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General Information

Salary
£34,140 - £37,105
Working Pattern
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
Birmingham
Region
West Midlands
Closing Date
25-Apr-2025
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
4901

Descriptions & requirements

Job description
Case Management

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for making sure legal aid services from solicitors, barristers and the not-for-profit sector are available to the general public. Our work to administer legal aid is essential to the fair, efficient and effective operation of the criminal justice systems and we work closely with legal providers and the wider Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to achieve our purpose. This commitment is at the heart of our day-to-day decision making and our work to improve legal aid services. The engagement and commitment of our staff is crucial to achieving our purpose. Together we show openness, honesty and commitment, and, of course, to deliver results. 

The Case Management department is the delivery function of the Legal Aid Agency and our staff ensure that each year 600,000 new clients are able to access the justice they require, and that their providers are fairly remunerated for the delivery of the legal aid. With over 800 staff based across 11 sites we deliver services for those facing both criminal and civil legal problems.

Crime case management is responsible for the processing applications and claims for costs for legal aid and their associated items of work.  

Job Summary

The role will principally be to effectively lead a team to meet Key Performance Indicators, analysing performance statistics and developing team members to ensure an effectively engaged team on a daily basis.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Planning of internal resources to ensure all business targets are met, including individual quality and productivity targets, collating, and analysing data to inform decisions, escalating issues as they emerge and helping to find effective solutions.
  • Analysis of financial and performance management data to identify key issues and ensure appropriate action is taken to address areas of concern.
  • Setting and communicating a clear direction for the team in relation to the Agency’s aims, objectives, purpose, and vision to ensure understanding and engagement in the vision.
  • Supporting the internal transformation programme ensuring that teams are aware of proposed changes that affect them and feel supported throughout the process.
  • Ensuring performance meetings are held in line with the MoJ process and conversations are meaningful for both individuals and the LAA, providing constructive and honest feedback on performance.
  • Setting SMART targets and objectives for the direct reports in the team and for self to ensure effective performance management can take place.
  • Undertake succession planning for the team recognising the potential in team members and encouraging them to achieve their potential including conducting 1-2-1 meetings, touch point meetings, absence reviews, mentoring, coaching, setting objectives and developing training plans.
  • Ensuring that internal processes are fit for purpose and making recommendations for improvement, showing and awareness of risks inherent in internal processes, including Health and Safety and Information Awareness. Ensure risks are logged, relevant managers made aware and appropriate action taken.
  • Take responsibility for the effective management of poor performance and absence issues on the team from both a team and individual perspective, understanding and addressing any issues as they arise in line with MoJ policies and procedures.
  • Take a leading role in the recruitment and selection of staff locally ensuring campaigns are run in line with MoJ Recruitment guidelines.
  • Encourage, handle, and respond to feedback from staff, customers, partners, and suppliers to develop and improve services.
  • Ensure actions are completed against team action plans arising out of the annual People Survey and engage team in actions.
  • Promote equality & diversity, treating everyone fairly and actively, encouraging ideas and contributions from all members of your team and across the case management teams.
  • Communicate effectively with people from across the business to foster effective and productive working relationships with all stakeholders.
  • Support team engagement and communication, delivering team briefings and cascading messages. Take a leading role in team meetings, encouraging the sharing of views, ideas, and solutions.
Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills
  • Comprehensive knowledge of the Crime Application workstreams and processes. 
  • Experience of working within an operational environment and setting SMART objectives
  • Experience of observing behaviours and performance and giving constructive feedback
  • Effective communication skills both written and verbal.
  • Established problem-solving skills to achieve positive outcomes.
  • Experience of supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace
Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills
  • Experience of developing others 
  • IT Literate – a good knowledge of Microsoft office
  • Health & Safety Awareness
Person Specification
  • This role is suitable for someone who enjoys working in a leadership role in a fast-paced operational background
Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more that 1000 words. 

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all of the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

Please note we do not require a CV.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against strengths and experience required by the role and some or all of the following behaviours:

Leadership
  • ensure colleagues and stakeholders have a clear understanding of objectives, activities and timeframes
  • take into account different individual needs, views, and ideas, championing inclusion and equality of opportunity for all
  • consider the impacts of own and team’s activities on stakeholders and end users
  • role-model commitment and satisfaction with role
  • recognise and praise the achievements of others to drive positivity within the team
  • effectively manage conflict, misconduct and non-inclusive behaviour, raising with senior managers where appropriate
Making Effective Decisions
  • understand your own level of responsibility and empower others to make decisions where appropriate
  • analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions
  • invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making
  • display confidence when making difficult decisions, even if they prove to be unpopular
  • consult with others to ensure the potential impacts on end users have been considered
  • present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks
Delivering at Pace
  • show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities
  • promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation
  • ensure the most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively
  • regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks
  • act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance
  • allow individuals the space and authority to meet objectives, providing additional support where necessary, whilst keeping overall responsibility
Developing Self & Others
  • identify capability gaps for yourself and your team
  • ensure development objectives are set and achieved to address any gaps and enable delivery of current and future work
  • take time to coach, mentor and develop other colleagues to support succession planning
  • promote inclusiveness by respecting different personal needs in the team and use these to develop others
  • reflect on your own work, continuously seek and act on feedback to improve own and team’s performance
Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important to them, their team and to where they work. We would also expect examples of action they have taken (in or outside of work) to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding) or improve inclusion at a team or group level.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 5th May 2025

Interviews are planned for week commencing 26th May 2025

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact – Nadeem, Safina | She/Hers Safina.Nadeem@justice.gov.uk
Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale.  This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity). 

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours 

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits 

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension 

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks 

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

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.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference: 4901

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference: 4901

Application form stage assessments

Experience
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Experience Questions, Statement of Suitability
Experience Questions Application Form Question Word Limit
250
Evidence of Experience
Experience Questions, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
Expected: Interviews are planned for week commencing 26th May 2025
Behaviours
Leadership
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Developing Self and Others
Experience
Your Experience for this role will be assessed at interview. To learn more about Experience and how they are assessed please click here.
We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods
Experience Questions
Strengths
Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Level of security checks required
Baseline Personnal Security Standard (BPSS)