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Information Rights Case Officer

  • Public sector
  • Liverpool
  • 24/04/2025
  • £31,997.00 - £43,552.00 /yearly
  • Full Time & Permanent
Job expired!

Job Overview

Location

Liverpool

Job Type

Full Time & Permanent

Salary

£31,997 - £43,552 yearly

Date Posted:

24/04/2025

Expiration date:

07/05/2025

Additional Detail

Job ID

25202

Work Location

Remote and/or Onsite

Job Description

Location: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and London (Canary Wharf)
 
The Information Rights Team forms an integral part of Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team (PPAT) and operates a high volume, fast paced public facing service. Our work is often in response to high profile, live issues. The team works collaboratively across UKHSA to provide a high-quality service to all of our customers in line with UKHSA's values and our key performance indicators. We are inclusive, insightful and impactful in our work.

Positioned in the Communications Directorate, PPAT, provides a centralised service working directly with requesters, regulators, OGD's Ministers' offices and Parliament in the delivery of UKHSA's obligations with respect to requests received from Parliament and the public.

The Information Rights Case Officer will be responsible for providing a high standard of quality and timely responses to requests made to UKHSA under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs).

You will regularly engage with staff at all levels in UKHSA and will need to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff. In ensuring that UKHSA's responses to statutory requests are timely and accurate, you will work with the organisation's scientists, clinicians and technical staff and will be able to take complex scientific and technical information and be able to adapt it for a wide range of audiences.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.   

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.  

Job overview

The Information Rights Case Officer is responsible for:

  • Managing a caseload of requests made under FOI, EIR, DPA/GDPR and other statutory access schemes, ensuring responses comply with the relevant legislation.
  • Commissioning, preparing and drafting responses to requests for information under statutory access schemes (such as FOI and DPA) and enquiries and complaints, within statutory deadlines. The Information Rights Case Officer will follow internal processes to draft responses to requests to meet statutory deadlines. Using expertise to advise UKHSA-wide colleagues and interpret complex information in order to support the production of clear, accurate, legally compliant responses to requests made under FOI, EIR, DPA/GDPR and other statutory access schemes.
  • Ensuring responses comply with the relevant legislation and corporate policies, seeking legal and other advice as required, and obtaining clearance before they are issued.
  • Supporting the operation of corporate assurance and management information systems, providing information as required.
  • developing and maintaining an up-to-date technical knowledge of FOI and DPA law and practice to be applied both when dealing with own cases and when providing technical guidance to colleagues outside the Information Rights team.
  • providing guidance and training to colleagues on case handling, the application of exemptions and the construction of responses to improve the quality of request handling. 

Other responsibilities include:

  • Regularly reviewing with the team what worked well and what didn't, ensuring best practices are shared, embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Responding to requests for internal review, working in collaboration with UKHSA groups and teams to review and evaluate complex information to determine whether the FOI Act has been correctly applied, so that UKHSA maintains levels of quality and compliance, and reduces the risk of exposure to regulatory action from the ICO.
  • Maintaining a comprehensive accurate record of figures, subject areas and complexity level of requests received by UKHSA, including a record of responses received, sent, input received from contributing teams and confirmation of approval.
  • Assisting in the compilation of routine statistical reports from the data held on requests and contribute to the development of content for the Public Accountability section of the intranet.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

  • The Information Rights Case Officer will possess a strong technical working knowledge of the various parts of an FOI lifecycle (initial request, internal review, ICO investigation);
  • Experience of drafting responses using technical knowledge to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and requests under associated legislation (EIR, DPA/GDPR) in a government setting and/or health related policy area;
  • Ability to work at pace on a range of competing priorities, whilst remaining calm under pressure and demonstrating a high level of resilience;
  • Attention to detail, strong organisational skills to ensure accurate record keeping and compliance with procedures;
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust with stakeholders to achieve goals;
  • Written communication: highly literate, able to draft clear and well-structured responses and reports, accurate use of grammar, spelling and punctuation, advanced editing skills;
  • Ability to solve problems and escalate issues to Senior Leadership Team when necessary;
  • Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team, co-operating with and supporting colleagues;
  • Ability to communicate complex legal, scientific and technical information to a non-scientific audience;
  • Ability to try different approaches, able to prioritise and deliver results and support your colleagues and team to do the same, embedding a culture of continuous improvement;
  • Excellent IT skills - Microsoft, Excel, Adobe;
  • Equality and diversity - an understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

Alongside your salary of £31,997, UK Health Security Agency contributes £9,269 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
  • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Selection process details

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Stage 1: Application & Sift  

Success profiles

This vacancy is using success profiles and will assess your behaviours and experience. You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 12 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:  

  • Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
  • 1,250 word Statement of Suitability.  

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.  

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.  

Longlisting: 

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of: 

  • Meets all essential criteria  
  • Meets some essential criteria  
  • Meets no essential criteria  

In order to be shortlisted you must meet all and some of the essential criteria listed above.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on: 

  •  Experience of drafting responses using technical knowledge to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and requests under associated legislation (EIR, DPA/GDPR) in a government setting and/or health related policy area; 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment  

Please do not exceed 1,250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles) 

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview. 

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

 The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. 

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ's. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ's (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.   

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Reasonable Adjustments 

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.  

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/ 

International Police check 

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own. 

Internal Fraud check  

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant's personal details - name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service. 

Careers website 

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers 

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
 
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

Recruitment team

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
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