Parliamentary Reporter

Location

Westminster, Greater London | United Kingdom

Job description

House of Commons

The House of Commons a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system.

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

Introduction

Are you the accurate type, with a love of language-the different ways people speak, and the written word?

Our team is called the Official Report-also known as Hansard-because we produce the authoritative written record of everything that is said in the House of Commons and its committees. We are looking for five people to join us as new Parliamentary Reporters.

The Role

As a Parliamentary Reporter, you'll transcribe what MPs say in the Westminster Hall chamber and legislative committees, as well as evidence given by expert witnesses to select committees. But it isn't simply a case of transcription. We specialise in a kind of translation-from spoken to written English. Our reports are substantially verbatim, not word for word. That means you'll use your judgment to turn the spoken word into clear written English.

We report subjects of interest to everyone across the country-from county lines to climate change, from AI to A&E-so we need a diverse group of people with a wide variety of experience, expertise and interests. We'd like to hear from you, whether you've never thought of a job in Parliament or you've wanted to work here all your life.

Don't worry if you're not confident in your knowledge of politics or Parliament right now. We pride ourselves on providing Parliamentary Reporters with high quality, on-the-job training in what we do and how Parliament works. Your career with us starts with a training course that leads to a professional qualification accredited by City, University of London, followed by comprehensive on-the-job learning.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Using a digital audio recording and notes taken by a colleague, complete accurate reports of five or 10 minutes of debate within strict deadlines to meet Hansard's production targets (using a typing speed of 60 words per minute, which we will help you to reach by the end of your training period)
• Attend debates in the Westminster Hall Chamber to take clear and accurate notes of what happens, for yourself and colleagues, and to obtain speaking notes and information from MPs and Ministers' officials
• Follow Hansard guidance on in-house reporting style and parliamentary procedure
• Check the accuracy of all spellings, names and quotations
• Work with other parliamentary reporters and sub-editors to ensure that reports are accurate and consistent

You can find out more about the job on our blog, at

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• The ability to understand complex arguments and report them clearly, and to develop a good understanding of politics and Parliament.
• Strong English language skills, including impeccable spelling and an understanding of sentence structure and grammar.
• The ability to work quickly, independently and flexibly when under pressure, and to meet defined deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills, and an ability to work effectively with people from different backgrounds as part of a diverse team.
• Proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite, and an ability to become proficient quickly in the use of new software systems.

Why Join?

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

• 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year).
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• Access to training and development.
• Flexible working.
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description.

Alongside the application form, you will need to complete and submit the attached Proofreading Test. This should be uploaded alongside your application via the recruitment portal.

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Job tags

Salary