maximise awareness of the Supreme Court; further develop the Court’s educational and outreach activities; work alongside the Supreme Court Arts Trust and other stakeholders to develop permanent and temporary exhibitions; oversee the efficient handling of Freedom of Information requests within the statutory framework; and lead a team of six staff comprising a Communications and Outreach Manager, a Website Officer, an Events and International Relations Co-ordinator, and three ‘front of house’ reception staff, who also provide guided tours. In addition, the post holder will sit on the UKSC Management Board.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation: The post-holder will: have overarching responsibility for monitoring traffic trends on the Supreme Court and JCPC websites; ensure that online queries are answered within timescales and that relevant statistical data is kept including the number of visits by members of the public and educational establishments, and monitor media coverage of the Supreme Court and produce a monthly media summary.
5. Professional development: The post-holder will ideally be a communications professional (CIPR or PRCA membership) and will maintain up to date knowledge of communications practices: maintain up to date knowledge on the political and parliamentary processes; keep up to date on the Freedom of Information Act, the Data Protection Act and related legislation; and maintain an understanding of the political landscape within which the Court is operating.

Price / Salary: Starting Salary will be £51,000