HR Complex Caseworker

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.

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.

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)

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: BPSS + CTC

London Office: BPSS + CTC

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