Offender Subject Access Request Team - Team Leader

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people, 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.

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 making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.

The Offender Subject Access Request team sits within the MoJ’s Security, Services and Information Governance Group Directorate. 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. The Offender SAR team manage and process over 6,000 Subject Access Requests (SARs) on behalf of the MoJ per annum.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Team Leader, providing an expert and dedicated function in the processing of offender Subject Access Requests (SARs). Our work plays a vital role in supporting individuals through their sentence and rehabilitation by ensuring they have access to the right information at the right time. We are committed to responding to all requests in full and within statutory timescales.

As a Team Leader, you will manage and lead a team of administrative staff responsible for processing offender SARs. This is a people-focused role, where you will provide day-to-day support, guidance, and leadership to ensure your team feel motivated, engaged, and equipped to perform at their best. You will oversee the assessment of personal data, ensuring disclosures are lawful and exemptions are applied appropriately where necessary. You will ensure work is effectively planned, prioritised, and allocated through our workflow management system, enabling requests to be completed in full, to a high standard, and within statutory deadlines. You will be part of a large and evolving team exploring new technology to improve efficiency and manage complex workloads. This role offers an excellent opportunity to shape team performance, support staff development, and contribute to continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and motivate a team, ensuring work is organised and delivered on time.
• Allocate and monitor workloads using the team’s workflow system, ensuring work is prioritised effectively to meet statutory timescales.
• Oversee decision-making on disclosure of personal information and application of exemptions.
• Conduct regular 1-1 meetings, providing coaching, feedback and support to drive performance and wellbeing.
• Manage HR-related processes including attendance, conduct, performance management, and capability concerns, in line with policy.
• Set clear expectations and monitor progress against targets to achieve 100% compliance wherever possible.
• Support staff development, identifying training needs and helping individuals reach their full potential.
• Undertake quality assurance checks and implement improvement or remediation plans where required.
• Recognise and reward high performance and positive behaviours.
• Work with EO colleagues to identify opportunities for process and performance improvements.
• Support implementation of changes and lead your team through them effectively.
• Ensure staff have a strong understanding of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and apply it correctly.
• Provide guidance and hold regular team meetings to ensure consistency and best practice.

Person Specification

Essential skills:

• Create a supportive, inclusive working environment, promoting staff wellbeing, engagement, and resilience.
• People management skills, with the ability to support, motivate and develop staff in a people-focused environment.
• Provide day-to-day support, responding to team needs and removing barriers to performance.
• Is organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities.
• Communicates clearly and provides constructive feedback.
• Takes a flexible, positive, and solutions-focused approach.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Working in a digital environment to streamline processes and deliver high quality, value for money services.
• Experience of delivering customer service excellence in a processing environment.
• Proven capability to manage workloads effectively, prioritising tasks to meet stringent deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Teams, Outlook, and Adobe software.
• Excellent command of the English language, with strong reading comprehension and written communication skills.
• Working knowledge of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Has experience of allocating and managing workloads through a case management or workflow system.
• Experience of handling confidential information with sensitivity, professionalism and integrity.
• Experience of working in or with HMPPS.
• Delivers effective 1-1s, coaching, and staff development.
• Managing HR matters, including performance, attendance and wellbeing.

Additional Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity. The MoJ offers a range of benefits including annual leave, pension schemes, training opportunities, and employee-run networks.