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Role details

Witness Intermediary Scheme Quality Assurance Board Generalist Member

Application deadline 4 July 2023

Summary

• Organisation: Quality Assurance Board
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Justice
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Judicial, Prisons & Policing
• Skills: Communication
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: Adhoc
• Remuneration: £40 per hour
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 4 July 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   7 June 2023

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 4 July 2023

3. Sifting date

   12 July 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   4 August 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

Overview 

The Witness Intermediary Scheme  

The Witness Intermediary Scheme (WIS) was rolled out nationally in 2008 and established a national database of Registered Intermediaries (RIs). An RI is a communication specialist who helps victims and witnesses with communication difficulties to give evidence to the police and to the court in criminal trials. Their assistance is often the difference between a witness being able to give evidence or not.  

The WIS provides RIs to more than 600 victims and witnesses with communication difficulties each month. RIs have assisted children as young as two to give their evidence and also assist with a wide variety of communication difficulties ranging from those associated with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, mental illnesses and more. The WIS is governed by the Intermediaries Registration Board (IRB), with quality assurance provided by the Quality Assurance Board (QAB).  

The Quality Assurance Board  

The QAB is responsible for the quality assurance, regulation and monitoring of the professional standards of RIs. The Board has an essential role in ensuring that the most vulnerable individuals receive the communication assistance they need to have a voice in the criminal justice system. Through its work, the QAB ensures the criminal justice system has access to the high-quality support that enables victims and witnesses to give their best evidence.  

The QAB meets quarterly and is comprised of individuals with professional experience in working with vulnerable users and has experience in the regulation and monitoring of professional standards.  

 

Do you have the skills to ensure that vulnerable people with communication difficulties receive high quality assistance giving them to access justice?    

We are seeking a high-calibre board member with a passion for public service and a desire to ensure that vulnerable individuals requiring expert communication assistance in the criminal justice system receive the highest possible standard of service.   

We are seeking a board member who has previous experience of acting as a Registered Intermediary within England and Wales and working with witnesses/defendants within the CJS.  

Members of the QAB make a valuable contribution to an important asset of the criminal justice system. You will work closely with Ministry of Justice policy leads, the National Crime Agency’s Witness Intermediary Team, the Crown Prosecution Service, RIs and fellow Board members to deliver the quality assurance function in support of vulnerable victims and witnesses across England & Wales.  

Person specification

Essential criteria

·       Previous experience working as a Registered Intermediary.  

·       Understanding of and experience working with vulnerable users, including those with communication needs deriving from learning difficulties, physical disabilities and mental illness. 

·       Experience of working at a senior level on the delivery of a high-quality service, with proven results.  

·       Strong communication and relationship building skills. This includes both written and oral communication.  

·       Ability to work in partnership with other board members to continue to improve the WIS.  

·       Interest in learning about the Witness Intermediary Scheme and a strong desire to improve the experience of vulnerable users in the criminal justice system. 

·       Awareness of accountability for the use of public funds. 

·       Willingness to assist with recruitment related processes (e.g. sifting and benchmarking applications for RI roles and interviewing new candidates). 

·       Willingness to take a long-term and strategic view of quality assurance and the intermediary role. 

Desirable criteria

·       An understanding of the broad range of communication needs that intermediaries work with.  

·       An interest in the criminal justice system and a desire to learn more. 

·       An understanding of the varying needs of criminal justice system users

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Please ensure you quote reference QAB003 in the subject line of all emails.

To make an application, please send the following documents to registered.interme@justice.gov.uk:

• A CV (maximum two sides of A4) detailing your qualifications and employment history. Please also provide your preferred contact number and email address.
• A personal statement (maximum two sides of A4) providing evidence of your suitability for the post. Please consider the role and criteria carefully in preparing your statements. Applications which offer specific and tailored examples against the criteria, making clear the candidate’s role in achieving an outcome are often the strongest. Structuring the statement around the criteria using relevant headings also aids clarity. 
• Referee details form – please give names/contact details of two referees (who will be contacted if you are shortlisted for interview);

Supporting Documents

Please also complete and return the following supporting documents to registered.interme@justice.gov.uk:

• Potential conflicts of interest:  If you have any interests that might be relevant to the operations of the WIS or the wider Criminal Justice System, and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interest if you were to be appointed, please provide details in your supporting documents.
• Given the nature of these appointments, it is important that those appointed as members of public bodies maintain the confidence of the public. If there are any issues in your personal or professional history that could, if you were appointed, be misconstrued, cause embarrassment, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised, it is important that you bring them to the attention of the panel and provide details of the issue(s) in your supporting letter. In considering whether you wish to declare any issues, you should also reflect on any public statements you have made, including through social media. The panel may explore any issues with you before they make a recommendation on the appointment. Failure to disclose such information could result in an appointment either not being made or being terminated.
• Conflicts might arise from a variety of sources such as financial interests or share ownership, membership of, or association with, particular bodies or the activities of relatives or partners.  If you need further advice, please contact the Vulnerable User Policy Team at registered.interme@justice.gov.uk.

• the equal opportunities monitoring form – information is requested for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in the selection process.  It will be kept confidential. (This form includes a declaration of public appointments currently held, a political activity declaration and a Guaranteed Interview Scheme declaration).

If you have further questions about these posts, you are welcome to contact our team at registered.interme@justice.gov.uk.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact registered.interme@justice.gov.uk

Security clearance

For successful candidates, confirmation of appointment will be subject to security checks, covering confirmation of identity and right to work in the UK, plus a basic criminal record check. This can take up to five weeks to process following completion of the forms.  Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

If you have a disability and require any arrangements or adjustments for any part of the recruitment or selection process, please state clearly on your form and email the Intermediaries Team at registered.interme@justice.gov.uk (please quote QAB003 in any correspondence).  

Further information can be found via this link: https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/recording-whether-or-not-you-have-a-disability/

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life. These are:

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

If you have a complaint about any aspect of the way your application has been handled, we would like to hear from you. In the first instance please e-mail the Intermediaries Team at the e-mail address given below, quoting the appropriate reference number.

Email address: registered.interme@justice.gov.uk

Complaints must be received by the Intermediaries Team within 12 calendar months of the issue or the closure of the recruitment competition, whichever is the later.

We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt and reply as quickly and clearly as possible; within 20 working days of receipt. We will tell you if we cannot meet this deadline for any reason and provide an expected reply date.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

We will process your application in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Ministry of Justice’s Information Charter, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/personal-information-charter. 

Your data will be held securely and access will be restricted to those dealing with your application or involved in the recruitment process. Your data will be stored for up to one year and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process, diversity monitoring and, if successful, your personal record. If appointed, your data will be stored for the duration of your tenure and may be shared with the organisation that you are appointed to, unless specifically requested otherwise.

Should you wish your data to be removed from our records, please contact registered.interme@justice.gov.uk

Contact details

For futher information, please contact registered.interme@justice.gov.uk

Attachments

• Candidate Information Pack