About the job

Job summary

The Home Office is here to make our country safer. As well as working to protect the most vulnerable, reduce crime and enforce the law, we also work to, and have a proud history of, providing refuge to those who have been displaced or are seeking asylum. Whether it is fighting crime, protecting our borders or combating slavery, the Home Office (HO) is at the cutting edge of public policy in this country and our work is some of the most challenging and rewarding in government.

The role of the Public Safety Group (PSG), which sits within the HO, is to keep the public safe by protecting the vulnerable, cutting crime, disrupting the highest harm criminals, and ensuring that our police, fire and rescue services are as trusted, efficient and effective as they can be in delivering front line public services. 

The people in our Group develop and implement policy, provide funding, and deliver legislation. We make the most of innovation, data, and partnerships to protect the vulnerable, prevent crime, and tackle the highest harm crimes. We work with our partners in law enforcement, establishing governance arrangements at a national, regional, and local level.

This post is based in the UK Central Authority (UKCA) which is responsible for delivering judicial cooperation globally. The UKCA is a high profile and politically important unit within the Serious Organised Crime and International Criminality Directorate (SOCICD), a core part of PSG. 

Judicial cooperation takes two forms: Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and Extradition. The former is concerned with the collection and transmission of evidence for criminal investigations at home and abroad, with the latter referring to the movement of individuals to either stand trial or serve sentence here or abroad. You will be joining a team involved in the consideration of requests for MLA.

The UKCA encourages a diverse workforce and aims to provide a working environment where staff at all levels are valued and respected. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity for everyone.

Job description

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to become a Grade 7 Lawyer within the UKCA. As part of the legal team, you will lead on the Authority’s MLA Casework considerations, ensuring effective delivery of international Mutual Legal Assistance.

The role provides significant opportunities to develop your skills in criminal and international law. You will gain experience of operating with key international and domestic stakeholders, and develop expertise in the delivery of judicial cooperation.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Managing a caseload of sensitive and complex mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests. 

• Working closely with a range of stakeholders to execute MLA requests.

• Preparing submissions to Ministers and brief senior officials, Press Officers and Private Office in high profile and sensitive MLA cases.

• Stakeholder engagement with international partners, UK Law Enforcement Agencies and other Government Departments engaged in judicial cooperation.  

• Embody UKCA’s continuous improvement culture, proactively seeking opportunities to develop and refine UKCA polices and processes to maintain the highest standard of service to our stakeholders.

Please note: This is not an exclusive or exhaustive list, and the post holder will be required to perform any additional duties reasonably expected of them within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence and training.

The role is being advertised in either Manchester - Soapworks or London - 2 Marsham Street, however, the post holder may be required to travel to either location. The cost related to this will be met by the business area.

As part of the Grade 7 role, you may be required to manage a small number of caseworkers and would be expected to show leadership and mentor others outside of formal line management channels. This role could also involve remote line management.

This role is available on a full-time basis as well as compressed hours. Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part-time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours over four days.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity.

Person specification

The post holder will be comfortable making decisions on serious, complex and sensitive cases and ensure that casework is dealt with at the level appropriate to the needs of the case and available resources. You will have the ability to analyse complex requests using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice and must be able to assess and consider the wider impact when planning and implementing case strategies. 

You will provide expert specialist advice on MLA including providing advice to Ministers always ensure casework is progressed and managed efficiently in line with Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and statutory deadlines.

You will be responsible for delivering a quality service to both internal and external stakeholders where you will ensure continuous development and improvement of the casework function, working closely with colleagues across UKCA and reporting directly to senior management when required.

Whilst this role requires legal skills, it also requires an ability to build good working relationships with a range of stakeholders including international partners. You must have a strong ability to communicate effectively both; orally and in written correspondence with colleagues across the UKCA, and with domestic and international judicial and law enforcement partners as well as with partners across government and present the outcome of any analysis clearly and effectively.

You will work at pace to meet tight deadlines, demonstrating sound judgement, quality decision making, flexibility when working on normal daily tasks and any other competing priorities, and skills in working within a team.

You will be comfortable liaising with staff at all grades, including UKCA caseworkers and support teams as well as policy leads and key external stakeholders. You will represent UKCA in internal and external fora and will be comfortable delivering high profile work at pace.

This post also includes potential line management responsibilities where you may be required to manage a small number of caseworkers and would be expected to show leadership, and mentor others outside of formal line management channels. 

Essential Criteria:

You will have a demonstrable passion for delivery with the following:

• Qualified to practice as a barrister or solicitor, in England and Wales or an advocate or solicitor in Scotland or will be qualified 3 months from application date; or
• An equivalent overseas legal qualification, having sat the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) or Bar Transfer Test (BTT) with evidence of post qualification practice in the UK.
• Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/Common Professional Examination (CPE) has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed and a score of 50% or above achieved, at Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (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
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with an ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risks, with the ability to analyse and advise on complex and novel legal issues.
• Resilient and able to work under pressure and on demanding and challenging projects.
• Planning and organisational skills to manage and balance conflicting demands.

Desirable Criteria

For this role, the below experience would be beneficial, but is not essential:

• Knowledge and/or experience of criminal law.
• Knowledge and/or experience of asset recovery work.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV (job history / qualifications)
• Statement of Suitability (Personal statement) (1000 words maximum)
• Evidence of the lead behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions' (250 words maximum).

The Statement of Suitability must be aligned to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job advertisement.

The sift will be based on the Statement of Suitability and the lead behaviour listed above.

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview.

In an event where a high volume of applications are received, an initial sift will take place using the lead behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be either progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be assessed on all behaviours outlined in the job advertisement.

In addition, you will be asked to prepare a presentation to be delivered at interview (details will be disclosed closer to the interviews).

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Sift and Interview Dates

The sift will take place week commencing 5th August 2024

Interviews will take place week commencing 2nd September 2024

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Interviews will take place remotely. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

It is advisable to access your interview from a windows operating system laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet as there is no guarantee that Microsoft Teams will work without issue on an Apple laptop, tablet, or desktop.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled 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 of successful candidates may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made in merit order.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need for them to go through a further selection process.

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to hold or be willing to secure Security Check (SC) clearance.

If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.

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 undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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

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.