General Case Manager

Position: General Case Manager

Company: Office of Public Guardian (OPG), Supervision and Investigations Service

Location: Embankment House, Nottingham

Grade: Administrative Officer (AO) (min starting salary of £22,940 per annum).

Contract Type: Permanent

Overview:

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), responsible for registering Lasting Powers of Attorney and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection (CoP). Lasting Powers of Attorney gives people the power to choose who will be their voice and act in their best interests if they lose the ability to make certain decisions for themselves such as health and finances; deputyships are established by the CoP when someone has lost mental capacity and requires another person or organisation to make decisions for them. Our people are at the heart of delivering these essential services to the public and it’s this purpose that binds us together, unites us and drives us forward.

Successful candidates will join the Supervision and Investigations Service (SIS) within the Operations Directorate. Our vision is for the Office of the Public Guardian to strengthen supported decision making. We encourage freedom of decisions for all who can make decisions, giving support as required, and provide protection for those who cannot. Our mission within SIS is to uphold the principles of the Mental Capacity Act in England and Wales by supervising deputies appointed by the Court of Protection and making sure they carry out their legal duties in line with the PG’s statutory function.

Job Summary:

• Are you passionate about supporting some of society’s most vulnerable citizens?
• Do you enjoy working in a varied and fast-paced environment, managing a varied caseload?
• Are you enthusiastic about working within a strong team, sharing your knowledge and expertise and learning from those around you?

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of deputyship cases, making the best use of available time and resources to ensure you meet performance expectations.
• Work closely with colleagues to resolve problems quickly and improve performance, using management information and feedback from Deputies and third parties; ensure a professional and responsive approach to the supervision of deputies, remaining alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area.
• Contribute and participate at local management meetings and business level forums. Participate in relevant working groups and committees. Liaise and collaborate with colleagues to ensure that work is effectively managed and to foster effective working relationships
• Refer to Legal and Policy for advice and guidance as appropriate and ensure you comply with their input.
• Full comprehensive training, consolidation and support will be given for the role including an overview of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).

Essential criteria:

• Experience in using Microsoft Office Programs.
• Email inbox management using Microsoft Outlook.
• Good written & oral communication skills, including the ability to adapt these skills to best suit the individual you are communicating.
• Ability to manage and prioritise your own caseload to meet objectives.
• Ability to work as part of a team and using your own initiative.
• Ability to comprehend financial data within deputy reports to make informed decisions.
• Ability to converse politely and articulately with customers on the telephone is an essential skill of the post.

Application process

This vacancy is being advertised using the Civil Service Success Profiles process, and will assess your strengths and experience.

After submitting your application, you will be invited to complete the Situational Judgement Test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Guidance will be provided when you receive the invite to take the test.

Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended).

Selection Process

This vacancy is being advertised using the Civil Service Success Profile Framework. Further information on each element can be found here; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

To be shortlisted to interview, you will first be expected to participate in an Online Situational Judgement Test.

Further information on how to prepare and to try a practice test beforehand, can be found within the Candidate Information Pack, attached to this job advert.

Interview process

Those who are successful in passing the Situational Judgement Test will be invited to attend a remote interview via MS Teams. At interview candidates should expect strength-based questions, behaviours questions and experience questions on the following areas:

• Communicating and Influencing Behaviour Level 1
• An experience question testing candidate’s customer service skills and understanding of why good customer service is important.

Strength questions

Strengths are the behaviours and skills you are motivated to perform regularly, often to a high standard due to your enjoyment of the activity.

It is important to remember that there are no right or wrong answer strength questions.

There are three elements which determine whether something is a strength:

Performance: Can you perform the activity, skill or behaviour to a high level of capability or proficiency?

Engagement: Do feel motivated, enthused or empowered when performing the task?

Usage: Is this an activity you regularly perform; do you look for opportunities to do it often as possible when working?

The best way to prepare is to reflect on what you feel your personal strengths are and your preferred ways of working. We would advise you to think of different examples you could use at interview, to capture the above elements. This could be both in a personal and professional capacity.

Reasonable Adjustments:

At OPG we are committed to ensuring our workplace remains diverse and inclusive place to work. We want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any reasonable adjustments for any aspect of the selection process, do not hesitate to get in contact with us.

Flexible working hours:

In OPG’s Nottingham Supervision team we offer hybrid working. This is subject to business needs and satisfactory performance. All new starters are able to work from home once your line manager has signed this off. This is pro rata for part time staff.

All new starters in the Nottingham Supervision team are required to attend the office full time (37 hours per week) during the first 4 weeks of technical training. Following those initial weeks you are expected to continue your training and consolidation in the office but any agreements for part time working can commence.

We require part time staff to commit to at least 22:12 working hours over 3 days per week as a minimum.

Requests for part-time contracts will be considered in line with business needs. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

For further information on benefits of working for OPG, such as our Flexible Working Policy and a FAQ, please check the candidate information pack attached to this advert.

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If your application for this role is unsuccessful, we may offer you an alternative role at the same or lower grade should one be available.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please see our Disability Confident Scheme Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

Please quote the job reference - 85907.