27570 - Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Caseworker

£26,161 - £33,601
2
12 Months
South East
High Wycombe
WYCOMBE MAGISTRATES HIGH WYCOMBE, HP11 1LR
HEO
C
Fixed Term
Up to 12 months
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
Operational Delivery

Desirable experience - Law degree or equivalent technical experience. The equivalent technical experience has been defined as the demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision.

The role will be based in High Wycombe Magistrate’s Court, although working from other regional locations may be expected. National travel will be an occasional requirement.

Background:

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and provides the supporting administration for the Judiciary across England and Wales. It delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and some digital services online.

The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it delivers services focused on user needs, in the most cost effective way. There are high expectations of all staff, whatever role they have in enhancing the organisation and the services it delivers.

HMCTS has a once in a generation opportunity to transform the entire Courts and Tribunals Service through the HMCTS Reform Programme, with funding confirmed in the 2015 spending review. The programme will enhance the provision of a world-class justice system, in a manner that provides an improved user experience at reduced cost to the taxpayer. This will contribute to consolidating the UK’s position at the forefront of an increasingly competitive international legal market as well as ensuring access to justice for all.

The programme includes creating high quality digital services, modernising the court estate, updating and replacing its technology, speeding up and streamlining working practices, refurbishing buildings to reduce maintenance costs and provide much improved services for service users, especially vulnerable witnesses and victims.

An effective courts and tribunals service is fundamental to our democracy, underpinning the rule of law. This is an opportunity to work in a role that will support and enable a major digital transformation programme, designed not just to give our courts and tribunals a sustainable and affordable future, but improve how we deliver justice.

Role overview:

The Tribunals Caseworker role has been developed as part of the HMCTS Reform Programme and builds upon the existing model of delegation of judicial functions to provide further support to the judiciary in the effective administration of justice. Tribunals Caseworkers will be able to undertake certain delegated judicial functions that have been agreed as appropriate by the judiciary in each tribunal jurisdiction within scope of the Delegated Functions project, namely:

  • Social Security and Child Support
  • Immigration & Asylum
  • Tax
  • Criminal Injuries
  • Mental Health

In developing a new HMCTS Tribunals Caseworker role, the project aims to reduce the volume of time the tribunal judiciary spend undertaking straightforward and routine judicial case management tasks. This will enable judges to spend more time in hearing rooms and taking more complex case management decisions, thus improving the functioning and efficiency of the tribunals and focussing on user needs in a more cost effective way.

 

Key responsibilities:

Working closely with judiciary, legal professionals and tribunal administration teams, the tribunal caseworker will undertake initial assessments on a range of incoming tribunals work, including case files, applications and correspondence in order to establish the level of authority and expertise needed to address the case and determine the most effective route for case progression. Working to delegated judicial functions and working to directions from the judiciary, the Tribunal Caseworker will provide ongoing and proactive management of caseloads, identifying any barriers or risks to effective case progression and developing interventions or actions to resolve these, liaising with a range of key stakeholders and the public.

The caseworker will be expected to evidence a strong understanding of functioning across a range of jurisdictions to provide flexible, cross tribunal expertise.

Key activities will include:

Initial Case Assessment

The Tribunal Caseworker will be required to undertake initial assessment on incoming tribunals documentation and liaise with various stakeholders, including service users, to ensure effective case progression, this may include:

  • Identify that claims / appeals have been lodged within the relevant timelines
  • Ensure that claims / appeals are being addressed by the correct tribunal and at correct tribunal tier
  • Ensuring any relevant fees have been paid by claimants / appellants
  • Ensuring claims / appeals are made on the correct documentation and that all of the information necessary to progress the case is present
  • Ensuring claims and appeals are allocated to the correct appeal type and where appropriate listing track

Complex Casework        

Using delegated judicial functions Tribunal Caseworkers will be required to provide ongoing, high quality casework throughout case progression, ensuring any potential barriers are addressed and that tribunal resources are effectively allocated. This may include:

  • Issuing directions to parties to file certain evidence and other documents
  • Giving of listing instructions to administrative staff
  • Ensuring the panel composition is appropriate to the case
  • Ensuring any interpreter requirements are identified

Applications from parties to the appeal

Working to delegated judicial powers, Tribunal Caseworkers will be expected to identify and sift applications, making decisions where appropriate on:

  • Postponing hearings
  • Transferring proceedings to another region or jurisdiction
  • Requests to withdraw proceedings
  • Extensions and variations of time to comply with an aspect of procedure rules
  • Requests to vary directions

Multi-Jurisdictional Expertise     

  • Operating within a regional cluster, the Tribunal Caseworkers will be expected to develop expertise across a number of tribunal jurisdictions in order to provide flexible technical case support across tribunals business.

