Coroners Investigation Officer |
Coroner's Investigation Officer
Criminal Justice
Grade E £32,247 - £37,692
Full Time
12 months Fixed term Contract
Boundary Street
JOB PURPOSE:
Investigate sudden, suspicious, unnatural or violent deaths, and all deaths of persons in custody or state detention on behalf of the Senior Coroners, to ensure that they are able to discharge their statutory duties.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The postholder should be educated and qualified to NVQ level 4 or equivalent in view of the requirement to produce comprehensive and legally compliant reports, involving investigation and analysis of specialist and complex information.
The postholder should also have either attained the University Certificate in Professional Development in Coroners Law and Bereavement, Medico-legal Death Investigation or Fundamental Medicine for the Coroner or once in post, attend the mandatory Coroner’s Officer training as directed by the Chief Coroner, two day course three times per year.
Have the proven experience in an investigative capacity and be familiar with evidential requirements.
Have a detailed knowledge and understanding of medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology in order to be able to ascertain if a death is natural /unnatural; converse with consultants, GPs and other medical practitioners over causes of death; provide advice to pathologists on possible lines of investigation and explain causes of death in layman’s terms to bereaved families.
Must be able to conduct investigations into the cause of death if the initial information on the death report is insufficient for a medical practitioner to issue a certificate i.e. know what information is required and how to source and analyse it. The preliminary investigations must be accurate and presented in a specific manner, using the correct procedure and in depth knowledge of the Coroner’s system in order to present a reasoned argument with which to negotiate and influence the Coroner.
Ability to assimilate large amounts of information and interpret policy when dealing with investigations, particularly those complex investigations where Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 1988 is engaged.
The post holder will be managing high level stakeholders (e.g. Senior Coroners, pathologists, Consultants, senior police officers) and bereaved families on a daily basis.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to tailor communications appropriately are essential.
The post holder will be required to provide clear and detailed explanations for the need for a post mortem, the nature of the post mortem, cause of death or retention of material following an examination. These issues will need to be approached differently in every case.
The post holder must have sufficient knowledge of cultural or religious observances that may impact on decisions regarding post mortems, burial rites or other death or court procedures.
The post holder must balance providing clear, accurate and timely information to enable bereaved people to make fully informed decisions, against the risk of attempting to counsel people.
In the event of a mass fatality which exceeds the resources of the normal infrastructure of the area, be aware of all Major Incident Plans / Temporary Mortuary Contingency Plans and Governmental Resilience Contingency plans. Become a member of the mortuary management team and the main communication link between HM Coroner and the Senior Identification Manager. Knowledge of all the relevant legislation, rules and regulations, Chief Coroner’s guidance and Merseyside Police policies and procedures to ensure that all investigations are legally compliant. Competent use of Microsoft Office, Internet, electronic diaries and Coroner specific databases.
Please use the attached JDQ and Leadership Framework when completing your 1000 - word supporting evidence.
Please click here for the full JDQ.
Please click here for the Leadership Framework
At Merseyside Police we value our employees, and we provide ample support and training to ensure you excel in your role, alongside receiving benefits such as:
- 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays pro rata increasing to 30 days plus 8 bank holidays after 5 years full service.
- Local Government Pension Scheme with contributions from 5.5% to 11.5% depending on your salary.
- Access to on-site gyms – HQ and OCC
- Option to become a member of the onsite unions.
- Discounts from various retailers via the Blue Light Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Taskers Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Hybrid/Agile working (role dependant)
- Support from our Health and Wellbeing Centre including Welfare Officers, Counselling, Physiotherapy and Mental Health Peer Supporters.
- Flexible working opportunities 7am – 19:00 – (must work during the core working hours 10:00-15:00 )
- Generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave entitlements.
- Sick pay provisions
We are committed to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion:
Building a workforce that represents our communities is important to us. We both aim to attract and keep people with the best skills and highest potential, and we want to attract a diverse range of individuals into our force who might not have considered a career with us before. We particularly welcome applications from females and black & ethnic minority candidates.
To help us achieve a workforce that represents our communities, we have a dedicated team working to encourage people from diverse communities to build their career with our force. They also provide support & guidance throughout the job application process to candidates from under-represented groups.
To find out more about the support on offer from our dedicated Outreach team please click here or contact us at Outreach@merseyside.police.uk