Legal Services

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Position: Tier 3 Legal Team Manager  

Directorate: HMCTS

Location: National

Band: Grade 7

Salary: National salary scale starting at £51,767, London salary starting £55,720

Contract Type: Permanent

Reserve List: Yes (12 months)

Overview

Why we exist

Magistrates’ Courts deal with approximately 95% of criminal cases, 70% of civil cases, and 60% of family cases. Dealing with cases justly and speedily, and in ways that meet the needs of our court users, is at the heart of what we do.

The role of a Legal Adviser is pivotal to the smooth running of the court.

As a Legal Adviser to magistrates, you are responsible for ensuring that those attending court, whether as defendant, victim or witness are treated with humanity and respect. Good legal knowledge and the ability to communicate that clearly to magistrates and court users is vital to the courts ability to deal with cases justly. Success in the role will enable you to make a positive difference to your community and your society.

We are here to ensure everyone in need of our courts and tribunals receives a service that suits their needs.

What are we doing?

We are completing a £1bn, six-year Reform Programme to completely change what we do and make our services better for the society we serve. The Reform Programme is one of the most ambitious of its kind in the world.

How are we going to fulfil our vision?

Every year, millions of people seek justice in our courts and tribunals.

We are focused on radically improving the customer’s experience by:

•    Employing digital technology to enable access to justice by enabling victims and witnesses to give evidence in a less intimidating way via video link
•    Enabling self-service, where appropriate, to ensure people can get fast and easy access to simple judicial services
•    Streamlining processes so we can reinvest in improvements that benefit our customers
•    Progressing cases efficiently and effectively through the court by maximising the use of new digital processes.

As a Tier 3 Legal Adviser, you will be at the forefront of delivering this improved service and experience to our customers both in and outside the court room.
 
Job Description

The key purpose of the role

The purpose of the role is to represent the Head of Legal Operations as Legal Adviser to the Magistrates and District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) in accordance with legislation and the Criminal and Family Practice Directions.

To enable a Legal Adviser to progress to Tier 3, all of the requirements to satisfy the roles, responsibilities and competences for a fully competent Tier 2 Legal Adviser must have been met and continue to be met.

To function as a Tier 3 Legal Adviser, the role holder is required to undertake the additional responsibilities as set out in the Legal Adviser Career Structure and to achieve and maintain competence in this (or these) practice areas.

The Tier 3 Legal Team Manager post covers a range of different functions and those appointed to the role can be expected to undertake any of those functions, including the provision for a level of specialisation.

The roles and responsibilities for a Tier 3 Legal Adviser should contribute and impact on the work of the courts across their assigned cluster or region as directed by the Head of Legal Operations and/or Senior Legal Manager, and not just be limited to their local court. To achieve this, a Tier 3 Legal Adviser will demonstrate leadership within HMCTS and in the relationship with the Magistracy, the Judiciary and partner organisations. A tier 3 Legal Adviser would be expected to demonstrate effective team working with colleagues through-out HMCTS (including colleagues working in other jurisdictions/disciplines) and particularly with Operations and Delivery Managers.

A Tier 3 Legal Adviser will, in conjunction with the Head of Legal Operations and Tier 4 Senior Legal Manager provide support to Bench and Panel Chairs in their advice and support capacity.

Technical

To be eligible for this post candidates must be an experienced T2 Legal Adviser in England & Wales.

•    For Applicants applying for a specialist Tier 3 Role such as the following, additional eligibility requirements apply:

•    For the role of Family Legal Team Manager, experience of taking Family Courts at tier 2 level is required.

•    For the role of Advisory and Training Senior Legal Manager, a relevant training qualification such as a NVQ Level 3 Certificate in Training Practice or HMCTS Judicial College Training, CTP must have been completed. 

The key objectives of the role are contained within the Legal Adviser Competence Framework.

In addition to the Tier 2 main activities, with the exception of the specialist Advisory and Training roles, Tier 3 Legal Advisers are required to undertake the following roles and key responsibilities plus expected legal specialism:

People Management – Managing a Legal Team (including a specialist family team, or across another legal jurisdiction e.g. tribunals) and bench/panel support

A Tier 3 Legal Adviser who is appointed into the management stream, will have day to day management responsibility of a team of legal advisers.

