Registrar and Chief Clerk

Job summary

The Valuation Tribunal Service is responsible for the administration of – and providing support to – the Valuation Tribunal for England. This includes providing a range of legal, training, digital and administrative support. Both organisations are independent and sponsored by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

We have an important practical and constitutional role to:

• provide a high quality and consistent service to those appealing local tax decisions; and
• support the Valuation Tribunal for England’s independence and provide the administrative backbone to its work.

The Valuation Tribunal for England is a volunteer-led tribunal which considers appeals relating to local taxes (council tax and non-domestic, or business, rates). Currently, around 200 volunteer members hear around 6000 appeals every year.

It is an interesting and exciting time to be joining the Valuation Tribunal Service. Government proposals on local taxes, for example the High Value Council Tax Surcharge, will change the scope of cases and issues that the Valuation Tribunal for England hears, and with that the scope of our work. The Registrar and Chief Clerk will have an important role in implementation of these changes.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the Registrar and Chief Clerk is the most senior clerk and legal adviser within the Valuation Tribunal Service.

They are responsible for providing legal advice and guidance on the most complex cases the organisation sees, direct to the most senior members of the Valuation Tribunal for England, including the President, the Vice-Presidents, and chairs. They work closely with the President and Vice-Presidents to maintain oversight of the Valuation Tribunal for England’s decision-making.

The Registrar and Chief Clerk plays a leading role in identifying changing legislation, developments and caselaw that may affect how the Valuation Tribunal for England considers cases and communicating the impact of that to clerks and volunteer Tribunal members through written updates, guidance, and training to maintain high-quality advice and decision-making.

They also play an important role in supporting the Chief Executive in carrying out their functions, and in supporting both the Chief Executive and Valuation Tribunal President to achieve alignment across the two organisations. This includes supporting the strategic vision and aims of both organisations, providing information to the sponsor Department, and providing advice on stakeholder, Tribunal member and staff engagement. It also involves bringing to their attention anything that might affect the wider running of the Valuation Tribunal Service or Valuation Tribunal for England.

Job description

MAIN ROLE PURPOSE:

• Gain the trust of and assist the Valuation Tribunal for England’s President in the exercise of any powers given under statute and regulations and to act as a pathway on appeals, including complex cases and their case management.
• Provide accurate legal advice and interpretation regarding rating and council tax law to ensure that any decisions taken and advice/guidance given does not breach governing regulations and legislation.
• Maintain an awareness of developments in the rating and valuation field which affect the Valuation Tribunal for England and Valuation Tribunal Service and to keep the President and Chief Executive appraised, including providing advice on any necessary action.
• Maintain an oversight of the decision-making, and work with the President, Vice-Presidents and staff to consistently achieve high quality, including developing relevant training and support for volunteer members and clerks.
• Support the Chief Executive in carrying out their functions and promptly bring to their attention any areas of concern to operational effectiveness, reputation or resources.
• Support and champion the strategic aims and vision of the Valuation Tribunal Service. Play a leadership role in positive communications, relationships and engagement between the Valuation Tribunal Service and Valuation Tribunal for England.
• As Registrar and Chief Clerk with line management responsibility for the Deputy Registrar, play an important leadership role in role-modelling and training for all clerks. Have a strong relationship with the senior operational and performance leads and clerk line managers, identifying themes for action which support high-quality performance and clerk personal and career development.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

Leadership and management:

• Supervise and manage the work of the Deputy Registrar delegating such responsibilities that are appropriate from time to time, in particular ensuring that appeals, and reviews are processed in a timely manner.
• Conduct performance appraisal of the Deputy Registrar, including establishing, setting and monitoring meaningful performance standards.
• Work collaboratively with operational and performance leads, line managers and clerks to support the overall aims for the organisation.
• Contribute positively to the overall culture of the Valuation Tribunal Service and Valuation Tribunal for England, promoting and role-modelling positive relationships and engagement with volunteer Tribunal members and staff.

Legal advice and associated action:

• Provide advice to both the President and Chief Executive on all aspects of legislation, case law, tribunal practice and procedure relevant to the hearing of appeals.
• Support and assist operational leaders in identifying matters of rating law and procedure pertaining to the work of the organisations.
• As the Registrar and Chief Clerk provide advice to staff and volunteer Tribunal members on matters of law and procedure pertaining to their role at a hearing and on case management.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of tribunal processes, including identifying challenges and devising appropriate solutions to improve operational efficiency. This includes the proactive adoption of new technology where appropriate.
• Responsible for maintaining an accurate record of stayed appeals for publication.

