Senior Policy Adviser in the Victims and Vulnerabilities Directorate - ( Ref : 91698 )
Ministry of Justice
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 11th November 2024
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Job description
Senior Policy Adviser in the Victims and Vulnerabilities Directorate
SEO
Victims and Witnesses Policy and Strategy Unit
The Victims and Witnesses Policy and Strategy team is recruiting permanently a SEO Policy Adviser. This campaign is being run externally and so is open to all who consider themselves suitable for the roles and meet the eligibility criteria in the wider advert within Civil Service Jobs.
Location:
Successful candidates will have the option to be based at one of the following locations:
- 102 Petty France, London
- 5 Wellington Place, Leeds
Occasional travel between the two locations may be required.
In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.
Ways of Working
At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:
- Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
- Flexible working patterns
- Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.
We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.
If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:
- promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
- pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
The Work of Victims, Vulnerabilities and Criminal Law Directorate
Victims, Vulnerability and Criminal Law Directorate sits at the heart of MoJ’s policy agenda, working to reform complex systems that deal with some of the most vulnerable members of our society. We work closely with Ministers, No10, the senior judiciary, as well as a wide range of other Whitehall departments and agencies, to tackle a range of complex issues. Everything the directorate does to deliver our wide-ranging portfolio of work is uniquely focused on supporting those that need it most.
The Victim and Witness Policy Unit leads on systemic, multi-agency reform work to improve support and outcomes for victims and witnesses, to help them cope and recover from the impacts of crime and enable better justice outcomes. This is an important part of raising victims’ confidence in the criminal justice system, and of delivering the Government’s “Safer Streets” mission outcomes, in particular around halving violence against women and girls. This will be a fast paced and rewarding role, with significant opportunities for development while working on one of the department’s top priority areas.
The Government has significant ambitions to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system and their access to support. The focus for the unit over the coming 12-24 months will be implementing the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, and in particular ensuring the baseline of entitlements for all victims of crime, set out in the Victims’ Code, are well understood, and delivered, and agencies are held accountable. These measures will be enhanced through seizing opportunities to go further in the first-session Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill, as well as exploring digital and data improvements across the criminal justice system. We work collaboratively with operational colleagues and enablers in MOJ, other Government departments, criminal justice agencies and the victim support sector to deliver shared outcomes. We are a friendly, dedicated and purpose-led team, with a strong focus on development and wellbeing.
1 X Policy Advisor, Victims’ Code Oversight Team
This role is an opportunity to work on measures to make sure that victims of crime receive the service that they deserve from the criminal justice system. The Victims’ Code sets out the rights that victims can expect to receive and sets out the minimum standard that organisations must provide to victims of crime. You can find a link to the Victims’ Code here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime. However, we know that currently victims do not always receive these rights, and that their broader experience isn’t what it should be. This is why the Victims and Prisoners Act created a framework to oversee the delivery of the Victims’ Code.
This post holder will play a key role in the development and implementation of this framework. They will lead on developing and delivering the right set of data to usefully measure compliance with the Code and victim experience throughout the criminal justice system, and a wider process to monitor this data at local and national levels and take action to improve performance where needed. This will involve working across the criminal justice system with agencies and police and crime commissioners’ offices, and with wider stakeholders, such as the Victims’ Commissioner and victim support organisations, to ensure that the framework delivers useful insights to the system and wider sector to drive improvements for victims. The post holder will also have the opportunity to actively shape and develop the wider policy framework to guide digital and data transformation in the system.
Responsibilities include:
Working with analysts, lawyers, operational partners and the victim support sector to develop a dataset to better monitor compliance with the Victims’ Code, underpinned by secondary legislation regulations.
- Developing statutory guidance with local and national partners to set out a process for how this data will be used as part of implementing the wider framework to better oversee and improve victim treatment within the criminal justice system.
- Advising Ministers on matters relating to oversight of Victims’ Code delivery, including briefings for parliamentary debates and responses to engagement from the victim sector.
- Engaging with cross-government partners and external stakeholders to develop and deliver policy proposals.
- Supporting corporate activities to continue to make the unit a great place to work.
The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a year.
Skills and Experience
Essential:
- Ability to plan, develop and implement complex policy measures, including using data, evidence and legal advice to guide decision making.
- Good communication and drafting skills, including the ability to understand complex issues and communicate them effectively to a range of audiences.
- Ability to work independently to identify and solve problems and think ahead to consider what is needed to deliver policy goals.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritising effectively while delivering high quality work.
- Ability to deliver outcomes in a sometimes-ambiguous environment.
- Experience of working with data to support policy making.
Desirable:
Knowledge of the criminal justice system.
Candidates applying from HMPPS should note that the Ministry of Justice does not have the same conditions of employment as HMPPS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
The MoJ is proud to be Level 3 Disability Confident. Disability Confident is the approach through which we offer guaranteed interviews for all people with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the advertised role as set out in the job description.
Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.
You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Experience
You will be asked to provide a CV during the application process in order to assess any demonstrable experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
You will also be asked to upload a Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words stating how you have met the essential criteria listed in the job description and why you are interested in the role.
Behaviours
During the application process you will be asked to provide an example of how you have met the following behaviour (see Annex A for more information):
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Making Effective Decisions. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.
Candidates invited to Interview
Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely.
During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and strengths-based questions to also explore what you enjoy, and your motivations relevant to the job role. You will also be asked to prepare and deliver a short presentation.
There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.
You can refer to the CS Strengths dictionary for more details: Success Profiles - Civil Service Strengths Dictionary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
A short presentation will be required. Details will be sent to candidates successful at the application stage.
Interviews are expected to take place in November 2024.
Contact information
Please do get in touch with Rosie Melville (rosie.melville1@justice.gov.uk) if you would like to know more about the role or what it is like working in our team.
Person specification
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
- Access to learning and development
- A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
- A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Annual Leave
- Public Holidays
- Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
- Telephone : 0845 241 5359
Recruitment team
- Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
Further information
