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LAA Job Description Template V7

Job Title & Grade:

Senior Caseworker - EO

Contract Type:

Permanent

Salary range (depending on location):

National - £28,312 to £30,011

Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.

Location:

Nottingham, Birmingham or Liverpool

Directorate:

Crime Case Management

Team:

National Criminal Applications Team (NCAT2 Workstreams)

Working Pattern:

The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely (as part of hybrid working), part time or as part of a job share etc.

If you are applying for a part time role, please note that in order to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 21 hours and to cover 3 days of the week.

To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training.

Reporting to:

Team Manager

Closing date for applications

20/05/2025

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and 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.

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.

Case Management

The Case Management department is the delivery function of the LAA and our staff ensure that each year 600,000 new clients are able to access the justice they require, and that their providers are fairly remunerated for the delivery of the legal aid. As part of the work we do, we must ensure that we understand and improve the effectiveness of the schemes whilst achieving value for money.

This role is based in the National Criminal Applications Team. The team processes legal aid applications for criminal legal aid, considering the financial means of the applicant and whether their case is appropriate for public funding.

National Crime Applications Team (NCAT 2 Workstream)

The Crime Applications Team 2 (CAT 2) process legal aid applications which include Directorships, CRM14s (criminal legal aid application,) CRM15s (financial statement,) and CRM16’s (hardships), including LAT reviews (review of legal aid applications Capital Contribution Order appeals/disputes, considering the financial means of the applicant and whether their case is appropriate for public funding. The team responds to related correspondence and delivers training to new and existing caseworkers, and deal with the handling of queries, complaints and quality control.

Job Summary

As a Senior Caseworker at this level, you will need to understand the regulations and guidelines to:

Process criminal legal aid applications, queries and associated tasks appropriate to this grade.
Support colleagues by responding to queries escalated to you by the team or directly from service users.

Key Responsibilities:

Maintaining a comprehensive and up to date understanding of current guidance and regulations, using this to assess claims in accordance with the relevant regulations, including processing requests for redeterminations and written reasons.
Providing an efficient service and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Dealing with any matters which have been escalated and resolving these.
Support the management of the team and individual performance. Helping team members to achieve their objectives, contributing to the development of others addressing any issues which arise.
Supporting others on the application of current guidance and regulations by acting as a technical expert and responding to queries and ensuring understanding
Work to ensure targets are met. Providing reports escalating issues as they emerge and helping to find effective solutions.
Work with other teams and taking the leading role in meetings, encouraging the sharing of views, ideas and solutions.
Regularly correspond with other teams, providers and clients with the use of effective writing skills.
Contribute to the review and development of processes working with other teams and taking part in project groups to achieve this.
Design and deliver internal and external training.
Support team engagement and promote Health and Safety and equality & diversity. Encouraging ideas and contributions from all members of your team and across the case management teams.
Acting as a quality controller and engage in consistency processes to ensure improvements are made. Taking an active role in promoting consistency and providing guidance and feedback to the team. Making suggestions for improvement in specified work areas, ensuring the Team are aware and understand any changes.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills

Experience of applying comprehensive knowledge of the current guidance and regulations relating to processing CAT 2 workstreams.
Ability to solve problems and make decisions.
Established communication skills both verbal and written with proven experience of giving feedback.
Ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

Excellent time management skills

Ability to deliver training with experience of coaching or mentoring.
Effective analytical and numerical skills

Person Specification

Enjoys working in a fast-changing environment.
Enjoys working independently and as part of a team

Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more than 1000 words.

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all of the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

Please note we do not require a CV.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the following:

Strengths relevant to the role
Some or all of the following Behaviours:

Delivering at Pace

regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives
identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs
follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work
ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs
have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks
regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary
ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging

Making Effective Decisions

take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner
analyse and research further information to support decisions
talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed
explain how decisions have been reached in a clear and concise way, both verbally and in writing
demonstrate the consideration of all options, costs, risks and wider implications, including the diverse needs of end users and any accessibility requirements

Working Together

develop a range of contacts outside own team and identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning
show genuine interest when listening to others
contribute to an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are listened to and all individual needs are taken into account
ensure it is clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable
offer support and help to colleagues when in need, including consideration of your own and their wellbeing
change ways of working to aid cooperation within and between teams in order to achieve results

Seeing the Bigger Picture

understand how your work and the work of your team supports wider objectives and meets the diverse needs of stakeholders
keep up to date with the issues that affect your work area
take a keen interest in expanding knowledge in areas related to your work
focus on overall goals and not just specific tasks to meet priorities

Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy.

Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing: 26/05/2025

Interviews are planned for week commencing: 16/06/2025

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact - Susan.Quinn@justice.gov.uk

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.

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