Determinations Manager

Are you ready to lead with purpose and make a real difference to safeguarding in Scotland? As a Determinations Manager at Disclosure Scotland, you will join the National Barring Service – a core part of this executive agency of the Scottish Government. We provide criminal record checks to support safe and inclusive recruitment, manage the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, and make vital decisions about who should be barred from working with vulnerable groups on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Our work is central to Scotland’s safeguarding systems. The National Barring Service ensures that individuals who pose a risk to vulnerable people are identified and, where necessary, prevented from working in regulated roles. This role plays a crucial part in supporting that mission.

Responsibilities

• Act as senior decision maker in the most complex or marginal cases and chair regular case conferences.
• Accurately maintain electronic casework systems, ensuring sensitive personal data is managed appropriately and support teams to do likewise.
• Work collaboratively with other Determinations Managers to ensure the appropriate prioritisation of activities and allocation of resources to deliver team goals and objectives.
• Support continuous improvement by leading on actions designed to transform how we work.
• Line manage senior caseworkers, supporting staff development and the achievement of objectives. Guide and support staff where necessary when they encounter distressing information.
• Promote and model a culture that is focused on delivering excellent safeguarding outcomes, and a positive team ethos that supports a friendly, qualitative, learning-focused, and resilient workplace for all.
• Deputise for the Head of Protection Services at internal and external forums and contribute to a programme of engagement with key stakeholders.
• Build cross‑government networks and embed a culture of open and transparent communication.
• Lead teams and provide direction and motivation in an inclusive way.

Success Profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Professional/Technical Skills

• Connections and communication. Builds and uses relationships and networks to share insights, customer views, and learning about the issues affecting service and delivery effectiveness and impact. Ensures both self and teams apply best practice for diffusing hostility and managing conflict, and supports colleagues when incidents occur. Recognises the complexities of organisational service delivery, and communicates key issues and messages in an open, simple, and accessible way to stakeholders.
• Adaptability to change. Designs and sets up operational teams, processes and services to deliver operation and services to desired standards (including SLAs). Questions established practices and ways of working and embeds a continuous improvement ethos, habits and routines (Total Quality Management). Draws in and on digital expertise to develop strategies and plans for digitisation and service efficiency and improvement.
• Delivery and decision making at pace. Assesses and resets workloads as priorities change and supports team to sustain their resilience under pressure. Empowers team to make decisions and to intervene to help expeditory processes to outcomes for customers, but within policy and risk tolerance (e.g. when things good enough to proceed). Designs efficient end‑to‑end processes that reduces steps, duplication and potential blockages.

Behaviours

• Making effective decisions – Level 3.
• Managing a quality service – Level 3.
• Leadership – Level 3.

How To Apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and written analysis.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 24 November 2025, however this may be subject to change.

About Us

Disclosure Scotland (DS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, operating on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to perform an important safeguarding role for the people of Scotland. The work of DS directly supports the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes for Children and Young People, Economy, Fair Work and Business, Communities and Human Rights. To contribute to these, DS is responsible for three primary services, managing and delivering the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, Disclosure services, including processing applications for disclosure certificates and the National Barring Service for Scotland which combined, enable safer recruitment decisions to be made by employers, providing safer spaces for all of us when accessing services. These are exciting times for DS. We are transforming our business by continually improving our service offering to our customers and stakeholders.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role with a minimum of 2 days per week in our office. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre‑employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to have or be in a position to obtain Security Check (SC), National Security vetting, clearance as a minimum (levels may be subject to review).

Equality Statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Apply before: 9 November 2025 (23:59)