Senior Casework & Improvement Lead, Judicial Conduct Investigations OfficeMinistry of Justice

Group/Directorate/Team: JCIO

Role: SENIOR CASEWORK & IMPROVEMENT LEAD

Grade: G7

Role title: G7 Senior Casework & Improvement Lead

Team/Directorate:

JCIO

Overview of the Judicial Office

This is standardised wording and cannot be amended.

The Judicial Office (JO) reports to, and is accountable, to the Lady Chief Justice (LCJ). It was established in 2006 to provide support to the LCJ and to the wider judiciary in upholding the rule of law and in delivering justice impartially, speedily and efficiently, following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

In addition, we support, and are accountable to, the Senior President of Tribunals, whose responsibilities extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The JO is an interesting and unique place to work. Everything we do is in support of upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. We work closely with HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and others across Government as well as with the legal professions.

We are an Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. This creates an interesting and complex environment in which to work where we agree our priorities with the senior judiciary and receive our funding to deliver them from the Ministry of Justice. The Judicial Office has been through a period of significant growth resulting from an expansion of our remit and responsibilities.

Overview of the team

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice in exercising their joint responsibility for judicial discipline. It assesses complaints about the personal conduct of judicial office holders and provides expert casework, advice and operational support in a sensitive, legally complex and high-profile environment. It also advises on complaints about magistrates.

Administratively part of the Judicial Office, the JCIO works with colleagues across the Judicial Office while maintaining its operational independence and the confidence of the Lord Chancellor, the Lady Chief Justice and other senior stakeholders.

Its 21 civil servants handle around 4,000 complaints each year alongside an increasingly complex range of sensitive issues.

Hybrid Working Requirement

This is standardised wording and cannot be amended.

This position is eligible for hybrid working (current minimum requirement for time spent at base location is 60%, which is subject to business requirements).

Summary of the role

To sustain high performance and strengthen senior leadership, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office is recruiting a Grade 7 Senior Casework and Improvement Lead. The role will add capacity, resilience and judgement across casework, improvement, litigation and stakeholder engagement.

This stretching and varied leadership role requires operational grip, sound judgement, strong communication and confidence in handling sensitive legal, policy and casework issues. The post holder will be expected to work with significant autonomy, planning and delivering complex work with minimal supervision. The role offers an opportunity to shape the organisation’s response to growing demand and improve the delivery of a vital public service.

Responsibilities,Activities & Duties:

Key responsibilities include:

• Support the Grade 6 Head of JCIO in the leadership of the JCIO team and in the delivery of its full range of functions.
• Work closely with the Grade 7 Head of Casework to provide senior casework leadership and support to the JCIO’s casework and business support sub-teams.
• Provide high-quality advice and support to the senior judiciary and the Lord Chancellor on judicial disciplinary matters.
• Lead on policy, project and reform work agreed by the Lady Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor.
• Contribute to the management of responses to pre-action correspondence and litigation, working with Government Legal Department lawyers.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues across the Judicial Office, Ministry of Justice, legal advisers, the judiciary and wider stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the Head of JCIO and Head of Casework to ensure senior cover is available in the JCIO throughout the working week.
• Represent the JCIO at meetings and stakeholder events such as judicial induction and training events to explain the JCIO’s remit and approach clearly and confidently.
• Provide clear, balanced and proportionate advice to colleagues and stakeholders on sensitive casework, operational and reputational issues.
• Champion a positive and inclusive working culture which embodies the Judicial Office values of purpose, humanity, openness, together.
• Line-manage one Senior Executive Officer team member.
• Support the leadership of the wider Judicial Office by contributing to corporate work, for example cross-Judicial Office working groups.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Experience of leading, supporting or developing staff, or providing senior professional leadership in a complex operational environment.
• Experience of managing complex, sensitive or high-profile casework, policy, operational or legal issues.
• Sound judgement and the ability to provide clear, balanced and proportionate advice on difficult or sensitive matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly to senior colleagues and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across organisational boundaries, including with legal, policy, operational and stakeholder partners.
• Experience of leading improvement activity and change in an operational setting.
• Experience of planning, managing and delivering significant projects.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including experience of using Microsoft Copilot to improve productivity.
• Experience of working with sensitive and complex information, with a sound understanding of how to handle it responsibly.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• A legal qualification or significant experience in a legally complex, regulatory or statutory environment, with the ability to apply rules, procedures and advice fairly, consistently and clearly.
• Senior-level experience of handling complaints.
• Knowledge of the judicial disciplinary system and the wider justice system.

Behaviours (for Recruitment/Success Profiles):

• Leadership (lead behaviour)
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Assessment process at application

CV, Statement of suitability & application assessed.

Assessment process at interview

Interview only

Security clearance required:

Select one of the below.

(this will be determined by the location)

• DBS
• CTC
• SC
• DV

Please note:

Central Government policy dictates that applicants for National Security Clearance must be a resident in the UK for these minimum periods:

• CTC - 3 years
• SC - 5 years
• DV - 10 years

CTC