OFFICIAL
AO Customer Service Advisor - Version 2 March 2026|
Job Title & Grade: |
Customer Service Advisor - AO |
Contract Type: |
Permanent |
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Salary range (depending on location): |
National - £25,582
Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location. |
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Location: |
Birmingham |
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Directorate: |
Case Management |
Team: |
Customer Service Team |
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Working Pattern: |
The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely (as part of hybrid working), part time or as part of a job share etc.
If you are applying for a part time role, please note that in order to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 28 hours and to cover 4 days of the week, your working days must include Monday and Friday.
To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training. |
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Reporting to: |
Team Supervisor |
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Closing date for applications: |
8th April 2026 |
We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.
Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.
If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.
The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.
The Case Management team is central to the Agency. It is responsible for handling legal aid applications, processing case payments and dealing with correspondence and enquiries received in both Civil and Criminal Legal aid matters. Our dedicated staff ensure that 600,000 new clients access justice each year, while ensuring that legal aid lawyers are paid fairly.
We listen and engage with all staff in case management, ensuring we always value the ‘caseworker voice’ and that this is represented when delivering change. We support all staff in our work, recognising success and promoting a positive and healthy work-life balance.
We have a culture where new ideas are encouraged and appreciated.
To provide exceptional levels of customer service by answering incoming calls, dealing with queries and providing first time resolution. They will be expected to seek to continuously improve customer knowledge and internal processes to reduce failure demand.
Key Responsibilities:
Receive inbound calls from providers of legal aid, members of the public and other customers with regards to Legal Aid - establish a high-quality working relationship with a variety of customers and take personal ownership of problems, ensuring successful resolution.
Provide customer advice and support over the telephone, by email or in written form. Moreover, be responsible for maintaining and improving customer satisfaction.
Work to reduce the number of incoming calls by educating providers regarding their submissions.
Document all calls accurately using appropriate methods. Apply standards consistently in order to meet personal productivity and quality targets.
Communicate clearly and effectively with all callers.
Work cooperatively and flexibly to ensure adequate staffing of customer service telephone lines at all times.
Recognise and manage assertive customer calls, referring to a Senior Customer Services Advisor where necessary.
Organise and prioritise own workload including length of call handling.
Ensure colleagues working in all areas of the organisation are kept informed of feedback from customers, actively promoting continuous improvement.
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Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills |
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Person Specification |
No prior experience is required, as full training will be provided. However, we are looking for someone who:
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Application Process |
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To apply please provide a statement of suitability in no more than 750 words. We require you to provide three paragraphs of 250 words each to address the following 3 requirements from the Essential Criteria separately:
Your individual paragraphs should demonstrate your ability to achieve these essential criteria, using examples can help strengthen your application.
Please note we do not require a CV, and we only require a Statement of Suitability for your application. The wording on this advert may suggest that an Experience question is also required, however this is not necessary. |
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Interview / assessment Process |
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If you are successful through the application stage, you will be asked an experience question based on the essential skills and experience required of an administration officer and 3 strength-based questions.
You will also be asked to undertake a written exercise that will test your ability to communicate effectively. Further details will be provided during the interview. |
Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 13th April 2026
Interviews are planned for week commencing 11th May 2026
If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact - Dawn Carnighan, DAWN.Carnighan@Justice.gov.uk Sonia Ricketts, Sonia.Ricketts@justice.gov.uk
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As part of our commitment to integrity and transparency, we ask all applicants to ensure that the experiences, achievements, and examples shared in your application are entirely your own.
Please do not use AI tools to fabricate or simulate personal experiences. While AI can assist with formatting and grammar, it must not be used to generate stories, skills, or accomplishments that you have not personally lived or earned.
If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, we will forward your complaint to the Civil Service Commission, an independent body, for review.
OFFICIAL