Promoting performance and high-quality decision-making

• Clerk complex case and other hearings as required and draft reasons for decisions.
• Develop and maintain a strong relationship with senior operational and performance leads and clerk line managers. Contribute to clerk induction and development, quality assurance of decision-writing, and identifying themes for action (e.g. training) which support high-quality performance and clerk personal and career development and enhances our ambition to be an exemplar tribunal.
• Responsible for managing and maintaining the ‘case law library’ on the intranet and to keep under review information available on the Members’ Pages so that it remains accurate and up to date.
• Lead the editorial team for “Valuation in Practice” and ensure other organisational publications are consistent with relevant legislation and caselaw.

Contributing to organisational effectiveness

• Play a leadership role in supporting the Chief Executive and Valuation Tribunal President to achieve alignment across the two organisations, with a focus on strategic aims and objectives, legal advice and operational delivery, and innovation.
• Provide advice on upcoming government and other policy initiatives and how they would affect the work of the Tribunal. Support the Chief Executive in providing technical information to the sponsor Department.
• Provide advice on stakeholder engagement and represent the Chief Executive and/or Valuation Tribunal for England at meetings with external bodies as requested, including at user group meetings, working across all teams to engage stakeholders and influence change as required. Work collaboratively with the leaders, managers and staff across the Valuation Tribunal Service to ensure services, systems and processes operate effectively and that a high quality ‘exemplar’ tribunal service is provided to stakeholder.
• Perform any other duties as required by the Chief Executive which are commensurate with the role.

Person specification

Essential skills and experience

• Strong legal and technical skills. Extensive high level legal experience providing advice on complex local taxation law.
• Experience of providing plain English legal advice to senior figures from both legal and non-legal backgrounds.
• Experience of providing legal advice in environments where the service is held publicly accountable for its actions.
• Ability to horizon-scan and identify external public policy and legal developments which may affect the nature of the service and types/nature of decisions it makes.
• Experience of operating in public or private sector service delivery environments, with the ability to promote performance and identify areas for continuous improvements.
• Familiarity and awareness of the importance of delivering key performance indicators and understanding the regularity but occasional significant volatility of an appeals environment or equivalent.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder relationship-building and management skills. Demonstrable experience of engaging with a range of internal and external stakeholders, and representing an organisation with those stakeholders, fostering positive relationships and collaboration but also being prepared to deliver difficult messages where needed.
• Experience of developing and delivering training to both professionally trained staff, lay volunteers or equivalent.

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience of working within a volunteering environment and/or the ability to appreciate the challenges and opportunities of working with Tribunal members from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds
• Knowledge of local government environments and the challenges faced by local authorities.
• Familiarity with or an appreciation of working in independent decision-making environments, including balancing the independent decision-making with accountability for delivery and value for money.

Skills and Personal Qualities

• Strategic and analytical thinker with sound judgement, able to distil and provide well-reasoned and logical interpretation of complex and sometimes conflicting information.
• High attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, demonstrating the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and professionalism.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior partners, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to listen, accept challenge, and constructively challenge others with clarity and respect.
• An inclusive, collaborative leader who values people, builds trust and effective relationships, and maintains a strong focus on outcomes.
• Resilient and adaptable, remaining calm under pressure and able to contribute positively and flexibly to scope technological and organisational change.

Qualifications

Essential - IRRV (Diploma)

Desirable - IRRV (Hons) ; RICS (Diploma); other recognised and relevant legal qualification(s)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity • A competitive salary with the opportunity to llead during an exciting period • Local Government Pension Scheme – auto-enrolled membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme administered by the London Pension Fund Authority (but you can decide to opt out) • Healthy Work/Life Balance – a 36 hour working week, some flexibility on daily start and finish times • Generous Annual Leave – Minimum of 26 days paid holiday, rising to 28 days after three full years of continous service, 31 days after five years of continuous service. In addition, you get two paid non statutory days - normally between Christmas and New Year. Plus you’ll get the normal (usually 8) bank holidays in England and Wales • Commitmen