Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service
- Body
- Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
- Appointing Department
- Attorney General's Office
- Sectors
- Judicial, Prison & Policing, Regulation
- Location
- 102 Petty France, London or Foss House, York
- Skills required
- Legal / Judicial, Regulation
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- £125,000 per annum based on a working week of 36 hours. Remuneration is taxable and subject to National Insurance contributions. The post is pensionable under the Civil Service Pension arrangements
- Time Requirements
- Full time
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
27/07/2020
-
Closed for Applications
14/09/2020 at 09:00
-
Panel Sift
09/10/2020
-
Final Interview Date
06/11/2020
-
Pre-appointment Scrutiny Hearing
14/01/2021
-
Announcement
19/01/2021 at 14:00
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Rowena Collins-Rice
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- Director-General of the Attorney General's Office & Legal Secretary to the Law Officers Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Shehzad Charania
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- Interim Director-General of the Attorney General's Office & Legal Secretary to the Law Officers Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Dame Patricia Hodgson
- Positions
- Senior Independent Panel Member
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- Panel Member
- Sir Tim Holroyde
- Positions
- Judge of the Court of Appeal & Chairman of the Sentencing Council Independent Member
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- Panel Member
- Drusilla Sharpling CBE
- Positions
- Panel Member of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse Independent Member
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Vacancy Description
Do you want to play an important role in driving improvement and building public confidence in the criminal justice system?
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service is supported by an inspectorate: Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). The inspectorate provides independently assessed evidence about the operation, efficiency, and effectiveness of the public prosecutors (the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO)). The purpose of this is to provide the evidence needed to allow the public prosecutors to be held to account and to improve, thereby strengthening the public’s trust in the prosecution process.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and the inspectorate may inspect other prosecuting authorities by invitation.
The role of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will have proven ability to act with integrity, high levels of personal and professional conduct, judgement, and credibility.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will work to ensure that the inspectorate produces high-quality, evidence-based inspection reports which are used to inform improvement and accountability of the public prosecutors’ strategies and activities by presenting evidence of good practice and issues to address.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is responsible for:
- The leadership, management, and overall performance of the inspectorate;
- The development and delivery of independent inspection programmes and methodologies to assess the operation, efficiency and effectiveness of the CPS and SFO (and other prosecuting authorities as required);
- Ensuring that inspection methodologies and expectations remain up to date and in line with best practice;
- Overseeing the publication of inspection reports and representing these reports publicly and in the media as required;
- Maintaining the inspectorate’s membership and participation of the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorate’
- Reporting to the Law Officers, giving evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees and corresponding with MPs as appropriate, drawing on evidence gathered during HMCPSI inspections; and
- Accounting for the appropriate use of public resources in accordance with budgetary delegation arrangements.
Person Specification
Essential criteria
Candidates will be able to demonstrate:
- Exceptional organisational leadership and ability to develop a strategic vision for an organisation;
- Robust financial management and experience of successfully balancing resource against competing priorities;
- Outstanding communication skills and an ability to handle the media, deliver difficult and challenging messages, and secure public confidence by demonstrating fairness, objectivity and transparency;
- An ability to be at ease with a variety of stakeholders including politicians, the staff of the public prosecutors and third sector organisations, to command the confidence of Ministers, and to build and maintain successful working relationships and partnerships with inspectorate partners to drive up the performance of the public prosecutors;
- An ability to process and interpret complex information and to offer well developed analytical reasoning to inform judgements based on evidence;
- An understanding or experience of the criminal justice system in the UK or comparable jurisdictions;
- Evidence of valuing and promoting diversity.
Desirable criteria
The following criteria although not essential will also be taken into account by the selection panel:
- An understanding or experience of working in an inspectorate or regulator;
- An understanding or experience of the policy, political and media landscape in which the inspectorate works.
Additional Information
We encourage applications from all candidates regardless of ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or gender identity.
Pre-appointment scrutiny
The preferred candidate for the post of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will be subject to scrutiny by the Justice Select Committee prior to appointment. The Government is committed to making the public appointments process as accessible as possible so that no one is deterred from applying. The Department and the clerks to the Justice Select Committee will provide support to you to help you prepare for pre-appointment scrutiny.
Other important information
Public Appointments are offered on a fixed term basis and this appointment will run for 4 years.
Annual leave allowance will be 30 days with pay. In addition, one privilege day and eight bank holidays are to be taken at fixed times of the year.
The post is based at 102 Petty France, London or Foss House, York. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HMCPSI staff are currently working from home and will do so for the foreseeable future, in line with Government guidance.
Travelling expenses may not be paid for journeys from home to the base office but travel and subsistence allowances may be payable when Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is required to travel and / or stay away overnight in the course of their duties on the same basis as applicable to senior civil servants.
How to Apply
The closing date for applications is 9am Monday 14 September 2020.
To make an application, please send:
- A CV (maximum two sides of A4) detailing your qualifications, employment history and any appointments or offices you hold. Please also provide your preferred contact number and email address; and
- A personal statement (maximum two side of A4) providing evidence against the selection criteria and your suitability for the post, including evidence of leadership qualities. Applications which offer specific and tailored examples against the criteria, making clear the candidate’s role in achieving an outcome are often the strongest.
Please also complete and return the following supporting documents:
- Conflicts of Interest, Public Appointments, Referees; and
- Diversity Monitoring Form.
Please send your CV, personal statement and supporting documents to: hmcpsi@moloneysearch.com quoting reference PAT31762 and the name of the post you are applying for in the subject line of your email.
- Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt.
- Applications will not be accepted after the closing date.
- Applications will be assessed on the documentation provided – please refer to the advert and Candidate Pack to ensure you have provided the necessary documentation.
- Feedback will only be given to unsuccessful candidates following interview.