A look at the Administration Office in FSI with Clerical Officer – Tara

A look at the Administration Office in FSI with Clerical Officer Tara

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Please tell us about your role.

The Clerical Officer (CO) role in admin is very varied and interesting. We work with the Laboratory Information management system (LIMS) recording all correspondence received by email from our stakeholders which include An Garda Síochána, Customs and other state agencies. We triage the different emails and phone calls received and prioritise accordingly. We are responsible for the transmission of case reports to the different divisions in An Garda Síochána. We are responsible for the management of the Central Filing System (CFS), this includes file retrieval for our scientists which has to be done efficiently as these could be needed for urgent court appearances. We are the first point of contact via email and telephone so our office work on a rota system ensuring there is cover from 9am to 5pm.

What were your reasons for applying for your role?

The location of the Backweston Laboratory Campus is perfect for my commute as I avoid a lot of rush hour traffic making for a less stressful start to the day. The campus has beautiful walkways and onsite catering facility. It is a lovely environment to work in. It is also very rewarding to be part of a fast paced office that supports the justice system in convicting the criminals or exonerating the innocent.

What do you value most about your job?

I value that I am part of a team that strive to meet goals and give administrative support to our colleagues. Our main goal is to issue all relevant reports in a timely manner in order to bring criminal cases through the court system.

What are some of the benefits and supports available to you?

The support from my colleagues is second to none as we can come across some upsetting information in our line of work so to have that support is very important. We also have access to the Civil Service Employee Assistance Services (CSEAS).
Flexible working hours are a welcomed benefit as it allows for a good work-life balance. We also have the opportunity to upskill via the One Learning Courses available to us. There are great opportunities for career progression in the civil service.

What opportunities has this role provided for you?

My role has allowed me to be part of a fantastic team of people who are knowledgeable and passionate about the justice system. I had the opportunity to attend the Scene of Crime training which hugely benefitted my working day
as I came away with more insight of how exhibits were handled and processed. This gave me the knowledge to better triage our calls from the scenes of crimes officers.

What aspect of the role do you particularly enjoy?

I enjoy the variety of my role as CO in the admin office. I work with a fantastic team who make the working day so much easier. We support and assist each other with the various duties daily. I also enjoy the job satisfaction that working with FSI gives. To know we have played a part in the successful outcome of a criminal case is very rewarding.