Deputy Registrar - 22.5 hours per week

Job Introduction

Role Purpose

To deliver a registration service which ensures that all births, deaths, still births, marriages, citizenship ceremonies and civil partnerships within BCP are registered in accordance with statute and non-statutory ceremonies such as naming, renewal of vows and other celebratory ceremonies are carried out in a professional manner. 

Main Responsibilities

• Responsible for carrying out the duties as a Registrar in accordance with the guidance given in the Registrar General’s handbook for registration officers (England and Wales) while delivering a high standard of customer service and acting in a professional and empathetic manner.
• Register births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and assist with citizenship and other celebratory ceremonies within BCP in accordance with defined procedures to deliver a statutory registration service. Including interviewing the public to ensure accurate statutory information is collected and recorded with any anomalies dealt with.
• Assisting the Principal Registrar and the Superintendent Registrar/Additional Superintendent Registrar with registration administration including inquests, burials or cremations and removal of bodies out of the country paperwork. 
• Ensure safe transfer of unused certificates, counterfoils, monies collected and other stock item to the Superintendent Registrar/Additional Superintendent Registrar and Principal Registrar
• Liaise with a variety of stakeholders including, funeral directors, hospitals, doctors, coroner’s officers and other government departments.
• Deputise for the Superintendent Registrar/Additional Superintendent Registrar and Principal Registrar as and when required
• Undertake preliminary questioning and registration of marriages and civil partnerships to ensure that any discrepancies are addressed appropriately, and the necessary administration of notices is performed in line with statutory requirements.
• Officiate marriage and civil partnership ceremonies, performing the legal duties of a Registrar of Marriages so that ceremonies are delivered in accordance with statutory requirements and the couple’s wishes. Responsible for the preparation and conducting of non-statutory ceremonies such as naming, renewal of vows and any other ceremonies which may be requested. Search the computerised and manual indices of birth, death, marriage and civil partnership in order to prepare certified copies of historic records neatly and correctly as required.

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience of delivering registration services and ceremonies.
• Knowledge of the work practices, processes and procedures relevant to registration services.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and statutory requirements.
• Ability to communicate in a polite and courteous manner, using empathy and deal sensitively with people in stressful and emotional circumstances.
• Ability to manage own workload.
• Ability to work with a high degree of accuracy
• Meticulous documentation and handwriting skills 

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people.  Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline.  We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services.  By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package for further details see here

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We have been in a process of collective bargaining since 2019 and have positively worked forward to reach an agreed position with the unions for the new contractual offer. This has taken longer than we hoped and therefore we are having to consider all alternative avenues available to enable us to remove inequality in the organisation as a result of bringing together 3 councils. 

We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation, and all colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. We want to reassure everyone that whichever route is taken to reach the new terms and conditions, we can honour continuous service and there will not be any job reduction as a result of the implementation of Pay and Reward.  If you have any questions at all about this process, please feel free to raise this with the hiring manager.

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment.  Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.