Casework Team Leader

Description

Do you have the leadership and analytical skills to guide a team making fair, proportionate, and evidence-based decisions at the heart of Scotland's safeguarding system?

The Review Team, part of the National Barring Service, was established on 1 April 2025 with the implementation of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. The team plays a vital role in supporting the Act's purpose — protecting vulnerable groups through the careful review of complex information and ensuring that all decisions are balanced, transparent, and just.

As Casework Team Leader, you will report directly to the Head of Review and be responsible for line and performance management within the team. You will lead communication and collaboration across business areas, applying analytical expertise and continuous improvement principles to build a confident, knowledgeable, and high-performing team.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Sift and screen conviction or other criminal history information and apply a structured assessment process to identify cases requiring further information or representations.
• Interpret and analyse information, ensure all information has been gathered, handled, and shared with strict adherence to the relevant legislation then write a succinct, balanced overview of the case highlighting salient points and make evidence based recommendations where appropriate.
• Discuss cases, present evidence, and initial recommendations to managers. 
• Be able to proactively manage a busy workload with conflicting priorities and tight timescales while maintaining attention to detail.
• Manage team members and provide support to others by undertaking necessary investigative work and offering relevant recommendations and suggestions.
• Engage via different methods of communication with individuals and third-party stakeholders, to obtain evidence and information relating to cases within the agreed operational timescales.
• Embrace change, contribute to continuous improvement within the team and organisation, and identify training needs.
• Handle sensitive personal information, in line with Disclosure Scotland data retention policy and GDPR guidance.

Qualifications
Success Profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.   Professional/Technical Skills:

• Adaptability to change. Seeks feedback, reflects and identifies ways to continuously improve own delivery practice. Looks for solutions to problems and actively engages others to help bring about change and improvement in service delivery. Understands organisational processes for implementing and reviewing customer service improvements.

Behaviours:

• Making effective decisions - Level 2.
• Leadership - Level 2.
• Communication and influencing - Level 2.
• Delivering at pace - Level 2.

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here. 

How to apply   Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills  and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and written analysis.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 12 January 2026, however this may be subject to change.

About Us

Disclosure Scotland (DS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, operating on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to perform an important safeguarding role for the people of Scotland.  The work of DS directly supports the Scottish Government's National Outcomes for Children and Young People, Economy, Fair Work and Business, Communities and Human Rights.  To contribute to these, DS is responsible for three primary services, managing and delivering the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, Disclosure services, including processing applications for disclosure certificates and the National Barring Service for Scotland which combined, enable safer recruitment decisions to be made by employers, providing safer spaces for all of us when accessing services. These are exciting times for DS.  We are transforming our business by continually improving our service offering to our customers and stakeholders. 

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. 

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week.  We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role with a minimum of 2 days per week in our office. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks   Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to have or be in a position to obtain Security Check (SC), National Security vetting, clearance as a minimum (levels may be subject to review).   Security checks   Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.  

Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.  Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Apply before: 16 December :59)

This role is open to internal candidates, OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only. 

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