JOB SUMMARY

Please refer to job description.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title & Grade: High Cost Family Case Manager - EO
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary range (depending on location): National - £28,312 to £30,011
Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.
Location: South Tyneside
Directorate: Case Management
Team: High Cost Family (HCF)
Working Pattern: The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely (as part of hybrid working), part time or as part of a job share etc.
If you are applying for a part time role, please note that in order to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 21 hours and to cover 3 days of the week
To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training.
Reporting to: Team Manager
Closing date for applications: 22nd August 2025

JOB SUMMARY

As a High-Cost Family Senior Case Manager, you will be expected to effectively and pro-actively manage case plans, including amendments and correspondence. This will require making evidence-based decisions using relevant guidance. Where limited guidance is available, you will be required to make clearly justified decisions on costs using discretion.
You will be responsible for establishing and maintaining professional links between the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and key stakeholders to promote a closer working relationship whilst also being confident enough to challenge current protocols to achieve greater levels of efficiency and customer service.

Key Responsibilities:

• Acquiring a comprehensive and up to date understanding of current guidance and regulations and using this to make decisions on new and ongoing high cost case plans.
• Make decisions to approve, refuse or reject amendments. This includes complex cases where expert judgement is required.
• Deal with complex issues that have been escalated including complaints from clients, Head Office MP’s and external bodies. Taking effective action by using discretion and expert judgement and identifying learning points and corrective action.
• Apply discretion and reasoned judgement in instances of ambiguity, or where limited guidance is available
• Ensure all data is processed accurately, securely and in accordance with LAA data security guidelines
• Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Taking responsibility for providing guidance and making suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas, ensuring team are aware of and understand any changes to be implemented. Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Liaise with suppliers and clients as appropriate providing accurate and timely responses to correspondence and telephone calls received from internal and external customers
• Participate in and contribute to project groups both locally and nationally to review and improve procedures
• Prepare, deliver and, where appropriate engage in designing internal and external training
• Act as a quality controller and engage in the QC/XOQC and consistency processes to ensure improvements are made where errors are identified. Provide guidance and make suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas. Taking an active role in promoting consistency and using expert judgement when priorities conflict.
• Effectively contribute to the development of others through one to one training, mentoring and providing constructive feedback against LAA standards
• Contribute to and lead on the review and development of processes to ensure ongoing efficiency and effectiveness of work procedures, providing an effective link between policy/quality improvement groups and the team.
• Identify key policy/regulations issues and questions on the team and act as an effective link between the quality improvement groups (ccBIG/MIT/LIT) taking forward issues/queries and communicating responses to ensure effective implementation of changes.
• Contribute in meetings, getting actively involved in the sharing of views, ideas and solutions.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Ability to negotiate successful outcomes effectively using influencing skills
• Established analytic and numerical skills and experience in making accurate evidence-based decisions in line with statutory / regulatory framework and guidance.
• Established communication skills both verbal and written with proven experience of giving feedback.
• Ability to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Excellent time management skills
• Experience of coaching or mentoring, including the ability to deliver training.

DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• A legal qualification
• Previous experience in a casework environment
• Worked with stakeholders to successfully resolve complex issues
• Experience leading on projects and business improvement activity

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Please refer to job description.

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)
• 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

Key Responsibilities:

• Acquiring a comprehensive and up to date understanding of current guidance and regulations and using this to make decisions on new and ongoing high cost case plans.
• Make decisions to approve, refuse or reject amendments. This includes complex cases where expert judgement is required.
• Deal with complex issues that have been escalated including complaints from clients, Head Office MP’s and external bodies. Taking effective action by using discretion and expert judgement and identifying learning points and corrective action.
• Apply discretion and reasoned judgement in instances of ambiguity, or where limited guidance is available
• Ensure all data is processed accurately, securely and in accordance with LAA data security guidelines
• Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Taking responsibility for providing guidance and making suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas, ensuring team are aware of and understand any changes to be implemented. Act as an expert in specified areas of complex and non-complex work that can be sensitive or have far reaching implications.
• Liaise with suppliers and clients as appropriate providing accurate and timely responses to correspondence and telephone calls received from internal and external customers
• Participate in and contribute to project groups both locally and nationally to review and improve procedures
• Prepare, deliver and, where appropriate engage in designing internal and external training
• Act as a quality controller and engage in the QC/XOQC and consistency processes to ensure improvements are made where errors are identified. Provide guidance and make suggestions for best practice and/or improvement to others in specified work areas. Taking an active role in promoting consistency and using expert judgement when priorities conflict.
• Effectively contribute to the development of others through one to one training, mentoring and providing constructive feedback against LAA standards
• Contribute to and lead on the review and development of processes to ensure ongoing efficiency and effectiveness of work procedures, providing an effective link between policy/quality improvement groups and the team.
• Identify key policy/regulations issues and questions on the team and act as an effective link between the quality improvement groups (ccBIG/MIT/LIT) taking forward issues/queries and communicating responses to ensure effective implementation of changes.
• Contribute in meetings, getting actively involved in the sharing of views, ideas and solutions