17926 - Bailiff - Stratford Housing Centre

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.

As a Bailiff you will play a vital role working on the front line, dealing with people who are at some of the most challenging points of their lives.

About us

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice. We provide support for the legal system across England and Wales, ensuring justice works for everyone.

Our Justice system defends our fundamental rights and freedoms. It is a cornerstone of our modern society. It protects some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, from families in crisis to claimants and commercial businesses. We have a responsibility to deliver a Justice system that is accessible to everyone and operates efficiently.

As part of our recruitment process for this bailiff vacancy, we aim to support candidates by sharing interview questions in advance. If you are selected for interview, you will receive the questions relating to the assessed behaviours when we notify you that you are required to book your interview slot. This will help you prepare and reflect on relevant examples from your experience.

During the interview, the panel will ask follow-up questions to explore your responses in more depth and gain further insight into your skills and experience. Please note that strengths-based questions will not be shared in advance.

Assessed behaviours are:

Making Effective Decisions
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating & Influencing

Your role

If you have excellent customer service skills, prefer working away from an office, enjoy working by yourself or in a small team and like your days to be varied and flexible, then working as a bailiff may be the job for you.

To be a successful Bailiff, you will be an excellent communicator. You need to be able to swiftly assess circumstances, adapt accordingly and be a confident leader in emotionally charged situations. You will be able to plan your days to manage your workload but should be adaptable.

As a Bailiff you will be visiting people in their homes and businesses, you must be able to calmly explain why you are visiting and what options are available to help resolve matters. You must be able to demonstrate empathy for court users, be non-judgmental but focussed on carrying out your role whilst fully respecting the customers that you meet.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a supportive team. Our work is varied and rewarding, attracting people from all backgrounds and walks of life. You will receive full bailiff training which includes training on the Court Management systems and then are further supported with mentoring from an experienced member of staff whilst out in the field.

Not to be confused with private Bailiffs, this role gives you the opportunity to make a difference in HMCTS and develop your career within the Civil Service.

Use of a car with the appropriate business insurance is essential for the role as is a full driving licence entitling you to drive permanently in Great Britain. Following successful completion of your probation period, you will then have the option of continuing to use your own car or applying to join the MOJ lease car scheme (UK driving licence required for a lease car). So a full licence entitling you to drive permanently in Great Britain is essential. Fuel allowances are paid. You will receive full PPE and safety training to give you the knowledge and confidence to conduct your bailiff duties successfully. You should be familiar with using IT and be comfortable with receiving training on the courts case management systems.

Please refer to the role profile attachment for more information.

Further information:

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. Whilst the role is full time only, HMCTS operates a flexible approach to working hours to suit both individual and business needs.

Please note, these roles are based at Stratford Housing Centre, E15 4SB. Due to a system limitation, the location will show as Stratford Magistrates’ Court E15 4SB on the advert; however, the actual work location is Stratford Housing Centre.

Travel to other courts within the London Region may be required on an ad-hoc basis.

Skilled Worker Visa

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules.

From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the Skilled Worker visa route. The department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.

If you are applying for this role and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom. The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.

For further information please see the following link:

Becoming an HMCTS Bailiff: Flexible Hours, Real Support, Real Impact