Group Leader

Criminal Cases Review Commission

United Kingdom

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Legal

Flexible

£57,562 per year

Job summary

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has a unique statutory role in independently reviewing such cases and deciding whether there is a real possibility that a conviction or sentence would not be upheld by the appeal courts.

Following the recent HMCPSI inspection of the CCRC’s casework, the Group Leader role is central to improving the quality, consistency and timeliness of reviews. We are looking for leaders who can provide clear direction, constructive challenge and proportionate assurance so that Case Review Managers focus on the right issues and produce well reasoned recommendations.

We have six casework groups. Each Group Leader manages one group of around eight Case Review Managers (CRMs), each of whom holds a challenging case portfolio. The Group Leader is responsible for leading people, overseeing portfolios and supporting improvement across the organisation. Group Leaders are accountable to the Head of Casework Operations for their group’s performance and for maintaining high standards across the team.

Case reviews vary significantly in complexity and may require analysis of trial and appeal material, applications, public body records, expert evidence, legal advice, investigative enquiries and sensitive stakeholder communications. The Group Leader helps ensure that reviews are properly scoped, planned and progressed.

This is a leadership role with a strong first-line assurance function. This includes scrutinising proposed lines of enquiry, making sure that all reasonable lines are followed, challenging unnecessary or unfocused work, ensuring requests for material are justified, and helping CRMs identify when legal, investigative, forensic or specialist input is needed. Group Leaders set expectations for casework quality, provide early case direction, challenge case plans where appropriate, monitor progress, identify drift and support CRMs to make sound, timely recommendations for Commissioners to consider.

You will need to be confident analysing complex information, exercising impartial judgement and giving clear, constructive feedback. You will also need to create a supportive environment in which staff feel able to seek advice, discuss risk, learn from quality assurance findings and continuously improve their casework practice.
You will set the tone for how the group works with applicants and stakeholders, including victims of crime and agencies across the criminal justice system. You will advise on complex cases and work with Case Review Managers and Commissioners to support fair, well-reasoned outcomes.

Job description

Role Purpose:

To enable the effective delivery of the CCRC’s casework operations by leading one of six casework groups and providing first-line assurance over the quality, consistency and timeliness of case reviews. In the context of the HMCPSI inspection report, the Group Leader role supports stronger casework oversight by ensuring reviews are properly planned, focused, progressed and recorded. Group Leaders thereby contribute to:

fulfilling the CCRC’s purpose of finding, investigating and referring suspected miscarriages of justice; and
achieving the CCRC’s strategic aims, including the post-inspection focus on improving casework quality, assurance, consistency, proportionality and timeliness

Group Leaders balance autonomy with appropriate consultation and collaboration, providing constructive challenge and documented oversight of casework activity within their groups.

Key Responsibilities & Tasks
Dimensions/Key Responsibilities
• Responsibility for the management and performance of a team of Case Review Managers;
• Responsibility for the management of cases awaiting allocation, including anticipating likely resource requirements.

The core responsibilities are:

Leadership and first-line assurance

Lead the group so staff understand the CCRC’s purpose, values and post-inspection priorities.
Set expectations for timely, proportionate and well-reasoned casework.
Support implementation of HMCPSI related improvements and stronger assurance arrangements.
Be accountable to the Head of Casework Operations for the quality, timeliness and oversight of work delivered by the group.
Provide first-line assurance by reviewing case plans and draft decisions, monitoring progress, challenging drift or inactivity and ensuring supervision is clearly recorded.
Escalate significant casework, performance, resource or assurance issues where necessary.

Management

Line manage group members, including setting objectives, supporting development and addressing performance or quality concerns
Manage resources across the group, taking account of portfolio size, case complexity, priority and risk
Meet regularly with staff to review case progress, priorities, wellbeing and barriers to delivery.
Use performance information and assurance findings to identify delay, quality issues, training needs or additional support required.
Contribute to recruitment, induction and wider casework process improvements.

Casework quality assurance

Provide advice and constructive challenge to ensure case reviews are focused and linked to the real possibility test.
Review case strategies, case plans and key milestones, ensuring issues are clear and enquiries are justified.
Monitor portfolios to identify delay, inactivity, risk, complexity or lack of progress
Scrutinise key casework products, including draft Statements of Reasons, for accuracy, clarity, reasoning and consistency
Undertake proportionate dip sampling, provide feedback and follow up where improvement is needed.
Share learning from supervision and assurance activity with CRMs, other Group Leaders and relevant teams.
Work with other Group Leaders and specialist teams to manage cases awaiting allocation and resolve significant casework issues.

