Victim Liaison Team Leader
Division / Department - Criminal Justice
Grade - Grade F
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Fixed Term Contract
Salary Grade Range - £29,606 - £34,000
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Guildford
The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.
We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.
We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.
We wish you all the very best with your application.
Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner
From your first day with us you will be part of a policing family making a real difference.
It is our mission to identify and protect vulnerable people, prevent and respond to harm and keep people safe.
In this role you will be
Responsible for the day to day workload allocation to the team and the planning, monitoring and direction team activities in a way which promotes victim cope and recovery phases and assists with case progression if appropriate. Joint responsibility for the recruitment and development of the Unit’s paid staff and volunteer cohort.
Responsible for the day to day supervision and line management of Caseworkers and Victim Liaison Co-ordinator, to provide advice and expertise ensuring the effective resolution of queries to ensure effective running of the unit without referring to the Customer Care Improvement Advisor unless all options have been exhausted
Responsible for regularly arranging and chairing team meetings with team members to ensure that messages are disseminated to and from the team as appropriate.
Be proactive in contributing to the development of processes which enhance victim and witness contact, ensure safeguarding oversight, attendance at court and confidence in the criminal justice system as well as aiding the coping and recovery phases of the victim experience.
Responsible for monitoring, managing and delivering high level performance of both the team and individuals against agreed service level agreements.
Responsible for delivering training to new members of staff and to a point of contact for support and advice for victim support related queries.
Build and maintain relationships with key colleagues, stakeholders and partner agencies in order to contribute to achieve the best possible service for victims and witnesses
Support the Victim Liaison Co-ordinator with volunteer recruitment. Provide operational support and supervision and guidance to volunteers, as well as deliver and co-ordinate initial training. Assist with the escalation of risk in relation to safeguarding and complex needs.
Must be capable of undertaking the day to day tasks of the team, in order to cover the role if required in busy periods and to effectively deal with queries.
Deputise for the Victim Care Improvement Advisor when required to do so.
Attend internal and external meetings, as appropriate, representing the Victim and Witness Unit and proactively contribute to discussions.
Proactively maintain an understanding of relevant Force wide related policies and procedures and highlight any foreseen issues. Proactively identify opportunities for improvements both within the team and end to end service with partner agencies and internal colleagues. Agree individual performance objectives and quality assure, review and assess ongoing development plans for new and current members of staff, actively seeking performance feedback and information in order to motivate, develop and enable individuals to develop skills and behaviours. Assist in the delivery of an effective performance management framework within the VWCU and assist in the co-ordination and capture of data to evidence outcomes of the service provision as directed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Ministry of Justice. Field public enquiries or complaints that cannot be resolved by Caseworkers or Volunteers in the first instance. Manage any breaches of GDPR Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character of work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser graded post.
• Obtained A-C grades GCSEs English and Mathematics or equivalent qualification or equivalent experience
• Experience of leading and supervising a team, ensuring high morale and looking after the well-being of a team • Experience of being responsible for achieving and maintaining team performance levels • Ability to produce comprehensive and well evidenced reports, sometimes of a statistical nature and in line with performance measures • Ability to prioritise and manage your own workload and that of the teams • Ability to prioritising and make decisions whilst under pressure • Experience of decision making and risk management and the ability to know when to escalate a complex or challenging issue • Strong interpersonal skills and customer service approach to dealing with enquiries • Excellent verbal and written communication
• Ability to maintain professional knowledge and expertise, remain current as technology advances and have a willingness to embrace, make and encourage suggestions for improvements in relation to criminal justice legislation, policy and initiatives
• The post holder will be required to be vetted for security clearance • The post holder will be required to undertake training in the use of secure communications systems • Will involve some travel
Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we encourage flexible working. We are open to conversations about job shares and part time working. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.
We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;
• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme
Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police or Sussex Police
Further InformationIf you have any questions please contact beata.szczurowska@surrey.police.uk
Diversity StatementWe are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.
We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.
Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police
Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.
This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.
Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;
• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment
Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.