Key responsibilities include:

•    First line management responsibility for managing a legal team
•    Full responsibility for the professional development of the members of their legal team to include pro-active management of the Legal Adviser Career Structure in the context of the wider organisation and across various legal jurisdictions
•    Carrying out individual performance reviews and agree with each team member work responsibilities and performance objectives
•    The responsibility to motivate and manage the on-going performance of the team in accordance with MoJ and HMCTS policies and procedures
•    Ensuring that regular team information meetings are held
•    Ensuring that continuous improvement activity is undertaken by each team member to resolve issues and improve processes
•    Pro-actively manage sickness, grievance and disciplinary issues in accordance with MoJ and HMCTS policies and procedures
•    Working with other managers to ensure the achievement of business and performance objectives
•    Working with court users to ensure effective service delivery
•    Responsibility for appropriate panel and bench support including deputising for the Tier 4 Senior Legal Manager

Those managing a specialist family team would be expected to develop and maintain an effective working relationship with the Designated Family Judge, supporting the development of the Family Jurisdiction.
Customer service and standards:

•    Promotes user focussed activity and standards – has strong written and interpersonal skills utilising principles of Human Voice of Justice
•    Contributes to SOC, SAF – leads on maintaining standards of service and identifies areas for improvement – takes forward solutions using ‘continuous improvement’ techniques.
•    Management of complaints and services failures, and competent in use of OPTIC.

And /Or

Education and Training Stream

Tier 3 Legal Advisers assigned to this stream of the Legal Adviser Career Structure will be regularly involved with Training.

It is likely that a Tier 3 Legal Adviser in this stream will have progressed within the education and training route from Tiers 1 and 2 and will have extensive experience of working within the training arena. This previous experience and training will have equipped them to take on the responsibility for training delivery and a training management position.

A Tier 3 assigned to this area will have a high level of involvement with the outputs from JTAAAC meetings and will work closely with the Head of Legal Operations and/or the Tier 4 Senior Legal Manager assigned to Training in assisting with the development of Learning and Development Plans for the Region.

The key responsibilities will include:

•    Working with a team of trainers and allocating them to relevant training events
•    Working with line managers to release trainers to deliver training 
•    Evaluating the effectiveness of training interventions
•    Developing links with other stakeholder learning and development personnel
•    Working with JTAAACs to identify training needs for Magistrates
•    Providing reports for the Judicial College ‘s Training Committee
•    Programme planning for magistrates and staff training
•    Managing the ongoing training development for Trainee Legal Advisers and Legal Advisers in Training to ensure their training needs are being met including those undertaking training contracts with the Law Society.

Additional Tier 3 practice areas:

•    Regional/Area Expert
•    Regional/Area Committee Responsibility
•    Managing a Family Legal team
•    Regional/Area Programme Management
•    Education, Training Learning and Development Management for magistrates and legal advisers
•    Business Support and Performance/Project Management
•    Supporting Advisory Committees (recruitment and conduct)

Knowledge and Skills

Additional skills required to meet the requirements of the Tier 3 practice areas include:

•    Knowledge and skills relevant to the role-holders specialist expertise in legal practice area l
•    Knowledge of rules and procedures relating to committees and panels
•    The ability to manage a legal team
•    The ability to lead and motivate others during periods of change
•    The ability to manage a designated project using project management procedures
•    The ability to manage a local/regional Training Programme
•    Time management
•    Leadership skills and role modelling behaviour
•    The capability to work across different legal jurisdictions in HMCTS
•    Mentoring and Coaching

Decision-Making

The ability to advise on and make objective and impartial decisions is an important part of the role. Sometimes those decisions will involve complex issues and competing interests and you will be required to not only be able to make sound decisions but also give clear reasons for any decision.

When not in court, the Tier 3 will be required to make administrative decisions relating to the progression of cases swiftly and effectively through the court process. This includes having oversight of the court rota and listing patterns to ensure the best use of court time coupled with the available resources of the judiciary and legal team.

Management Decisions

These will include decisions related to managing the legal team such as recruitment, selection, discipline, grievance and other areas covered by key HR policies that require decision making by anybody responsible for others.

