Legal Officer – Employment Tribunal – London (Ref: 7641)

This position is based at Anchorage House London, E14 2BE and Victory House Employment Tribunal London, WC2B 6EX
Job Summary
Please refer to Job Description
Job Description
Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.
Our Legal Officers play a critical role in helping deliver justice. If you’re intent on serving the public by delivering excellent service, and are enthusiastic about working with the judiciary, then this role gives you the opportunity to play a pivotal role within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
About Us
As part of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)’ the Tribunals directorate is responsible for the effective administration of Tribunals in England and Wales and non-devolved Tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We work with an independent judiciary across a wide range of jurisdictions to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.
HMCTS is undertaking an ambitious reform programme. The programme will enhance the provision of a world-class justice system, in a manner that provides an improved user experience at reduced cost to the taxpayer. This will contribute to consolidating the UK’s position at the forefront of an increasingly competitive international legal market as well as ensuring access to justice for all.
The programme includes creating high quality services, modernising the court estate, updating and replacing its technology, speeding up and streamlining working practices, refurbishing buildings to reduce maintenance costs and provide much improved services for service users, especially vulnerable witnesses and victims.
Your role
Working within a Courts & Tribunals Service Centre (CTSC) or Regional Hearing Centre (RHC), you will support the effective administration of Tribunals business by undertaking a range of complex case work and assessment activity in order to determine how best to advance caseloads and remove any barriers to effective and timely case progression.
Working as part of a team as well as independently, under the supervision of a Senior Legal Officer and leadership judiciary, the Legal Officer will make case management decisions as part of their delegated judicial powers. A Legal Officer will liaise with key stakeholders and HMCTS colleagues to ensure the effective administration of justice.
The key purpose of the role
Job Description
Working closely with judiciary, legal professionals and tribunal administration teams, the Legal Officer will undertake initial assessments on a range of incoming tribunals work, including case files, applications, and correspondence in order to establish the level of authority and expertise needed to address the case and determine the most effective route for case progression. Working to delegated judicial functions, the Legal Officer will provide ongoing and proactive management of caseloads, identifying any barriers or risks to effective case progression and developing interventions or actions to resolve these, liaising with a range of stakeholders and the public.
The Legal Officer will be expected to evidence a strong understanding of functioning across tribunals and may be required to provide cross jurisdictional expertise.
Development
HMCTS are committed to learning and development and aim to grow talent from within where possible. To this end, a key benefit for our Legal Officers/Tribunal Caseworkers is the opportunity to apply for entry to the HMCTS legal apprenticeship scheme which runs an internal intake annually. This apprenticeship scheme supports training of staff in this role to become fully qualified solicitors and career progression into the role of legal adviser in the magistrates court or legal team manager within tribunals. The legal apprenticeship is completed over a 3 – 6 year period depending on your previous qualifications and entry point to the scheme.
Customer service and standards

• Promotes user focussed activity and standards – has strong written and interpersonal skills utilising principles of Human Voice of Justice.
• Contributes to SOC (Standard Operating Controls), SAF (Service Assurance Framework)
• leads on maintaining standards of service and identifies areas for improvement
• takes forward solutions using ‘continuous improvement’ techniques.
• Management of complaints and services failures.

The Key Objectives Of The Role Include:
Initial Case
Assessment
The Legal Officer Will Be Required To Undertake Initial Assessment On Incoming Tribunals Documentation And Liaise With Various Stakeholders, Including Service Users, To Ensure Effective Case Progression. This Will Include:

• Identifying that claims / appeals have been lodged within the relevant timelines.
• Ensuring that claims / appeals are being addressed by the correct tribunal and at the correct tribunal tier.
• Ensuring any relevant fees have been paid by claimants / appellants.
• Ensuring claims / appeals are made on the correct. documentation and that all of the information necessary to progress the case is present.
• Ensuring claims and appeals are allocated to the correct appeal type and where appropriate listing track.
• Triaging of referrals to appropriate authority.
• Providing instructions to administrative staff.

Case Management
Operating under delegated judicial functions, manage the case by removing barriers to its progression and ensuring efficient allocation of tribunal resources. This will include:

• Drafting and issuing directions to parties to file evidence and other documents.
• Providing listing instructions to administrative staff.
• Ensuring the panel composition is appropriate to the case.
• Ensuring interpreter requirements are identified.
• Undertaking case management appointments.
• Checking cases for readiness ahead of hearings.
• Communicating and engaging with parties to an appeal to ensure effective case progression.
• Undertaking a range of high-quality casework, including complex casework.
• Providing flexible technical case support as required

Applications from parties to the appeal
Working to delegated judicial powers, Legal Officers/Tribunal Caseworkers will be expected to identify and sift applications, making decisions on:

• Postponing hearings.
• Transferring proceedings to another region or jurisdiction.
• Withdrawing proceedings.
• Extending and varying time to comply with an aspect of procedure rules.
• Varying directions.
• Expediting a hearing.
• Considering reasonable adjustments to make hearings more accessible to parties.

Multi-Jurisdictional Expertise
Operating within a regional cluster, the Legal Officers/Tribunal Caseworkers may be expected to develop expertise across a number of tribunal jurisdictions in order to provide flexible technical case support.
Communicating with key stakeholders
Ensuring effective engagement with judiciary, user groups and representative organisations in order to progress tribunals work effectively.

• Thinking beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications of issues.

Administration
Undertake any administration necessary to support the effective delivery of the Legal Officer/Tribunal Caseworker role, ensuring:

• All relevant documentation is completed fully, accurately and in timely manner.
• All physical and electronic tribunal case files and records are maintained in accordance with policy and data protection protocols.

Accountability
The Legal Officer/Tribunal Caseworker will report to a manager within a Courts & Tribunals Service Centre or Regional Hearing Centre. When working under delegated judicial functions, the Legal Officer/Tribunal Caseworker will receive significant technical input and direction from the relevant tribunal judiciary.
Experience

• A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.

The Equivalent Technical Experience Has Been Defined As:
“The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”
Operational Delivery in HMCTS
This Role Is Part Of The Legal 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.
Further details
New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.
These operational roles are customer facing, requiring successful applicants to be office based to provide HMCTS services to the public. Non-contractual hybrid working may be available, but we cannot facilitate requests for a particular work from home/working in the office schedule.
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.
Occasional Travel To Other Courts
For this post, occasional travel to other sites may be required
Technical Skills
Legal scenario will be given at interview as part of the assessment
A law degree or equivalent technical experience is desirable.
The Equivalent Technical Experience Has Been Defined As:
“The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”
Proud to serve. Proud to keep justice going.
Our Legal Officers play a critical role in helping deliver justice. If you’re intent on serving the public by delivering excellent service, and are enthusiastic about working with the judiciary, then this role gives you the opportunity to play a pivotal role within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
The Equivalent Technical Experience Has Been Defined As:
“The demonstration of a transferable decision-making aptitude, working within a set framework or guidance and previous precedents, under a form of supervision”
Person specification
Please Refer To Job Description
Behaviours
We\’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We\’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Please refer to the Technical Skills section in the Job Description

Alongside your salary of £38,661, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £11,200 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Technical skills.
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 Technical skills.
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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email :
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL ( ) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: #J-18808-Ljbffr