Capability Officer - Legal Aid Agency (Ref: 17324)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Job Title & Grade: Capability Officer - EO

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary range (depending on location):

National - £29,303 to £31,061

London - £33,551 to £35,564

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: Any LAA office

Please note that whilst this role is open to external candidates, you can only apply for London, Cambridge and Brighton offices if you are a current LAA staff member based in those offices. This is due to and in line with the LAA's Location Strategy and the Cabinet Office's Places for Growth Strategy.

Minimum Working Pattern:

If you are applying for a part time role, please note that to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 30 hours per week.

To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training.

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.

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.

Corporate Services

Corporate Services helps shape and enable the priorities of the Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team, and People Committee to be delivered.

The LAA fully supports smart and flexible working. Members of Corporate Services and the People and Capability Team are based in multiple locations across England and Wales. Travel will be required on occasion.

People and Capability Team

The People and Capability Team play a key role in supporting us to achieve our Strategic Objective Three to become a truly diverse and inclusive employer of choice. We intend to ensure that colleagues who work here feel like they belong to an organisation that is Diverse: with inclusive teams that represent the people of England and Wales, Smarter: flexing how we work together to deliver our best and be well and Learning: taking opportunities to grow together as individuals, leaders and teams.

Capability Team

Our team is responsible for delivering the LAA’s central Learning and Development (L&D) offer. We do this by working alongside the Capability Champions and consulting business areas to curate an offer that fits business need. We aim to create an environment where staff have access to the right opportunities to thrive and be the best they can be.

We welcome all new starters through our Corporate Induction session, helping to give them a good understanding of who we are, the work we do, and what we stand for in the LAA, including our culture and values.

We deliver Rising Together, a programme created specifically to support our colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds to succeed. We also deliver the Line Manager Fundamentals programme, which is a six-week course designed to equip new and aspiring line managers with the foundational skills and knowledge to grow and succeed in their role.

We manage the central L&D budget to fund externally led training for topics varying from change management to effective communications. Individuals can also apply for funding from the budget to pay for specific learning related to their role.

For staff looking to advance their careers we offer a variety of support including workshops about the recruitment process, and mock interviews as a way of helping to prepare for real life interviews.

Ultimately, what we love to see is people reaching their full potential, so whether staff are joining, growing or leading in the LAA, we’re here to support everyone on their learning and development journey.

Job Summary

• Are you passionate about making a positive difference to people’s experience at work?
• Do you enjoy collaborating with colleagues to discuss and resolve issues to ensure we deliver our best?
• Are you ready to create opportunities for individuals, leaders and teams to grow and learn?

Key Responsibilities:

• Create, design, and deliver a range of training sessions and resources to develop the capability of staff across the LAA, ensuring all content is inclusive and accessible to a range of diverse audiences.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of learning and development activities, using feedback and data to improve future delivery.
• Write engaging copy, e.g., intranet articles, blogs, and newsletters to promote our learning and development activities and highlight key initiatives, co-ordinating with our Internal Communications team to agree timescales and content.
• Regularly review and update our internal SharePoint sites for all learning and development resources, events and opportunities.
• Assist in the delivery of key events and projects as required, working collaboratively with colleagues within and beyond the People and Capability team, e.g., the People Survey, People Plan, Learning at Work week and Leaders Live event.
• Provide recruitment support and guidance to colleagues with job applications, Statements of Suitability, and interview preparation, including mock interviews.
• Support the induction of new starters, including arranging, coordinating, and facilitating sessions, ensuring all new colleagues are welcomed into the organisation.
• Work in collaboration with staff networks and Champion groups to ensure L&D opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all, identifying and addressing any barriers, raising awareness of existing opportunities and seeking feedback to ensure all needs are taken into account.
• Undertake administrative activities including creating and managing the registration of events, managing attendance lists, updating spreadsheets, and responding to enquiries received via the shared Capability Team inbox.
• Undertake administrative duties in relation to the procurement of external training requests, including raising purchase orders, booking training, setting up new suppliers and invoice settlement.
• Listen to our people and act on what matters through surveys and workshops, collating the feedback, analysing and reporting on the results to inform our plans.
• Build and manage engaging and community-style networks around Learning & Development, to support people to find the best learning for them.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to engage with different audiences whilst ensuring content is inclusive and accessible.
• Ability to work autonomously to plan, organise and manage own workload effectively to ensure delivery of plans.
• Ability to design, develop, present, and facilitate training and development activities.
• Ability to work collaboratively within and outside of own team, delivering positive outcomes to support the development of colleagues across the LAA.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

• Ability to write engaging copy with some experience of writing for impact e.g., Intranet stories, blogs, newsletters.
• Knowledge and/or experience of how to use data to inform plans, e.g., workshop outputs.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft applications such as Outlook, Teams, Excel, Forms, and PowerPoint.

Person Specification

• Enjoys helping and supporting others to develop their skills and achieve their goals.
• Advocates for and role models the importance of continual learning and development.
• Understands the importance of creating safe, inclusive and accessible learning environments to allow people to thrive and reach their full potential.
• Enjoys working autonomously and using own initiative to find new and innovative ways to engage staff in L&D activities.
• Ability to travel to different LAA offices based on business needs.

Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more that 750 words.

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

Please note we do not require a CV.

Please note that we only require a statement of suitability for your application. The wording on this advert may suggest that an Experience question is also required, however this is not necessary.

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
• The following Behaviours:

o Delivering at Pace

o Working Together

o Developing Self and Others

• Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important to them and to where they work. Examples of action they have taken (in or outside of work) to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding) or improve inclusion for others will increase the strength of their answer.

• You will also be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation, this will be tested against the Communicating and Influencing behaviour. Details will be shared with those invited to interview, allowing time to prepare.

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 1st June 2026

Interviews are planned for week commencing 29th June 2026

If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact – Deanne Bowman at Deanne.Bowman1@justice.gov.uk

Our LAA commitment to 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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.

The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk 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.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,303, Legal Aid Agency contributes £8,489 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: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements 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, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

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 (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) 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: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/17324?entityId=17324