Other

Communicate key messages to group members and senior management, including changes arising from HMCPSI recommendations.
Contribute to organisational learning by sharing assurance findings, good practice and recurring barriers to quality, timeliness or consistency.
Promotes equality of opportunity and deals with people fairly. Understands the benefits of diversity and values individual differences in line with CCRC policies.
The Group Leader also helps create an environment where CRMs feel able to seek advice, discuss risk, receive constructive feedback and learn from assurance findings.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

Lead: Experience within the criminal justice system – Significant experience within an investigative role within the UK criminal justice system, or a UK legal qualification and experience of/or practice within the UK criminal justice system
Lead: Leadership Skills – Experience of leading, motivating and constructively challenging individuals to improve quality and performance, with the ability to embed HMCPSI-related improvements in casework quality, consistency and assurance. Demonstrates commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Comprehensive experience of complex legal or investigative casework – Proven experience of successfully managing a complex portfolio of cases with competing deadlines and conflicting priorities
Analytical/thinking skills – Ability to analyse complex information, identify key issues and evidential gaps, and make sound, evidence-based decisions within
delegated authority. Demonstrates strategic and solution-focused thinking to support HMCPSI-related improvements in casework quality and assurance.

Desirable criteria:

Experience of effectively leading teams through periods of change and successfully embedding change

Please refer to the candidate information pack which contains full details.

Behaviours

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

Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,562, Criminal Cases Review Commission contributes £16,675 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We offer a wide range of benefits, including flexible working options. You can also look forward to:

A Civil Service pension - this will see us making a significant contribution to your pension fund
29 days' annual leave allowance (pro rata), in addition to eight statutory bank holidays and special leave allowance for your birthday
Generous paid maternity, paternity and shared parental leave (SPL), in addition to other enhanced family related policies, which are in excess of the statutory minimum
We have flexible working patterns, including access to a flexible working scheme
We also operate a flexi time system which means you can build up to two additional days off per month
Remote working (anywhere in the UK) - we will supply a laptop and any equipment you don't already have so you can work from home comfortably and safely
Reimbursement for any travel, subsistence, and expenses
3 paid volunteering days per year
Access to retail discounts and a cashback site
Occupational Health Services and an Employee Assistance Programme
Free eye tests and a contribution towards lenses or spectacles for VDU users

To find out more and apply, please visit our website.

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.

Selection process timeline:

Applications should be submitted via our careers site by no later than 23:55 on 6 September 2026.

Our recruitment is anonymous so instead of CV’s, candidates will need to submit an online application form.

Application:

When you apply, you will be asked a few screening questions. If you pass the screening questions, you will receive an email inviting you to respond to the Criteria
questions, which are based on the Person Specification. Your responses to the criteria questions must be submitted before the vacancy closing date.

Assessment:

Once the advert has closed, candidates will be invited to complete two online timed ability assessments (Verbal Reasoning and Logical Reasoning).

Shortlisting:

Those who score highest in the assessments will then be shortlisted against evidence of meeting the essential criteria as set out in the Person Specification.

Case Study Exercise:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to undertake a 70 minute timed case study exercise. Alongside this, you will also be asked to complete a video screening exercise where a Behaviour question will be presented, and you will have 5 minutes to record your answer.

Those who pass the written exercise and video screening question will be invited to attend a 35-mminute online interview the following day, which is focused on your written case study exercise submission.

This assessment requires candidates to be available on 2 consecutive days so please ensure you include details in your application form of any dates that you are
unavailable.

Interview:

Candidates who pass the Case Study Exercise stage will be invited to attend a final interview, focused on Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours and Strengths. Please note, feedback is only provided to candidates who attend a panel interview.

Any offers will be subject to successful completion of pre-employment checks including security clearance to CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) level.

One of our HR colleagues will be available to answer any queries you may have throughout the process.

Please note, the above dates are subject to change. It may not be possible to accommodate alternative requests for assessment and interviews. Please refer to candidate pack for the indicative timeline.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the HR team in the first instance.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.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 : CCRC HR Team
Email : hr@ccrc.gov.uk

Salary range

£57,562 per year