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HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 6
Directorate: Public Protection Group
Job Description: Casework Team Manager -
MHCS
Document Ref.
HQ JES 1111 Casework Team Manager MHCS v3.0
Document Type
Management
Version
3.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
8 July 2025
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OFFICIAL
HQ JES 1111 Casework Team Manager MHCS v3.0
OFFICIAL
Job Description
Job Title
Casework Team Manager - Mental Health Casework Section
Directorate
Public Protection Group
Band
6
Overview of the
The Mental Health Casework Section (MHCS) is placed within
job
Public Protection Group and Restorative Justice (PPG) of His
Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS). These posts
are based in HQ.
The main function of MHCS is to discharge, via delegated
authority, the Justice Secretary’s functions under the Mental
Health Act 1983. This involves the transfer of prisoners to and
from hospital and the management of other restricted patients
diverted for treatment at the point of sentence who are either
detained in hospital or conditionally discharged to live in the
community under supervision. MHCS takes decisions on recall,
community leave, transfer and provides advice to clinicians on
the management of restricted patients.
Summary
The job holder will manage resources and the workflow across
MHCS ensuring that all work streams are appropriately resourced,
that caseworkers are deployed to the most critical areas of work
and that the section’s KPIs are met.
The job holder will work collaboratively and proactively with their
peers to achieve this, using performance data and forecasting to
make the most of the resources available.
They will be expected to identify deficiencies in performance and
process and address them swiftly and effectively, escalating to
senior managers when appropriate.
The job holder will also be responsible for managing the quality
and quantity of the work produced across the section, leading on
the delivery of quality assurance (QA) for the outputs of
caseworkers across the section and reporting into a central
forum regularly.
This is a non-operational HQ role with line management
responsibilities.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Responsible for allocation of cases to team members,
ensuring work is distributed fairly and prioritised appropriately
• Ensure the MHCS database (PPUD) is accurately updated by
team members and milestones are completed. Working with
MHCS colleagues to ensure that IT systems meet the needs
of the team and are developed where required
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HQ JES 1111 Casework Team Manager MHCS v3.0
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• Quality assuring the work of the team and ensuring that it is
completed within target, reviewing and monitoring caseloads,
identifying pressure points, finding ways to manage the
pressures and ensuring decisions made are defensible and
proportionate, whilst also developing output benchmarks.
Providing assurances and statistics to SMT on the
performance and quality of the business outputs of the team.
Investigating causes of failures to meet targets within their
teams and proposing solutions, as well as keeping processes
under review and identifying efficiencies and improvements
• Providing leadership and direction to caseworkers and case
managers involved in the wider casework responsibilities,
including offering technical and legal advice and guidance on
complex cases and decisions on the advice surgery
• Attendance and active participation in weekly and monthly
resource planning meetings to support the sections key
objectives and deliverables. This will include attending Senior
Management Team meetings where required and
contributing to SMT discussions on work across the section
and feeding back to staff. Attendance and active participation
in the daily work allocation “huddles" and other required
meetings
• Ensuring line management responsibilities, including regular
performance management conversations and attendance
processes are properly managed in line with current
processes and procedures ensuring consistency in practice
across the teams
• Responsible for compiling first draft replies to ministerial
correspondence and replies to letters before action and treat
officials when required to do so
• Work with senior managers to develop policy, standards and
frameworks when required to do so and implementing new
processes and providing new guidance and training on the
new processes where relevant
• Building and sustaining relationships with other agencies and
stakeholders and liaising on a regular basis, with clinicians,
NHS colleagues, Legal Advisors, probation services, and
senior officials
• Overseeing and/or direct communications with victims of
crime
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder
is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks
of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder.
OFFICIAL
HQ JES 1111 Casework Team Manager MHCS v3.0
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Civil Service Success Profile Criteria
Behaviours
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating & Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
Strengths
Note: we recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally - select
from the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the intranet.
Copy and paste the names of your chosen strengths below.
Experience
• Managing a busy operational service delivery and balancing
resources to meet demand
• The job holder is expected to have strong generic casework
skills and good leadership and management skills
• An ability to manage a high volume of work in an organised
manner will be key
• Given that they will often be required to engage with key
internal and external stakeholders they will need to have an
excellent knowledge of the work of HMPPS more broadly and
be able to build effective professional relationships
Technical
• IT Skills, including excel and Microsoft 366
Requirements
Ability
Minimum
Please do not alter this box.
Eligibility
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they
have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a
group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour working week
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
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HQ JES 1111 Casework Team Manager MHCS v3.0