Lay Representative & Inspector

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!

The role offered is that of Lay Representative and Inspector within the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), which is part of the Insolvency Service's Business Service Division (BSD). BSD is an operational delivery directorate, covering some 300 staff, providing high volume, often transactional services to the public or supporting the provision of these services by others.

BSD supports the main purpose of the Insolvency Service, delivering economic confidence through:

Supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors

Making statutory redundancy payments to employees of insolvent companies

Managing the Debt Relief Order process and administering the online bankruptcy application process and Breathing Space process

Identifying wrongdoing associated with Debt Relief Orders and redundancy payment applications Providing a first point of contact for all insolvency service enquiries Processing distributions to creditors from PPI compensation payments Providing estate accounting and other business services to the Agency.

Job description

Each year the RPS deals with 60,000 to 100,000 applications from redundant employees in financial distress whose former employer cannot or will not pay their entitlements. The successful candidate will carry out two roles:

Lay Representative: Among the applications from redundant employees will be those that will be rejected as we believe they are not entitled to be paid based on legislation and case law. Claimants who wish to contest a rejection are referred to the Employment Tribunal (ET). The successful candidate will be one of three individuals who will represent the RPS at the ET. Preparing evidence bundles, presenting the evidence in support of our decision and leading cross examinations on our behalf.

Wage checks: In addition, the successful candidate will also carry out wage record checks. This involves working with the professionals administering the insolvent estate of a former employer. Your role would be to validate the information extracted from the wage records provided in support of claims.

Both roles are normally carried out remotely, however, attendance in person at the ET or at the former employer's premises is sometimes required.

Responsibilities

As a lay representative and inspector you will:

• be responsible for acquiring and maintaining a high level of knowledge of employment and insolvency legislation and case law

• be responsible for acquiring and maintaining a high level of knowledge of tribunal procedures, including bundle preparation and matters relating to the hearing

• have your own case load and be responsible for ensuring that procedural timelines such as for responding to and submitting evidence are adhered to

• draft skeleton arguments and take the lead on cross examination of evidence at the ET

• be responsible for assessing the likely outcome of a case at each stage additional evidence is provided

• proactively request legal advice as required and make recommendations to your G7 line manager whether to proceed with a case or to concede

• provide feedback as to the outcome and any lessons learned to colleagues in operational areas to affirm, improve or refine our decision making on claims after each hearing

• take the lead on liaising with insolvency practitioners and/or official receivers to arrange wage checks or appropriate cases within days of being notified that redundancies have or will be made

• make recommendations as to how to claimants entitlements are to be calculated. These may be complex, such as the weekly rate of pay of employees depending on how individuals pay is comprised.

• summarise your findings from each wage check in a detailed written report with a recommendation to a G6 Assistant Director as to whether the wage records can be relied upon to pay claims. The report would also include direction to operational colleagues on how to deal with any complex aspects of the claims.

• provide training and advice as required to colleagues within RPS.

• assist colleagues in RPS a required, including deputising for their G7 line manager whose responsibilities include assisting operation colleagues with technical matters, and responding to ministerial and other official correspondence

There is no line management responsibility.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• self motivated and able to work with minimal direction in terms of learning and development, prioritisation, organisation and decision making

• excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor this to suit your audience and the confidence to present to both internal and external stakeholders

• strong written communication skills with the ability to write reports and make persuasive arguments to influence others

• strong analytical and problem-solving skills, recognise patterns and trends in data, and draw key conclusions from a wide range of evidence

• be able to think on your feet and react to new information provided when carrying out cross examination

• have a good eye for detail and ability to recall information. At ET hearings, you would be expected to have knowledge of the evidential bundles which can run from 100 to 500 pages

• able to make robust decisions and challenge decisions, including those of colleagues that have reject claims, to avoid unnecessary distress to claimants whose applications are affected

• personal resilience and the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines

• able to maintain confidentiality, especially when dealing with high profile employers

• travel between the RPS sites may be required (see locations in the job description above) and travel will be required to attend Employment Tribunals and high-profile wage checks which may necessitate overnight stay. Occasionally, you may be asked to travel with only a day's notice if a case or hearing is of a high profile nature

Essential Criteria

• Applicants must have some pre-existing experience of working with either insolvency or employment legislation. Training will be provided to build upon existing knowledge.

• Applicants must have experience of being the lead representative at court or tribunal proceedings on at least 5 occasions in the last 2 years.

Please note: This vacancy is advertised across 11 locations; however, Stratford and Croydon are only available to current Insolvency Service Staff. The advertised salary includes London weighting, which is only applicable to internal candidates.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,429, Insolvency Service contributes £14,029 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

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 and Experience.

As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:

• Personal Statement
• CV

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement and CV, assessing candidates against the essential criteria. This will include evidence of:

• Leading on at least five court or tribunal hearings within the past two years; and
• Experience of working with insolvency or employment legislation and case law within the past two years. (As per the below screenshot from his VAF)

Only those who meet the essential criteria at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words and must demonstrate how your personal skills, qualities, and experience align with the requirements of the role. Please ensure your statement references the essential criteria (confirmation that you have in the last 2 years taken the lead on at least 5 court or tribunal hearings and had experience of working with either insolvency or employment legislation and case law) outlined in the person specification.

Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, and the skills and experience you’ve gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.

Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.

If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:

Experience

Behaviours - assessed through:

• Behaviour 1 - Communicating and Influencing
• Behaviour 2 - Making Effective Decisions
• Behaviour 3 - Developing Self and Others

Expected timeline

Sift – w/c TBC

Interview – w/c TBC

Location - MS Teams

Your interview will be conducted by video. You will be notified of this if you are selected for interview. Candidates are asked to exercise flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Visa Applicants

To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.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

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 : Maureen Wagener
• Email : Maureen.Wagener1@insolvency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process or that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact hr.recruitment@insolvency.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Applying for a Job - A Candidate Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 3061kB)Insolvency Service Candidate Information Pack (Sept 2025) Opens in new window (pdf, 6459kB)