Ministry of Justice

Job Title: Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) Caseworker

Location: Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Field House, 15 Breams Building, London, EC4A 1DZ

Grade: EO

Background:

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice and provides the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. It presently delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and through limited services via the internet. HMCTS’s ambition is to improve the services we deliver to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, design new Courts & Tribunals Service Centres to deliver a national business and enhance our digital on-line services.

Consequently, there are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do, and high performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential.  EO grade staff will need to display a commitment to the following key principles: continuous change, managing uncertainty and improving performance. All those appointed to new roles in HMCTS must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Key Purpose:

To support the Chairman, High Court Judges, Judges of the UTIAC and other chambers in matters of National Security. SIAC is a Superior court of record which deals with appeals related to matters of National Security, the SIAC clerk has responsibility for handling and processing that level of material from the Secretary of State for the Home Department. This job role requires Developed Vetting Security Clearance (DV). This is an excellent opportunity to develop and broaden your skill set and gain a better understanding of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC) and Pathogens Access Appeal Commission (PAAC).

Key Responsibilities:

The cases dealt with are of a sensitive nature and may cover a range of jurisdictions and departments, the successful candidate will be given more details of the role. Staff are responsible for collection, management/storage and appropriate distribution of classified documents to those who need to see them, as well as clerking the courts during “CLOSED” sessions, which are only attended by those identified as being cleared and needing to attend. These sessions must be staffed by someone with the appropriate clearance level. The documents and hearings are classified at this level due to the high risk to National Security, which places a considerable responsibility on staff to ensure any documents are properly secured and accessed only by those with authority.

Operations

• To support the Chairman and High Court Judges of SIAC in delivering their judicial functions.
• To act as a point of contact, manage and process all  OPEN and CLOSED correspondence, telephone and email queries relating to sensitive cases listed at SIAC on behalf of the SIAC Chairman and the SIAC Office.
• Secretariat management and handling of all SIAC’s administrative workload, including complex diary management.
• To liaise with Judiciary and stakeholders regarding the timely listing of cases 
• Professionally and proactively manage and prioritise multiple tasks to facilitate the timely progress of all SIAC/POAC/PAAC appeals/productions.
• Adherence to protocols around restricted material for all government departments.
• Carry out pre-hearing Risk Assessments with security services/ HMPS/ HMCTS Health, Safety & Security.
• Clerk OPEN and Closed hearings and ensure courts are run in accordance with restricted material guidance.
• Liaise with stakeholders to arrange delivery and collections of papers in line with established procedures
• To ensure all records are kept up to date and that sensitive material is returned in a timely manner
• Ensure governance is adhered to and best practice is maintained at all times
• Drafting orders where required.
• Support Judiciary with Legal and Research enquires.
• Liaising with Press Office and responding to press enquires and Freedom of Information requests
• Regular liaison meetings with stakeholders.

Team Leadership     

• Role model HMCTS values and apply policies and procedures.
• Plan, co-ordinate and organise own training and development including annual self-appraisal with Security Services.
• Be responsible for health and safety issues for the immediate working environment. Management of the court security, ensuring all electronic devices are identified, logged and secured away from proceedings.
• Follow the retention and destrutcion protocol for all OPEN and Closed material.
• Working with the judicial office, finance teams, the SIAC Chairman and the Principle Resident Judge to ensure that High Court Judge/judge’s/lay member resources are deployed fairly to meet sitting allocations and strategies to improve performance levels. In addition, dealing with claims for sitting and other costs.
• All EO staff are expected to perform other management roles in addition to their own role.

Processing and Managing Casework       

• Issuing directions to parties to file evidence and other documents including papers for the essential reading list.
• Listing cases
• Ensuring the panel composition is appropriate to the case
• Ensuring interpreter requirements are identified.

Calculations and Analysis

·       Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring more complex problems to a Delivery Manager.

Communicating - with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations

·       Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Working with agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.

• Provide feedback to staff, judiciary and other stakeholders on performance against targets.
• Think beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications of issues.
• Attend and contribute at meetings of relevant User Groups.

Representation       

·       Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level

Accountability

·       Reporting to Delivery manager.

Other Duties:

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Operational Delivery in HMCTS:

This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession. Operational delivery professionals are the outward face of government, providing essential services to the public in a variety of roles. They work in many different departments and agencies across the breadth of the UK, delivering service to customers in

·       Face-to-face roles in HMCTS, for example a court usher

·       Contact Centre roles in HMCTS for example call centre advisers

·       Processing roles in HMCTS for example Staff at the County Courts Money-Claims Centre and Courts and Tribunal Administration

Being part of the operational delivery profession means belonging to a cross-government community of people.  This will offer you access to information on professional standards, skills development and qualifications to help you continue to improve your development and performance and expand your career options.

Essential Skills & Criteria:

It is essential that the candidate has the following skills and experience:

·       Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.

·       An ability to prioritise work and strong organisational skills.

·       The ability to Identify and address team or individual capability requirements and gaps to deliver current and future work.

It is desirable that the candidate has the following skills and experience:

·       Experience of working in a changing environment, managing and leading others through change.

Location: 

Whilst the post holder will be allocated to a specific office base, there may be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc or regular basis at other local HMCTS sites / courts.  Where applicable, associated travel cost / time will be applied in line with organisational policies. 

Further details:

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Skilled Worker Visa:

From 22 July 2025, the Government increased the salary threshold and skills level for Skilled Worker visas. This role does not meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship in accordance with the current immigration rules if you looking to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa for the first time. 

The Department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since before 22 July 2025. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place. 

If you are applying for this role and you do not meet the new eligibility criteria for sponsorship (or the transitional provisions), you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here.