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Job summary

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

• Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
• Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

Come and join the DBS community today!

https://youtu.be/gUw0ToaRGgk

Job description

The Armed Forces Criminal Legal Aid Authority (AFCLAA) is a tri-Service organisation, which sits entirely outside all Service Chains of Command, and is staffed by MOD Civil Servants.

It is responsible for all aspects of the grant and management of legal aid for Service (including ex-Service), and relevant civilian, personnel subject to Service Law and prosecuted by the SPA through the Court Martial (CM) or the Service Civilian Court (SCC); for Service appellants to the Summary Appeal Court (SAC); and for Service and relevant civilians prosecuted through overseas criminal courts, under specific circumstances.

AFCLAA’s core business is the provision of (criminal) legal aid to eligible personnel, and case management. Head AFCLAA’s responsibilities are wide ranging from matters relating to strategy and overall management of Armed Forces Criminal Legal Aid, to advice on policy issues, liaison with the MOD and the single services when change is mooted; and working with the Treasury Solicitor at judicial review of legal aid cases.

The EO Case Officer post holder is responsible to Head Armed Forces Criminal Legal Aid Authority.

EO Case Officer Key Responsibilities:

• Positively promoting AFCLAA’s role and responsibilities and the principles/benefits of legal aid via monthly presentations to the Army & RAF using appropriate channels.

• One of Five Case Officers, with each Case Officer managing up to 100 live cases at any one time,

• Armed Forces Legal Aid case management, from initial invite to apply, ensuring proper and fair assessment of legal aid applications and issuing subsequent legal aid offers, through to the final settlement of fees and assessing if any refund action is appropriate after case conclusion. Ensuring all relevant procedures and timelines are met in accordance with in-house AFCLAA Case Officer Working Practices.

• Liaising with legal representatives to secure instruction and advising them or their support staff of relevant claimable fees (including timely consideration for prior authority of expert fees or expenses) as appropriate to the case.

• Negotiate and agree fees with legal representatives from other legal jurisdictions before instruction, for Overseas cases where personnel are eligible, discussing options available to secure the required outcome within financial constraints and MOD regulations.

• Responsible for the determination (review) of all bills received from legal representatives, authorisation of appropriate fees payable and for any subsequent re-determination requests where payments/deductions of the original bill are challenged. In accordance with the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations, latest revise and Crown Court Fee Guidance, which are the same regulations as the civilian legal aid scheme.

• Maintain full case management and timely necessary actions for the life of the case as appropriate, in accordance with the in-house AFCLAA Case Officer Working Practices.

• Liaising with Service Units and other parties within the Service Justice System e.g. Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA); Military Court Service (MCS) (including Military Court Centre Staff) and Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) and engage with all other key stakeholders both internally and externally when necessary to contribute to efficient and effective legal aid processes.

• Assist other Case Officers during times of absence and busy periods.

• Perform secondary duties assigned to the particular Case Officer role (e.g. maintenance of template documents; update/maintain AFCLAA briefs/rotas; SharePoint Focal Point).

• Ad Hoc duties as required by Head AFCLAA or Deputy Head AFCLAA.

• Stay up to date with all required mandated learning.

Please be aware this post is full time and office based in the remote location of Upavon, Wiltshire, SN9 6BE with no public transport available. Interviews will likely be held on MS Teams

Person specification

Essential

• The job entails dealing with important and sensitive documents, which demands 100% impartiality and discretion when handling casework and in dealings with all parties.

• The job holder must be a confident person who is capable of dealing with the Service chains of command at any level on sensitive issues involving all aspects of service discipline.

• Must be tactful, diplomatic and resolute in their dealings with external contractors (legal teams), internal stakeholders (including applicants and Unit support staff) and other parties within the Service Justice System.

• Must be able to work independently and as part of team and be flexible in prioritising their workload to meet urgent business deadlines under pressure. They must be methodical with a keen eye for detail and accuracy with good organisational and drafting skills.

• As well as carrying out routine clerical work, the job holder must be prepared to help in other areas of AFCLAA in the absence of other members of staff.

Desirable

• Prior knowledge of the Service Justice System
• Awareness of appropriate use of public funds.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 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).

• An environment with flexible working options Monday-Friday
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service (pro rata). In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for His Majesty The King’s birthday
• Hybrid working where role permits
• An opportunity to be considered for Reward and Recognition
• Family-friendly policies including - parental leave and adoption leave
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and personal development of skills
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Minimum of 15 days special leave in a rolling 12 month period for volunteer reserve commitments
• Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Allowances

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Employment Hours

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on your Primary: Career - Personal Statement Secondary: Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions and Working Together. In this instance the remaining elements will be tested at interview.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing & Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Experience:

• CV - job history and previous skills/experience
• Personal Statement Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the job description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlines in the job advert. (500 Word Max)

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:

1. Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
2. Behaviour - Delivering at Pace
3. Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
4. Working Together

If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the below order or priority:

1. Behaviour - Making effective decisions
2. Behaviour - Delivering at Pace
3. Behaviour - Communicating & Influencing
4. Behaviour - Changing & Improving
5. Career - Personal Statement
6. Career - Previous Skills
7. Career - Job History

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.

Application sifting to take place week commencing: Late August

Interviews are currently taking place on MS Teams and will be conducted week commencing: Early September

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

To assist with your application please find attached -

DBS Candidate Information Guide - Working for Defence Business Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security 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

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 : Kirstie Chandler
• Email : kirstie.chandler563@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.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 DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@MOD.gov.uk 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…

Attachments

MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Candidate Information 2025 Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)