The HMCTS Success Profile for a Tier 3 Legal Team Manager Role includes a number of Civil Service Behaviours:

Changing and Improving

You are always seeking to innovate and drive improvement and you encourage others to do the same, creating a culture of continuous improvement. You embrace and drive change whilst being mindful of the wider risks and implications that need to be considered. You monitor and review all change initiatives, making adjustments where required.

Communicating and Influencing

You communicate clearly and concisely, listening to others and adapting your style to suit the audience. You have excellent facilitation and presentation skills and challenge others in a constructive and confident manner. You keep others informed at all times and easily develop mutual trust and respect.

Delivering at Pace

You take personal responsibility for ensuring you and your team produce high quality work, showing excellent organisation and time management skills. You work effectively under pressure and show resilience in challenging situations. You are flexible and quickly adapt to unexpected events, delegating effectively to ensure work is completed on time and to a high standard.

Developing Self and others

You identify both individual and team development areas and empower others to take ownership for their development, whilst also providing the necessary support, encouragement and feedback. You show empathy for others’ development journeys yet can confidently manage poor performance when required.

Leadership

You are a confident and inclusive leader who leads by example and acts as a role model for others. You communicate the strategy to your team, setting clear individual and team targets. You create a strong performance culture and inspire others to deliver the vision.

Making Effective Decisions

You make confident, timely and fair decisions. You are aware of the bigger picture when making decisions, analysing business needs and considering the impacts on the full range of stakeholders. You provide a clear rational for the decisions you make, ensuring you gain others’ buy-in and support.

Strengths

(As part of the Success Profile Framework, strengths applicable to the role will be assessed at interview).

Ability
 
1)    Legal Knowledge and Skills – you maintain relevant and up-to-date legal knowledge and skills (e.g. you have an enthusiasm for the law and conduct regular legal research; you show highly effective legal reasoning skills and an understanding of the sources of law).

2)    IT Skills – you are confident and competent in the use of Information Technology (e.g. you have experience using Word, Excel, Outlook, Skype, PowerPoint, OneNote, legal research applications etc).

3)    Verbal and Written English Skills – you have a high level of verbal and written English, including presentation/briefing skills and the ability to write reports and formal responses.

Training

HMCTS provides a twelve-month Legal Team Management Development Programme for new Tier 3 Legal Team Managers which covers a wide range of areas to provide a breadth of knowledge and skill.

Understanding of the work of other managers within HMCTS is essential for Legal Team Managers and where possible opportunities will be provided for job shadowing, project work or secondments to increase exposure to the variety of roles within HMCTS.

It is expected that a legal adviser appointed to a Tier 3 role will be competent within 12 months of appointment.

Career Development

Within Role

The Tier 3 Legal Team Manager post covers a range of different functions and those appointed to the role can be expected to undertake any of those functions. Whilst individuals may be assigned to a role which favours a particular area of work there may be opportunities to develop skills in other areas either through discrete projects or through temporary assignment to a different role.

Promotion

Permanent promotion beyond Tier 3 will be to roles offered under open competition. Career progression to Tier 4 will depend upon the ongoing performance of the role holder and business need. It is not expected that a Tier 3 Legal Adviser will be able to demonstrate competence in both Youth and Family courts, in addition to competence in Adult Courts before securing appointment to a Tier 4 post unless the role is advertised as a specialist post e.g. Family Tier 4 post.

Secondments/Transfers/Work   Shadowing

Opportunities may arise for the Tier 3 Legal Team Manager to gain more experience and contribute to MoJ through secondment, transfer and work shadowing experiences.

Judicial  Appointment

A Tier 3 Legal Adviser has the opportunity to apply for and be considered for Judicial Appointment. HMCTS is supportive of such applications and a number of legal advisers within HMCTS sit as fee paid judiciary in tribunals, county courts and magistrates’ courts.

Learning & Development Opportunities

There are a range of learning opportunities available to support progression which are contained in the “HMCTS Legal Advisers’ Learning and Development Compendium”.

Base

A successful candidate will be offered a post at a base court house. However, there are requirements to travel to different locations across business areas, within reasonable distance and travel time on a non-permanent basis.

This job description is a guide to the principal current duties of the post. It is not an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the post and the postholder may be required to undertake any other duties from time that are commensurate with the seniority and nature of the post.

Salary

£54,358 - £61,585

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.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

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.

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 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

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. 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 SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.