Communicating with key stakeholders  

  • Ensuring effective engagement with judiciary, user groups and representative organisations in order to progress tribunals work effectively
  • Think beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications of issues.

Administration

Undertake any administration necessary to support the effective delivery of the Tribunal Caseworker role, ensuring:

  • All relevant documentation is completed fully, accurately and in timely manner
  • All physical and electronic tribunal case files and records are properly and tidily maintained.

Accountability  

  • The Tribunal Caseworker will report to either a Senior Tribunals Case Worker or a Lega Team Manager. In working under delegated judicial functions, the Tribunal Caseworker will receive significant technical input and direction from the relevant tribunal judiciary.

Other duties

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

 

Desirable Experience

Law degree or equivalent technical experience. The equivalent technical experience has been defined as the demonstration of a transferable decision making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision.

Location of Post

  • The role will be based in High Wycombe Magistrate’s Court, although working from other regional locations may be expected. National travel will be an occasional requirement.

 

Key Civil Service Competencies

You will be required to provide evidence of the following key competencies at Level 3

Seeing the Big Picture   

  • Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit your own and the team’s work.
  • Develop an understanding of your area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities.
  • Ensure your own area/team activities are aligned to Departmental priorities.
  • Seek to understand how the services, activities and strategies in the area work together to create value for the customer/end user

Changing and improving              

  • Find ways to improve systems and structures to deliver with more streamlined resources.
  • Regularly review procedures or systems with teams to identify improvements and simplify processes and decision making
  • Be prepared to take managed risks, ensuring these are planned and their impact assessed.
  • Actively encourage ideas from a wide range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform your own thinking.
  • Be willing to meet the challenges of difficult or complex changes, encouraging and supporting others to do the same.
  • Prepare for, and respond appropriately to, the range of possible effects that change may have on your own role/team.

Making Effective Decisions

  • Make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular.
  • Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to collect new data when necessary from internal and external sources.
  • Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key conclusions.
  • Explore different options outlining costs, benefits, risks and potential responses to each
  • Recognise the scope of your own authority for decision making working under delegated judicial functions.
  • Invite challenge and, where appropriate, involve others in decision making to help build engagement and present robust recommendations.

Collaborating and Partnering     

  • Establish relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to support the delivery of business outcomes.
  • Invest time to generate a common focus and genuine team spirit.
  • Actively seek input from a diverse range of people.
  • Readily share resources to support higher priority work, showing pragmatism and support for the shared goals of the organisation.
  • Encourage collaborative team working within your own team and across the Department.

Delivering at Pace           

  • Successfully manage, support and stretch yourself and your team to deliver agreed goals and objectives.
  • Show a positive approach in keeping your own and the team’s efforts focused on the goals that really matter
  • Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to standard, giving credit to teams and individuals as appropriate.
  • Plan ahead but reassess workloads and priorities if situations change or people are facing conflicting demands
  • Regularly monitor your own and the team’s work against milestones or targets and act promptly to keep work on track and maintain performance.
  • Coach and support others to set and achieve challenging goals for themselves.

 

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.

This appointment will be made on a fixed term appointment. For existing civil servants, whilst the role itself is time-limited, successful appointment on promotion will secure this grade on a substantive basis. At the end of the fixed term period, existing permanent civil servants will be placed on the re-deployment register. The fixed term period will not affect the employment status of existing permanent civil servants.

Making a real difference to people’s lives is such an integral part of working at HMCTS that we’ve built it into an agreement with everyone who works here. It’s called our people promise. Please click here to find out more

Working Arrangements & Further Information

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

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. 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.

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 any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

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.

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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.


To be confirmed

19/07/2019, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 27570.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance
Seeing the Big Picture
Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions
Collaborating and Partnering
Delivering at Pace

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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 are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

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

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

This Vacancy is closed to applications.