8231 - Peer Review Coordinator

£25,257 - £29,000
1
12 Months
London
London
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ
EO
D
Permanent
Full Time
Administration / Corporate Support

Overview

The Legal Aid Agency procures legal aid for a range of clients from over 3000 firms of solicitors based across England and Wales. The Legal Aid Agency’s Operational Assurance team undertakes a range of activities to ensure that this funding is used correctly and appropriately

As well as ensuring the payments made to legal aid providers for the work they perform are correct the Agency also has an extensive programme for monitoring the quality of legal aid advice which is provided to legal aid clients. This work, known as “Peer Review”, consists of selected, trained legal aid providers reviewing samples of recently closed case files undertaken by other legal aid providers to assess the quality of the provider’s work. Administering this exercise is a complex and demanding activity. In addition from 2017-18 the level of peer reviews to be administered will increase significantly.

Job Description

Duties may include:

  • Collate, analyse and present accurate peer review data/information for internal and external use.
  • Take responsibility for meeting peer review targets and to ensure peer reviews are completed accurately and efficiently
  • Administer the recruitment process for peer reviewers including record-keeping, arranging SRA checks of      applicants and booking interviews.    
  • Organise training for peer review panels including booking dates and venues, working with peer reviewers and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies to compile agendas and training materials and taking minutes.
  • Compile information on the performance of peer reviewers to identify poor performance and assist the Peer Review team leader to deal with performance problems.
  • Oversee the processing of peer review claims/invoices, record-keeping of claims information, accruals and adjustments and preparation of expenses guidance.
  • Check that peer reviewer fees and expenses claims meet the requirements of the peer reviewer contract, escalate any discrepancies to the Peer Review team leader and communicate to peer reviewers about claims reductions.
  • Draft responses to complaints from peer reviewers about expenses claims or other contract issues, escalating complex complaints to the Peer Review team leader.
  • Process Freedom of Information Act requests relating to peer review information including logging requests, compiling the information requested or arranging for ‘data experts’ to compile the information, drafting and sending responses to requestors.

Skills & Qualifications

You will be required to provide evidence of the following competencies:

Changing and Improving

  • Consider and suggest ideas for improvements, sharing this feedback with others in a constructive manner.
  • Conduct regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project /activity successful and make on-going improvements.
  • Help colleagues, customers and corporate partners to understand changes and why they have been introduced.

Making Effective Decisions

  • Examine complex information and obtain further information to make accurate decisions.
  • Explain clearly, verbally and in writing, how a decision has been reached.
  • Provide advice and feedback to support others to make accurate decisions.

Building Capability for All

  • Take ownership of individual development by identifying capability needs and consistently achieving development objectives.
  • Take responsibility for the quality of own work and seeking opportunities for improvement through continuous learning
  • Encourage and be open to developmental feedback from others

Delivering at Pace

  • Take ownership of problems in their own area of responsibility.
  • Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks.
  • Check own performance against outcomes, make improvement suggestions or take corrective action when problems are identified.

Salary, 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.

Starting Salary
 
The starting salary for this post is £25,257 per annum.
 
Flexible working hours

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

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 salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • 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.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Expected 3rd and 4th May

24/04/2017, 23:55 hours.

Closing Date: 24th April 2017 at 23:55 hours

If you require any assistance please call 0845 010 3512 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment@noms.gsi.gov.uk Please quote the job reference.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

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
Delivering at Pace
Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions
Leading and Communicating

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.