Caseworker

at  Surrey Police

Division / Department - Criminal Justice
Grade - Grade E
Status - Full Time and Part Time Available
Contract Type - Fixed Term Contract
Salary Grade Range - £27,545 - £31,285
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Guildford

Additional Requirements:

• You will be required to be vetted for security clearance.
• You will be required to undertake training in the use of secure communications systems
• This role may involve travel to meetings and locations within and beyond the counties of Surrey and/or Sussex for which public transport may not be suitable, therefore you must have access to your own transport and be insured for business use

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.

Chief Constables’ Message
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.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• You will ensure appropriate and dynamic risk assessments are conducted throughout the lifespan of all support cases and escalate any issues of concern or risk matters to the Victim Liaison Team L You will carry a caseload and provide direct support to victims who have been affected by crime against an agreed support plan, recording progress and monitoring outcomes achieved.
• You will establish and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, both statutory and third sector in both formal and informal interactions in order to achieve the highest standard of service and support for victims, share data and open lines of communication.
• You will liaise with and respond to queries from other support agencies and parties involved in supporting victims of crime (i.e. housing/social services).
• You will support victims through the criminal justice system. This will include support in attending court and liaising with witness service.
• You will be responsible for prioritisation of your own workload and effective time management in order to ensure the needs of the victim, and partner agencies are met. You will proactively identify knowledge gaps and training opportunities, as well as attending core refresher training to ensure skills are kept up to date.
• You will deliver any training, as necessary to key stakeholders or peers to raise awareness of the service.
• You will proactively research local support agencies to develop new links/referral pathways to meet the needs of victims, attending regular team meetings and bring local issues, feedback and learning to share with the team, When required, you will coach and train new members of staff in aspects of the caseworker role.
• You will be flexible in your approach and adapt to the changing demands of the Victim and Witness Care Unit, legislation and technology.
• You will maintain awareness of support services available to victims and witnesses and ensure current understanding of how external organisations can assist with support.
• You will contribute to the implementation of initiatives within the Victim and Witness Care Unit.
• Proactively suggest ideas in order to improve the experience of, and service provided to, victims and witnesses and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and performance.
• You will be responsible handling and sharing of sensitive information in accordance to policy.
  Skills & Experience

Essential skills and experience required for the caseworker role:

• Demonstrable experience in dealing with people in a customer focused environment or supportive network for at least a period of approximately 12 months.
• Demonstrable experience of supporting and encouraging customers to take personal action, along with the ability to adapt communication accordingly is critical. Ideally, including experience of dealing with vulnerable victims / witnesses.
• Excellent case management and administrative skills and ability to assimilate a thorough knowledge of practices and procedures that relate to the work involved
• Demonstrable well-developed interpersonal and verbal communication skills to liaise courteously with internal colleagues and partner agencies whilst maintaining confidentiality.
• Experience of being self responsible for decision making.
• Demonstrable experience of having an awareness of risks and the ability to know when to escalate them.
• Attention to detail combined with the ability to work to strict timescales as stipulated by the Victims Code.
• Ability to cope with pressure, work unsupervised and manage time effectively with the skill to deal with several issues at once.
• Demonstrable experience of working within a team of people and sharing knowledge.
• Good working knowledge of computer and the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate records.
• Ability to maintain professional knowledge and expertise to remain current as procedures and technology advance with a willingness to embrace and make suggestions for improvements in relation to criminal justice legislation, policy and initiatives.

Additional Requirements:

• You will be required to be vetted for security clearance.
• You will be required to undertake training in the use of secure communications systems
• This role may involve travel to meetings and locations within and beyond the counties of Surrey and/or Sussex for which public transport may not be suitable, therefore you must have access to your own transport and be insured for business use.

Why Work With Us?
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

Further Information
We recognise that our people are balancing demanding careers with commitments and interests outside of work. We welcome applications and discussion with candidates who want to work full-time or part-time/flexible hours.
For further information regarding this vacancy please contact: