About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Legal Services Directorate as it expands.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career. Our Legal Services Department consists of approximately 82 staff who make up our Civil, Criminal Enforcement Teams and a Paralegal Team. We provide legal services to the Service that includes advisory work and conducting litigation.

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.

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 LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots.

We offer 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.

Job description

The role involves being at the forefront of Government’s enforcement response to Covid-19 abuse by tackling bounce back loan misconduct alongside other areas of misconduct and winding up companies in the public interest. The work involved is high profile in nature and often attracts considerable media interest. This is an exciting area of work for the Service and provides successful applicants with an opportunity to be involved in dynamic, cross cutting litigation. Despite being a specialist role successful applicants can expect to enjoy a varied caseload ranging from straightforward cases to more complex and involved litigation. In addition, the successful applicants will have an opportunity to support the overall asset recovery strategy by having conduct of compensation proceedings. The Civil Team undertakes litigation in director disqualification claims and winding up live companies in the public interest, in addition to providing advice on statutory investigations and those conducted under the Company Director Disqualification Act 1986.

Responsibilities

Upon joining the team, you will become part of the Government Legal Profession alongside the following list of non-exhaustive responsibilities:

• To manage a caseload and have full conduct of civil litigation matters including compensation orders
• Attend local and regional courts to either represent the Secretary of State personally or support counsel
• Drafting legal documents
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues involved in the Services investigation and enforcement work
• Instructing counsel
• To give clear, accurate and timely advice where required on the conduct of civil investigations and the prospects of litigation.
• Contribute to knowledge management and sharing best practice
• Travel to senior leader conferences and other regional centres as and when required

Person specification

We are looking for highly motivated lawyers with strong interpersonal skills and who are able to work well within a team. You will need to have sound judgment and good analytical skills.

Professional Qualifications:

Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx. Barristers and Solicitors qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales will be subject to the rules of the professional bodies and must have completed the Bar Transfer Test or Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme.

Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at CILEx Level 6*, in all the following foundation subjects:

1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort

* Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1-degree equivalence as set out below.

Academic qualifications:

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree.

However, the Insolvency Service will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree (or above) (e.g. where a lower degree classification is held, or, where applicants have (under the rules of the professional bodies) qualified as a Solicitor/Barrister/ Chartered Legal Executives without a degree, but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).

Chartered Legal Executives should note that the department will be willing to accept an, overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1- degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held).

Essential Criteria

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV outlining your job history and experience and a personal statement of no more than 500 words demonstrating how you meet the following criteria.

Legal Professional Skills;

• Experience of or an aptitude for civil litigation with sound understanding and knowledge of Civil Procedure Rules, particularly part 8
• Reliable legal judgment and appreciation of legal risk
• Sound legal analysis and research skills
• Good understanding of public law

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge and experience of regulatory enforcement work, especially director disqualification and winding up proceedings.
• Experience of insolvency law and practice

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,518, Insolvency Service contributes £13,909 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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500 word personal statement and Behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV outlining your job history and experience and a personal statement of no more than 500 words demonstrating how you meet the following criteria.

Essential Criteria
Legal Professional Skills; 
• Experience of or an aptitude for civil litigation with 
sound understanding and knowledge of Civil Procedure Rules, 
particularly part 8
• Reliable legal judgment and appreciation of legal risk
• Sound legal analysis and research skills
• Good understanding of public law

Desirable Criteria:
• Knowledge and experience of regulatory 
enforcement work, especially director disqualification and winding up proceedings.
• Experience of insolvency law and practice

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal statement and lead behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'. 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, if successful you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours, experience and technical skills. 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 19 02 24

Interview – w/c 11 05 24

Location - MS Teams

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

If you have also submitted an application for vacancy 338067 and are invited to attend interviews for both vacancies, you will only be expected to attend one interview slot.

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 /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.

Please note that this vacancy consists of several linked adverts for the same roles but on different Contract Offers. The references of which are as follows: 338067 and 338104

If you wish to apply for both vacancies we may sift and interview you only once. Your subsequent application will be automatically marked as ‘Campaign duplicate’ status and your sift and interview scores will automatically be carried across.

Further Information

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

Any move to  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 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.

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.