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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.

Job Title: High Cost Family Case Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Grade: EO

Salary range (depending on location): National - £25,827 to £27,170

Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.

Location: South Tyneside

Directorate: Case Management

Team: High Cost Family

Working Pattern: The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely (as part of hybrid working), part time or as part of a job share etc.

If you are applying for a part time role, please note that in order to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 21 hours and to cover 3 days of the week. Please note that you will be expected to be in the office full time for at least two weeks to undertake initial training.

Reporting to: High Cost Family Senior Case Manager

Closing date for applications 11th April 2023

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We provide civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales to help people deal with their legal problems.

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The LAA is committed to diversity and inclusion and we positively promote flexible working, including job shares.

We will consider all applications on merit regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion, ethnicity, preferred working pattern and except for exceptional circumstances your working location.

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

Case Management

The Case Management department is the delivery function of the LAA and our staff ensure that each year 600,000 new clients are able to access the justice they require, and that providers are fairly paid for the delivery of the legal aid. As part of the work we do, we must ensure that we fund appropriate cases whilst protecting public money.

High Cost Family

The High Cost Cases team manage all family cases (complex care cases, private law family, child abduction, inherent jurisdiction and warship) over £25,000 through case planning and ongoing negotiations. This includes cases with single and two counsel and accounts for £120m of the fund. The team deals with some of the most complex and costly cases the LAA receives. Due to the higher value of each certificate, the team are also involved in provider, counsel and cost lawyer engagement and improvement. Once costs are agreed on a case plan, providers can bill up to this amount, based on the decisions made by a case manager.

Job Summary

As a case manager, you will be expected to effectively and pro-actively manage CCFS (Care Case Fee Scheme)-based and hourly rates case plans, including amendments and correspondence. This will require making evidence-based decisions using relevant guidance, negotiating using influencing skills and communicating effectively and clearly. Where limited guidance is available, you will be required to make clearly justified decisions on costs using discretion. You will have the authority to agree case plans up to £100,000 without prior sign-off. You may agree case plans in excess of this figure, but delegated authority from a higher grade is required.

You will deal cases involving complex family proceedings (including stat charge, wardship and section 8) which involve multiple parties, including local authorities and incur large quantities of fund spend.
You will provide expert advice and make decisions on high cost cases submitted to the Team, handle challenges in relation to case work decisions and other associated work by applying the correct statute, regulations, subject specific guidance and case law ensuring these are handled quickly and accurately.
You will help to build the capability of others by providing feedback for colleagues so they can develop their case work skills and knowledge. You will assist with establishing and maintaining professional links between HCF and other teams to promote closer working relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

• Acquiring a comprehensive and up to date understanding of current guidance and regulations, and using this to make decisions on new and ongoing high cost case plans.
• Make decisions to approve, refuse or reject amendments, appeals, applications or claims for costs (including those escalated through financial stewardship). This includes complex cases where expert judgement is required.
• Deal with complex issues that have been escalated including complaints from clients, Head Office MP’s and external bodies. Taking effective action by using discretion and expert judgement and identifying learning points and corrective action.
• Apply discretion and reasoned judgement in instances of ambiguity, or where limited guidance is available
• Ensure all data is processed accurately, securely and in accordance with LAA data security guidelines
• Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Taking responsibility for providing guidance and making suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas, ensuring team are aware of and understand any changes to be implemented. Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Liaise with suppliers and clients as appropriate providing accurate and timely responses to correspondence and telephone calls received from internal and external customers
• Participate in and contribute to project groups both locally and nationally to review and improve procedures
• Prepare, deliver and, where appropriate engage in designing internal and external training
• Act as a quality controller and engage in the QC/XOQC and consistency processes to ensure improvements are made where errors are identified. Provide guidance and make suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas. Taking an active role in promoting consistency and using expert judgement when priorities conflict.
• Effectively contribute to the development of others through one to one training, mentoring and providing constructive feedback against LAA standards
• Contribute to and lead on the review and development of processes to ensure ongoing efficiency and effectiveness of work procedures, providing an effective link between policy/quality improvement groups and the team.
• Identify key policy/regulations issues and questions on the team and act as an effective link between the quality improvement groups (ccBIG/MIT/LIT) taking forward issues/queries and communicating responses to ensure effective implementation of changes.
• Contribute in meetings, getting actively involved in the sharing of views, ideas and solutions.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills

• Ability to negotiate effectively using influencing skills
• Ability to make decisions where there is limited guidance
• Effective analytical and numerical skills
• Effective communication skills both written and verbal
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions
• Ability to give clear feedback
• IT Literate – a good knowledge of Microsoft office, excel and digital technology
• Ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to deliver training and undertake mentoring

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

• A legal qualification
• Previous experience in a casework environment
• Knowledge of key priorities for organisation and how these relate to and impact on specific business unit and across Case Management as a whole.
• Worked with stakeholders to successfully resolve complex issues

Person Specification

• enjoys working as part of a team but also independently
• enjoys working in a fast-changing environment

Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply complete an application based of the following behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions

• Communicating & Influencing

• Delivering At Pace

• Changing & Improving

When submitting an example of a behaviour remember to include the situation, what you did and why, and what was the outcome / result.

Please note that if we have a large number of applications will we do an initial sift on the Making Effective Decisions behaviour.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the following:

• Strengths relevant to the role
• Some or all of the following Behaviours:

1. Making Effective Decisions
Take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner. Analyse and research further information to support decisions. Talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed. Explain how decisions have been reached in a clear and concise way, both verbally and in writing. Demonstrate the consideration of all options, costs, risks and wider implications, including the diverse needs of end users and any accessibility requirements.

2. Communicating & Influencing
Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money. Interact with others in an enthusiastic way. Express ideas clearly and with respect for others. Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working. Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions. Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity.

3. Delivering At Pace
Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging.

• A short mathematical and literacy-based exercise around case planning and writing a letter to an external stakeholder.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 17th April 2023

Interviews are planned for week commencing 8th May 2023

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact – Louise Cowell ([email protected])

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing [email protected] initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.

If you are dissatisfied with our response, we will forward your complaint to the Civil Service Commission, an independent body, for review.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%
• 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.

Job contact :

Name :
SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
Email :
[email protected]
Telephone :
0845 241 5359

Recruitment team :

Email :
[email protected]