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General Information

Salary
The national salary range is £36,151 - £37,887, London salary range is £39,315 - £42,928. Your salary will be dependent on your base location
Working Pattern
Full Time, Flexible Working
Vacancy Approach
Cross Government
Location
National
Region
National
Closing Date
26-Sep-2025
Business Unit
Area Directors Office - London Family
Post Type
Permanent
Civil Service Grade
HEO
Number of jobs available
1
Reserve List
12 Months
Job ID
9625

Descriptions & requirements

Job description
Overview of the role

This non-operational role sits within the Health, Safety, Fire and Litigation function, part of the National Service: Health, Safety, Litigation, Estates & Safety Group. The post reports directly to the B8 Deputy Head of the National Litigation Team (NLT) and carries line management responsibilities.

The post holder plays a key role in ensuring the effective management of Judicial Reviews brought against His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). They will manage their own caseload while also overseeing the wider team’s litigation portfolio, ensuring high standards of case handling, compliance with policy and procedures, and robust administrative and financial governance.

Working collaboratively with the Government Legal Department (GLD), prisons, HQ teams, and litigation function, the role supports the delivery of a consistent, high-quality litigation service across HMPPS.

The post holder will also be responsible for producing accurate and timely litigation management information to support performance monitoring and strategic decision-making.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

· Policy and Practice Development: Support the development and consistent application of policies, procedures, and practices relating to Judicial Review casework across HMPPS.
· Service Delivery and Performance: Monitor and support the achievement of performance indicators and standards within the Judicial Review Team, verifying and authorising documentation where appropriate.
· Team Collaboration and Improvement: Attend and contribute to team meetings, sharing good practice and promoting more efficient ways of working across the litigation function.
· Staff Management: Lead and manage staff within the Judicial Review Team, including performance reviews, development planning, and absence management.
· Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the first point of contact for relevant external stakeholders, including legal representatives and operational colleagues.
· Procurement and Financial Authority: Act as requisitioner or approver in line with policy and seek financial approvals in accordance with delegated authority levels.
· Casework Management: Personally manage Judicial Review cases, assessing evidence and legal advice to provide clear instructions to claims handlers and legal representatives. Ensure responses are proportionate, consistent, and aligned with HMPPS priorities.
· Legal Representation: Represent HMPPS at case conferences with Counsel, ensuring the interests of the Ministry of Justice are protected.
· Advisory Support: Provide advice and support to colleagues managing Judicial Reviews, including HMPPS-appointed solicitors and operational managers, to ensure consistency and shared learning.
· High-Risk Case Oversight: Manage a caseload that includes high-risk and occasionally high-profile Judicial Review cases. Provide briefings to senior leaders including Governors, Deputy Directors, and Directors as required.
· Claims Evaluation: Assess claims based on evidence, business risk, cost implications, and expected outcomes, making informed recommendations.
· Policy Advice and Learning: Provide input on policy changes informed by analysis of Judicial Review outcomes. Share learning from cases to promote best practice.
· Legal Liaison: Liaise with HMPPS-appointed legal advisors, offering operational insight and support on prison-related matters relevant to Judicial Reviews.
· Data and Reporting: Analyse caseloads and prepare reports on trends and outcomes. Ensure the approved IT case management system is accurately maintained to support reporting and performance monitoring.
· Business Planning Contribution: Support the delivery of regional and national business plan objectives through active engagement and collaboration.
Please note: The duties and responsibilities outlined above reflect the role as it currently stands and are not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake additional tasks of a similar level.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

· Excellent Communication Skills: Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both in writing and verbally, with a wide range of stakeholders including senior leaders, legal professionals, and operational staff.
· Analytical and Reporting Skills: Strong ability to interpret complex data, produce detailed and accurate reports, and deliver clear, insightful presentations to support decision-making.
· Influencing and Negotiation: Proven ability to negotiate, persuade, and influence senior decision-makers, particularly in high-pressure or sensitive contexts.
· Training and Development: Ability to design, develop, and deliver training sessions to operational staff, promoting understanding of litigation and judicial review processes.

Desirable

· Line Management Experience: Experience in managing staff and teams, including performance management, development planning, and absence management.
· Stakeholder Relationship Management: Experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
· Casework Experience: Familiarity with managing complex casework, ideally within a legal or operational context.
· Litigation Environment Exposure: Experience working within or alongside a litigation or judicial review team, with an understanding of legal processes and service priorities.

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). 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, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

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.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS 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 HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

-You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

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

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service  (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

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 the HMPPS considers to be racist

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.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

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:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

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 9625

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 9625

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.
Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit
500
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates
To Be Confirmed
Behaviours
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
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
DBS Standard