HR Complex Caseworker

Job summary

We are MHCLG

• Provide timely, proportionate HR advice on complex casework, aligned with employment law and MHCLG policy. • Work with managers and HR colleagues to progress complex cases, including absence, performance, discipline, grievance and workplace adjustments. • Support Employment Tribunal and early conciliation activity, including evidence gathering, milestone tracking and stakeholder liaison.
• Build line manager confidence through coaching, guidance, briefings and casework learning. • Support the development and implementation of clear MHCLG HR policies, guidance, templates and work instructions. • Share employment law, Civil Service HR practice and casework learning with HR colleagues. • Support continuous improvement of casework processes, data capture, escalation and employee experience. This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is establishing a new in-house HR Casework and Advisory Service to provide consistent, timely and policy-led support on complex people matters across the department. As a Senior HR Casework and Advisory Manager, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering this service, helping managers navigate employee relations issues while ensuring fair, pragmatic and legally compliant outcomes.

Working closely with HR colleagues, senior leaders and key stakeholders, you will provide expert advice on a range of complex casework, including attendance, performance, conduct, grievance and workplace adjustment matters. You will also support Employment Tribunal and early conciliation activity, coordinate case progression, and contribute to the development of high-quality HR policies, guidance and tools.

Alongside managing casework, you will build line manager capability through coaching, guidance and knowledge sharing, helping to create a culture where people issues are managed confidently, consistently and in line with MHCLG values. You will use insights from casework to drive continuous improvement, enhancing processes, employee experience and the overall effectiveness of the new service.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR professional to influence the development of a modern, customer-focused advisory function and make a tangible impact across the organisation.

Job description

This SEO role will support fair case resolution, line manager capability, Employment Tribunal activity and service improvement, working closely with HR colleagues and senior stakeholders across the department.

​Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert, timely and proportionate advice on complex employee relations and people matters, ensuring compliance with employment legislation, Civil Service principles and MHCLG policies.

• Manage and support a varied caseload, working closely with managers and HR colleagues to progress cases relating to attendance, performance, conduct, grievance, workplace adjustments and other complex employment issues.

• Support the effective management of Employment Tribunal claims and early conciliation activity, including coordinating evidence gathering, monitoring key milestones, maintaining accurate records and liaising with internal and external stakeholders.

• Build line manager confidence and capability by providing coaching, guidance, briefings and practical advice to support effective people management and early issue resolution.

• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of HR policies, procedures, guidance, templates and work instructions, ensuring they are clear, user-focused and aligned to organisational needs.

• Share knowledge and expertise across the HR community, promoting best practice in employment law, Civil Service HR policy and employee relations case management.

• Use data, insights and lessons learned from casework activity to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement, supporting informed decision-making and proactive interventions.

• Support the continuous improvement of the HR Casework and Advisory Service by enhancing processes, controls, data capture, escalation routes and the overall employee and manager experience.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with HR colleagues, senior leaders, trade union representatives and other key stakeholders to support positive and consistent outcomes.

• Contribute to wider HR priorities, projects and service development activities as required.

This list is not exhaustive, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of the role in line with business needs.

Person specification

• Working knowledge of current employment legislation. • Knowledge of MHCLG HR policies, Civil Service HR practice and fair casework outcomes. • Experience managing or advising on complex HR casework, including absence, performance, discipline, grievance, adjustments or Employment Tribunal matters. • Experience in a Civil Service, public sector or complex HR environment. • Experience of working constructively with others in a busy, sensitive and changing service environment. • Experience working with managers, employees, HR colleagues, senior leaders and representative bodies to support fair outcomes. • An understanding of GDPR, data protection practices and confidentiality principles. • Good working knowledge of MS Office functions, e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint.

Essential Criteria

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent professional knowledge and experience), or a willingness to work towards achieving this qualification.
• Working knowledge of current employment legislation and its application to complex employee relations casework.
• Experience of organisational HR policies, Civil Service HR practice and the principles of achieving fair and consistent casework outcomes.
• Experience of managing or advising on complex HR casework, including absence, performance, conduct, grievance, workplace adjustments and/or Employment Tribunal matters.
• Experience of working within a Civil Service, public sector or similarly complex organisational environment.
• Experience of working collaboratively with managers, employees, HR colleagues, senior leaders and representative bodies to achieve effective outcomes.
• Ability to build positive working relationships and work constructively within a busy, sensitive and evolving service environment.
• Understanding of GDPR, data protection requirements and the importance of maintaining confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 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).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Strengths , Technical

Stage 1: Sift

• Behaviour: (Lead Behaviour) Making Effective Decisions

• Behaviour: Managing a Quality Service

• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing

• Behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture Behaviour

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When writing your application, remember:

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially

• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers

• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture and Making Effective Decisions.

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

• Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.

Candidates will be asked to prepare and verbally present a case study, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 02/11.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 16/11 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a Disability Confident Scheme, Redeployment Interview scheme & Great Place to Work for Veterans employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office: + CTC

London Office: + CTC

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.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

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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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

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 : Tina Evans
• Email : Tina.Evans@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk