Enforcement Advocate (Midlands, South West and Wales) (Band 2/Grade 7) in Cardiff

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff
Job Summary
The Health and Safety Executive\'s (HSE) Legal Services Division is establishing a new advocacy team. As a member of this new team you will provide high quality advocacy across a variety of courts and tribunals. You will be a skilled advocate, either a qualified Barrister or Solicitor with significant post qualification experience of advising on criminal investigations and prosecuting cases to conclusion. You will also have experience of making reasoned legal decisions and will be committed to providing an excellent level of service to victims and witnesses. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a significant strategic change, whilst dealing with some of the most complex and significant prosecutions in this area of regulatory law which, put simply, helps to save lives.
Job Description
The advocacy unit will form a part of the wider Legal Services Division (LSD). LSD is made up of enforcement law teams and a advisory law team. The advocacy unit will work closely alongside the enforcement law teams, primarily to present cases in courts and tribunals but team members will also have responsibility for their own casework and for making charging decisions.
Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high quality advocacy across a variety of courts and tribunals.
• To conduct high quality, victim and witness centred prosecutions.
• Making well-reasoned decisions to prosecute in line with the code for Crown prosecutors and HSE quality standards.
• Provide effective and timely advice on criminal investigations.
• Manage your own caseload in accordance with relevant KPIs and HSE’s quality standards.
• Contribute to the delivery of training and / or projects which support continuous improvement across the Division.
  

Should the role be undertaken on a part-time basis, the requirement would be a minimum of 0.8 FTE (4 days per week).
The advocacy unit will form a part of the wider Legal Services Division (LSD). LSD is made up of enforcement law teams and a advisory law team. The advocacy unit will work closely alongside the enforcement law teams, primarily to present cases in courts and tribunals but team members will also have responsibility for their own casework and for making charging decisions.
Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high quality advocacy across a variety of courts and tribunals.
• To conduct high quality, victim and witness centred prosecutions.
• Making well-reasoned decisions to prosecute in line with the code for Crown prosecutors and HSE quality standards.
• Provide effective and timely advice on criminal investigations.
• Manage your own caseload in accordance with relevant KPIs and HSE’s quality standards.
• Contribute to the delivery of training and / or projects which support continuous improvement across the Division.
  

Should the role be undertaken on a part-time basis, the requirement would be a minimum of 0.8 FTE (4 days per week).
Person specification
Essential Skills And Criteria:

• Well-developed legal and advocacy skills, together with solid analytical skills and sound practical judgement.
• Experience of leading prosecutions and of personal conduct of prosecutions through the courts.
• Experience of working with instructed experts and Counsel in complex and sensitive cases.
• An ability to demonstrate compassion and empathy for victims of crime and able to engage well with witnesses at court.
• The ability to proactively manage a caseload of prosecutions and regulatory appeals and balance this with regular court attendance.
• An ability to quickly assimilate new areas of law with a keen interest in expanding your legal knowledge and skills.
  

Please Note:

• The postholder must be legally qualified; they must be either a qualified practising Solicitor or Barrister.
  

Qualifications
The postholder must have a law degree or a non-law degree accompanied by either a Common Professional Examination or Post Graduate Diploma in Law.
The postholder must have either completed the Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) or the Bar Professional Training Course and where necessary, have completed the relevant pupillage or training contract (or received full exemption from either the Solicitors Regulatory Authority or the Bar Standards Board).
Memberships
The successful applicant must have a valid practising certificate for England and Wales issued from either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board.
Behaviours
We\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing
  

Alongside your salary of £63,264, Health and Safety Executive contributes £18,327 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  

We invest in our people with;

• Competitive rates of pay
• Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97%, far more than in the private sector
• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
• Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
• 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years\' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
• Parental leave benefits
• As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.
  

Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application Information
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV section in which you are required to provide details regarding your employment history and qualifications details. Please note the CV will be for information purposes only and you will not receive a score for this section.
• A personal statement of up to 1000 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria listed within the person specification.
• You will also be required to submit a further 250 word example which addresses the following lead behaviour for this role: Communicating and Influencing.
  

Application Guidance
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement http://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/
Sift Information
The sift will take place from 28th July when you will be assessed on your Personal Statement and your 250 word submission on the lead behaviour \'Communicating and Influencing\'.
In the event of a high number of applications at sift, we will sift on the lead Behaviour \'Communicating and Influencing\' only.
Interview Information
Interviews will take place from weeks commencing 11th and 18th August 2025 when you will be assessed against Behaviours detailed within the job advert. You will also be assessed on Strengths during your interview.
AI Tools & Platforms
During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CVs and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.
Sponsorship
This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.
Further Information
Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months. There is no guarantee you will be offered a role from our reserve lists, so if you see a vacancy on Civil Service Jobs that you are interested in, we recommend you apply.
HSE reserve the right to conduct additional checks, including Google and social media checks, when recruiting candidates into a role within HSE. These checks will be carried out in line with the Civil Service Commission Principles and, if used all candidates will be subject to these additional checks.
From 23rd June 2025, if you are successful at interview, as part of your pre-employment checks, HSE’s Recruitment Team are required to check your details against the Internal Fraud Hub (IFH), using your personal details – name, NINO, and date of birth. If you are included on the database, you will be refused employment. If you believe that there has been an error in the inclusion of your data and wish to make an appeal, please contact the CO email box internal.fraud@cabinetoffice.gov.uk .
Details of the types of internal fraud/dishonesty covered by this process are defined by the Cabinet Office and can be found here Internal Fraud Register privacy notice - GOV.UK
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.
Progression through pay ranges is subject to annual pay awards as permitted within annual civil service pay remit guidance and negotiations with Trade Unions.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.
We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.
If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example, if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk
If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.
Any move to HSE 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 here
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
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.
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.
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :

• Name : Daniel Poole
• Email : daniel.poole@hse.gov.uk
  

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk
  

Further information
If you believe that Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition have not been met, you can raise a complaint by emailing: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk or by writing to HSE at the following address:
HR Resourcing Team, 2.3 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS. If You Are Not Satisfied With The Response You Receive From The Department, You Can Contact Civil Service Commissioners:
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecodecomplaints/ #J-18808-Ljbffr