L3 Trainee Examiner in Official Receiver Croydon

About the job

Job summary

Are you a naturally inquisitive person? Do you like to ask questions and get to the details? Are you eager to learn new things? 

The Official Receiver Services Directorate (ORS) has vacancies for L3 HEO Trainee Examiners. You will be involved in the investigation and administration of insolvent estates which includes individuals subject to bankruptcy and companies subject to compulsory liquidation.

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.  

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots. 

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.  

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career. 

Job description

The Examiner role is key to driving forward our business. You will identify, protect and realise assets to enable returns to creditors. You will ensure that those who are responsible for financial wrongdoing are identified, and appropriate enforcement action is taken. You will help those who need it.

Key duties will include:

• Investigating and interrogating a wide range of tools and resources to locate bankrupts, company directors and assets.
• Visiting trading premises of sole traders, and limited companies to conduct physical inspection and in some cases close the businesses down.
• Conducting probing interviews with bankrupts, company directors and appropriate third parties, obtaining written statements

Person specification

The successful candidate will: 

• Have an inquisitive mind and be able to constructively challenge at all levels to achieve the right results.
  Have a keen eye for details and a tenacious approach to your work.
• Have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Have the ability to establish good stakeholder relationships with a range of people.
• Communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Be highly motivated, with an ability to work independently as appropriate and forward a case load.

Essential Criteria 

Grade C/4 or above O Level/GCSE in English & Mathematics.

Please note, if you are successful, you will be required to provide proof of holding the stipulated qualifications by producing certificates before onboarding can complete.

You will be committed to completing the Insolvency Service Investigator Programme within 2 years. This could require regular travel and overnight stays to attend training events.

Candidates should note that whilst the role is based in a single location there is a degree of flexibility required to meet the needs of the business – for example visiting trading premises which can be a short notice. 

Qualifications

Grade C/4 or above O Level/GCSE in English & Mathematics.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• At assessment we will include a scenario based exercise and you will be asked to complete a short written exercise based on the scenario.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,190, Insolvency Service contributes £9,501 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 average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a personal statement of up to 750 words. Your personal statement should tell us when you have demonstrated all the skills and characteristics set out in the person specification.

You also need to provide a 250 word example of Making effective Decisions.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Making Effective Decisions behaviour.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

If successful at sift, you will be invited to an assessment centre which will include a scenario based exercise, where you will be provided with information regarding a company in liquidation and undertake an interview of a "Company Director" to establish the cause of failure.

You will also be asked to complete a short written exercise based on the scenario.

Both sections of the assessment centre will test your ability to make effective decisions and that you can communicate with purpose and direction. Please see the success profiles for Making effective decisions and Communicating and Influencing – the indicators for these two behaviours are included in the Candidate pack.

Following which there will be a panel interview where you will feedback your findings and recommendations for next steps for dealing with the case based on what you have been discovered during the mock interview.

You will also be asked Strengths questions.

The Assessment Centres will take approx. 2 ¼   hours and will be held in our London office which is located in Stratford.

We are holding a Teams session on Tuesday 16th July @11:00am where current examiners and Insolvency Service staff will share an insight into their roles and work.

If you are interested in joining the session please email ORS.Recruitment@insolvency.gov.uk

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

Closing Date 23rd July @23:55pm

Sifting:  from 25th July

Assessment Centre & Interview: w/c 2nd September for approx. 2 weeks

Results: approx. w/c 7th October.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service 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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name :ORS.Recruitment
• Email :ORS.Recruitment@insolvency.gov.uk
  
  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.

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 the Civil 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.

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 :

• Name :ORS.Recruitment
• Email :ORS.Recruitment@insolvncy.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email :InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service by emailing the contact point for applicants (as listed on the vacancy advert), if they think that: They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised to the Insolvency Service