About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty. 

Legal Services undertakes both criminal enforcement work on a range of offences that underpin the insolvency regime and civil litigation work arising from director misconduct. The purpose of this post is to manage a team of Paralegal Officers who are responsible for providing support and assistance to the in-house legal team.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities. 

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.

Job description

This is an exciting InsS (Insolvency Service) role within our Legal Services Directorate. As a Paralegal Assistant you will be contributing to the completion of administrative tasks within LSD, which is responsible for the pre and post decision to prosecute and post submission stage of all: criminal proceedings, s6 and s8 disqualification proceedings, bankruptcy and debt relief restrictions and winding up in the Public Interest cases, brought by InsS (and including and any subsequent appeals, s17 and 8A applications etc), ensuring InsS operational objectives are achieved, in particular quantitative, qualitative and timeliness targets.

Responsibilities

As an A2/AO Paralegal Assistant, you will be:

• Accurately drafting and sending S16 notices, processing disqualification and bankruptcy undertakings / orders.
• Registering new criminal referrals and / or advice cases on cyclops.
• Processing Turn Down decisions on criminal cases and sending general correspondence.
• Arranging conflict searches for external solicitor instructions.
• Registering PSC cases submitted by Companies House on cyclops, ensuring timely updates of each stage of the process is completed.
• Completing ad hoc requests, to include posting documents, using Notify/PSL systems, processing sanction increase requests, drafting additional undertakings, issuing reminder letters.
• Taking on additional casework as required by Line Manager i.e. dealing with absent colleagues’ casework.
• Providing support and cover of the main Legal Services mailbox when requested.

Person specification

The successful candidate will have:

• An ability to work well as part of a team.
• A keen eye for detail to ensure accuracy of information.
• Confidence in decision making.
• The ability to use initiative and find solutions to problems.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise tasks.
• Resilience and adaptability to changeable situations.
• Good communication skills to confidently deal with a range of stakeholders, both internal & external.
• A team player with the ability to build relationships, enabling you to act as a flexible colleague ensuring responsibilities are fulfilled.
• Good IT skills, particularly in the use of MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, and Excel).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £22,183, Insolvency Service contributes £5,989 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a 750 word personal statement and Behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words and should explain how your skills and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour 'Working Together'. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours and strengths. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected Timeline (subject to change) 

Sift – w/c 27th May 2024 

Interview – w/c 17th June 2024 

Location - MS Teams 

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of this if you are selected for interview. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.  

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to the Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.