About the job

Job summary

Please refer to job description.

Job description

Offender Subject Access Request Team Caseworker
        
Number of jobs available     1
Detail of reserve list         12 Months
Grade                 AO
Organisation Grade for MoJ     AO
Post Type             Permanent
Working Pattern         Full Time
Role Type             Operational Delivery, Knowledge & Information Management

Region             East Midlands
City/Town             Burton-upon-Trent
Building/Site             Branston Registry, Burton-upon-Trent, DE14 3EG

OR

Region             North East
City/Town             Jarrow
Building/Site             JCC Unit B8 Berkley Way, Jarrow, NE31 1SF

About the Department

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

What we do

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent, and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:
•    Courts
•    Prisons
•    Probation services
•    Attendance centres.

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range. Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer/pay on promotion rules.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Background

The Offender Subject Access Request team sits within the MoJ’s Security, Services and Information Governance Group Directorate, which has a broad range of responsibilities including corporate communications through to information management and records compliance. As part of the Directorate’s Information Services Division, our aim is to ensure the MoJ holds information in compliance with legislation; that all information is correctly stored, accessible, and shared appropriately; and our information is protected, and the risks managed. We believe that knowing what information and records we have and having the right information available at the right time by those who need it or request it, is at the heart of an excellent justice system. 

The Offender SAR team manage and process subject access requests (SARs) on behalf of the MoJ. The role involves liaising with its agencies to retrieve personal information held on the requestor and then prepare it for release in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). The team receives more than 6,000 requests per annum. 

Role Purpose  

This is an exciting time for the team as we are seeking to make significant changes and improvements to many aspects of how we work and the service we provide, especially investigating new technology available and how this can increase efficiencies. You will also be joining the team as it prepares for an increase in work following the Probation Reform Programme. 

You will be joining an expanding team who provide a dedicated and expert function in processing all offender SARs. The team have a strong customer service culture, providing a key service across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) so the ability and expertise to build strong professional relationships on both an individual and team basis is very important. Close liaison with individual prison establishments and probation offices are vital to meeting our performance indicators and there will be opportunity to develop this further. The role is important as it ensures that offenders are supported through their sentence and rehabilitation by having access to the right information at the right time, by responding to requests in full and within statutory timescales.

The successful candidate will become a caseworker within the vetting team who are responsible for reading the information collated in response to the request and determining what information can be released. The role requires the consideration of the DPA against personal information being reviewed. This is a vital part of the function of the team and the Department’s compliance with the DPA.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

•    Process personal information requested in a SAR and determine what information can be released and what is exempt from disclosure. This involves reading large volumes of sensitive information in hard copy and digital formats, carefully and accurately to ensure that information is released and/or withheld from disclosure in accordance with the DPA
•    Update records on in-house computer system
•    Answer queries (telephone and correspondence) from customers and colleagues across the Department
•    General ad hoc office duties, including some manual handling
•    You will demonstrate and encourage behaviours which support the MoJ and Civil Service values.

Essential experience

•    Experience of delivering customer service excellence in a processing environment.

Desirable Experience

•    Working knowledge of the DPA and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
•    Experience of working in or with HMPPS
•    Experience of using Microsoft computer package, i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook and Access.

Application Process

This vacancy will be using Success Profiles to assess Behaviours and Strengths. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview.

To apply for this role, please submit evidence of the following Civil Service Behaviours:
•    Making Effective Decisions
•    Managing a Quality Service
•    Delivering at Pace 
•    Working Together

Evidence should be provided against all behaviours listed. All applicants that progress to the interview will be assessed on all the behaviours and some strengths.

Person specification

Please refer to job description.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £22,940, Ministry of Justice contributes £6,102 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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.