About the job

Job summary

Please refer to job description

Job description

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.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Directorate: London Region

Job Title: Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) Caseworker

No of Posts: 1

Location: Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Field House, 15 Breams Building, London, EC4A 1DZ

Duration: Permanent

Pay Span or equivalent: EO

Salary: London (within M25): £31,169 - £32,760

Background:

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an agency of the Ministry of Justice and provides the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales. It presently delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and through limited services via the internet. HMCTS’s ambition is to improve the services we deliver to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, design new Courts & Tribunals Service Centres to deliver a national business and enhance our digital on-line services.

Consequently, there are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do, and high performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential.  EO grade staff will need to display a commitment to the following key principles: continuous change, managing uncertainty and improving performance. All those appointed to new roles in HMCTS must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Key Purpose:

To support the Chairman, High Court Judges, Judges of the UTIAC and other chambers in matters of National Security. SIAC is a Superior court of record which deals with appeals related to matters of National Security, the SIAC clerk has responsibility for handling and processing that level of material from the Secretary of State for the Home Department. This job role requires Developed Vetting Security Clearance (DV). This is an excellent opportunity to develop and broaden your skill set and gain a better understanding of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC) and Pathogens Access Appeal Commission (PAAC).

Key Responsibilities:

The cases dealt with are of a sensitive nature and may cover a range of jurisdictions and departments, the successful candidate will be given more details of the role.  Staff are responsible for collection, management/storage and appropriate distribution of classified documents to those who need to see them, as well as clerking the courts during “CLOSED” sessions, which are only attended by those identified as being cleared and needing to attend. These sessions must be staffed by someone with the appropriate clearance level. The documents and hearings are classified at this level due to the high risk to National Security, which places a considerable responsibility on staff to ensure any documents are properly secured and accessed only by those with authority.

Operations

• To support the Chairman and High Court Judges of SIAC in delivering their judicial functions.
• To act as a point of contact, manage and process all  OPEN and CLOSED correspondence, telephone and email queries relating to sensitive cases listed at SIAC on behalf of the SIAC Chairman and the SIAC Office.
• Secretariat management and handling of all SIAC’s administrative workload, including complex diary management.
• To liaise with Judiciary and stakeholders regarding the timely listing of cases 
• Professionally and proactively manage and prioritise multiple tasks to facilitate the timely progress of all SIAC/POAC/PAAC appeals/productions.
• Adherence to protocols around restricted material for all government departments.
• Carry out pre-hearing Risk Assessments with security services/ HMPS/ HMCTS Health, Safety & Security.
• Clerk OPEN and Closed hearings and ensure courts are run in accordance with restricted material guidance.
• Liaise with stakeholders to arrange delivery and collections of papers in line with established procedures
• To ensure all records are kept up to date and that sensitive material is returned in a timely manner
• Ensure governance is adhered to and best practice is maintained at all times
• Drafting orders where required.
• Support Judiciary with Legal and Research enquires.
• Liaising with Press Office and responding to press enquires and Freedom of Information requests
• Regular liaison meetings with stakeholders.

Team Leadership     

• Role model HMCTS values and apply policies and procedures.
• Plan, co-ordinate and organise own training and development including annual self-appraisal with Security Services.
• Be responsible for health and safety issues for the immediate working environment. Management of the court security, ensuring all electronic devices are identified, logged and secured away from proceedings.
• Follow the retention and destrutcion protocol for all OPEN and Closed material.
• Working with the judicial office, finance teams, the SIAC Chairman and the Principle Resident Judge to ensure that High Court Judge/judge’s/lay member resources are deployed fairly to meet sitting allocations and strategies to improve performance levels. In addition, dealing with claims for sitting and other costs.
• All EO staff are expected to perform other management roles in addition to their own role.

Processing and Managing Casework       

• Issuing directions to parties to file evidence and other documents including papers for the essential reading list.
• Listing cases
• Ensuring the panel composition is appropriate to the case
• Ensuring interpreter requirements are identified.

Calculations and Analysis

• Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring more complex problems to a Delivery Manager.

Communicating - with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations    

• Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Working with agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.
• Provide feedback to staff, judiciary and other stakeholders on performance against targets.
• Think beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications of issues.
• Attend and contribute at meetings of relevant User Groups.

Representation      

• Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level

Accountability

• Reporting to Delivery manager.

Other Duties:

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Operational Delivery in HMCTS:

This role is part of the Operational Delivery Profession. Operational delivery professionals are the outward face of government, providing essential services to the public in a variety of roles. They work in many different departments and agencies across the breadth of the UK, delivering service to customers in

• Face-to-face roles in HMCTS, for example a court usher
• Contact Centre roles in HMCTS for example call centre advisers
• Processing roles in HMCTS for example Staff at the County Courts Money-Claims Centre and Courts and Tribunal Administration

Being part of the operational delivery profession means belonging to a cross-government community of people.  This will offer you access to information on professional standards, skills development and qualifications to help you continue to improve your development and performance and expand your career options.

Essential Skills & Criteria:

It is essential that the candidate has the following skills and experience:

• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
• An ability to prioritise work and strong organisational skills.
• The ability to Identify and address team or individual capability requirements and gaps to deliver current and future work.

It is desirable that the candidate has the following skills and experience:

• Experience of working in a changing environment, managing and leading others through change.

Application Process:

The post holder will require National Security vetting at Developed Vetting (DV) level.

To apply for this position please complete the online application form, ensuring you provide the following:

A 250-word suitability statement against each of the following Success Profile Behaviours (Level 2):

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

In the event we receive a large volume of applications, we will sift using the lead Success Profile Behaviour:

Making Effective Decisions.

If selected for interview, the Success Profile Behaviours listed above will also be tested / assessed (Level 2).

Interviews will also test two Strengths. Please also note that interviews may be required to be conducted in person.

Further information on Success Profile Experience, Behaviours and Strengths, as well as the required standards for this post (Level 2), can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

Location:

Whilst the post holder will be allocated to a specific office base, there may be a need for flexibility to work on an ad hoc or regular basis at other local HMCTS sites / courts.  Where applicable, associated travel cost / time will be applied in line with organisational policies. 

Terms & Conditions:

Working Hours / Pattern:

This operational role require the successful applicant to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.  

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Person specification

Please refer to job description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,169, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £8,446 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 Strengths.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. 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

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.