About the job

Job summary

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) is an independent court which investigates and determines complaints regarding the conduct of the intelligence services (MI5, SIS and GCHQ) and allegations of unlawful intrusion by a wider range of public bodies. The IPT has a UK-wide jurisdiction. All the members of the Tribunal are either serving judges or senior lawyers.

The IPT provides a right of redress for anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques. No Government department or Minister can intervene in an IPT investigation or influence its decisions. More information on the Tribunal is available via its website.

The IPT plays an integral part in the UK’s oversight of the intelligence agencies. The success of this regime is vital for ensuring public confidence in the UK Intelligence Community. The Tribunal is sponsored by the Intelligence Oversight Policy (IOP) team in the National Security Directorate (NSD) of the Home Office, to ensure it receives resources and support from HMG to discharge its functions.

The IPT Secretariat

The IPT is supported by a secretariat which exists to (1) provide the supporting administration for a fair and efficient Tribunal; and (2) support an independent judiciary in the administration of justice which enables the rule of law to be upheld and provide an effective remedy. The secretariat consists of 1 x G6 Head of Secretariat, 1 x G7 Tribunal Secretary, 1 x SEO Deputy Tribunal Secretary, 1 x HEO Office Manager, 2x HEO Senior Caseworkers, and 3 x EO Caseworkers. These officers are responsible for laying complaints before the Tribunal Members and carrying out investigations into the merits of the case when directed to do so. All officers are DV/STRAP cleared.

PLEASE NOTE: Given the sensitive nature of the role of IPT, DV is required for the position. All candidates (who do not already hold DV clearance) are required to apply for DV if successful at the interview stage.

Job description

As a Caseworker for the Tribunal you will be responsible for maintaining the workflow of all the casework and assisting in the day-to-day administration of the Tribunal, providing high quality support to Tribunal members, with a view to ensuring the Secretariat’s core functions are delivered.

The post-holder’s responsibilities will include:

• Providing a point of expertise on complaints and human rights claims for members of the public.
• Providing both written and oral summaries for the Tribunal Members on cases before the Tribunal.
• Distributing complaints and human rights claims amongst members of the Tribunal evenly and in an efficient manner.
• Ensuring that you adhere to any appropriate legal drafting, and legal Directions and Orders are written and communicated appropriately, as requested by the Members of the Tribunal.
• Conducting investigations of the intelligence services and other public authorities as directed by the Tribunal Members.
• Provide an outcome to a complaint or human rights claims by issuing decision notices, as agreed by members of the Tribunal.
• Helping to facilitate a smooth-running and efficient office environment, including responsibility for maintaining shared and public inboxes, organisation and storage of case files, and uploading judgments. Also being aware of the particular challenge of complainants with mental health issues.
• Assisting with court proceedings for open and closed hearings and acting as a court officer as necessary
• Regularly maintaining progress reports of your cases on the IPT Case Management System.
• Flexibly contributing to support the wider efforts of the Tribunal as required, performing additional duties reasonably expected in an area where roles can be fluid to meet demand.
• Monitor the receipt of Appeals against decisions made by the IPT, and ensure the Tribunal Secretary is made aware of them in a time-sensitive manner.
• Assisting in the preparation of and, on occasion, attending IPT hearings in court – the majority of which will be in London however applicants should be aware there is a requirement to attend hearings across the UK occasionally on an infrequent basis. Some manual handling of case files will be required.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Strong verbal and written skills and an ability to work confidently and effectively to tight deadlines and in a fast-paced environment. An ability to simplify complex information and communicate effectively to a range of stakeholders including senior members of the judiciary, Bar, and legal representatives as well as government and public authorities, including the UK Intelligence Agencies.

• An ability to prioritise and manage a broad range of activities and workload simultaneously.

• A willingness to work in an agile and fluid way, working flexibly where needed to support delivery of the wider objectives of the team. This role provides excellent development opportunities to acquire new skills in a supportive and friendly environment.

• Strong skills in stakeholder management as the post-holder will be required to work with a range of senior lawyers and judges as well as across government. 

Desirable criteria:

Experience of working on National Security/Intelligence policy, or experience of working with the UK Intelligence community (MI5, SIS, GCHQ), the wider national security community (e.g., FCDO, MOD, Cabinet Office), or the judicial system.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,000, Home Office contributes £8,640 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 and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, Personal Statement (Max Word Limit:500). and behaviour Managing a Quality Service (Max Word Limit:250)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note your personal statement should be aligned to specify how your experience corresponds with the essential criteria for the role, as specified in the advert.

CVs will not be scored.

The initial sift will be conducted against the behaviour Managing a Quality Service, and the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed straight to interview.

All 4 behaviours will be assessed at the interview stage.

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will be conducted week commencing 11 March 2024.

Interviews will take place week commencing 25 March 2024.

Dates can be subject to change.

Interviews will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

Further information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Although the Tribunal is entirely independent of Government, for administrative purposes the post-holder will be paid and employed by the Home Office on Home Office terms and conditions. Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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 Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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.

Candidate_information_v7.0_January 2023 (1).docx – 316KB 
Converted File Candidate_information_v7.0_January 2023 (1).docx.pdf – 270KB 

Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V10) 30.03.23.pdf – 437KB 

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: Please send any queries to recruitment@ipt-uk.com

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, 

subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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 Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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.