Citizens Advice – Witness Service Team Leader (Outreach Services)

Please find enclosed:

·Role Profile

·Person Specification

·Terms and Conditions

·

ROLE PROFILE

Band: / Officer - Lower level
Reporting to: / Witness Service Area Manager
Salary at appointment: / £23,230
Location: / Various / Travel H/M/L: H
Team overview: / The Witness Service is delivered on the front line by volunteers. The service is overseen by Area Managers, and led by five Regional Managers for the North, South, London, Central and Wales regions, who report to the Head of the Service.
Role purpose: / Responsible for the delivery of a pre-trial outreach support service to Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses in a defined geographical area. This involves coordinating the work of outreach volunteers to meet witness needs. The role will also support the Team Leaders (Court Services and Volunteer Development) in stakeholder engagement with WCU in the allocated geographical area.
Key accountabilities / Key elements/Tasks / % of Time
People management / Responsible for the effective supervision of outreach volunteers, assessing their performance against national guidelines, and providing reviews in line with defined national procedures.
Co-ordinate a team of outreach based volunteers including:
●the volunteer rota, allocation of workload, and work patterns
●monitoring the progress and quality of work
●providing guidance and support to volunteers managing complex cases
Identify development needs of volunteers and flag to the Team Leader (Volunteer Development) and area manager where appropriate.
Coach and develop performance to achieve both team and individual KPIs.
Conduct exit interviews for volunteers, ensuring that appropriate action is taken on the basis of feedback from exit interviews on a local level, and feed results into the Team Leader (Volunteer Development).
Ensure that all work reflects and supports the service’s Equality and Diversity Strategy. / 30%
Quality of service / Work closely with the Team Leader (Volunteer Development) by providing data on current volunteer numbers and projecting future volunteer requirements.
Ensure effective team working, particularly with other service delivery teams to optimise service delivery for the witness.
Provide local service performance statistics and progress reports to a high quality standard as and when required by the Witness Service Area Manager.
Ensure compliance with Citizens Advice’s national standards and procedures and the national and local volunteering strategy.
Handle or escalate as appropriate any feedback from volunteers, witnesses and other stakeholders to a satisfactory conclusion including Citizen’s Advice, and address low level feedback within the defined frameworks.
Ensure compliance with legal, ethical, regulatory and social requirements, including DBS.
Promote a health and safety culture within the workplace, observe all health and safety rules and procedures, attend training courses as required and where appropriate conduct risk assessments e.g. VDU, maternity, lone working, H&S audits etc.
Ensure essential information of a sensitive or personal nature is not disclosed to or discussed with inappropriate persons and is maintained in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Manage and be accountable for the processing of all data inputted into the Digital Tool. / 25%
Outreach service provision / Support the WS Area Manager and Initial Contact Manager to support the development of referral pathways, within a defined framework.
Liaise with local partners to identify and secure alternative venues for outreach visits.
Conduct risk assessments prior to WS committing to outreach visit.
Conduct first visits to witnesses where required with a volunteer, for quality assurance or in extreme circumstances, to cover for a volunteer.
Ensure outreach volunteer continues to provide quality one-to-one support in line with the agreed support plan, including further outreach visits, pre trial visit, support at court, final home visit.
Ensure Digital Tool updated with quality outreach case notes, within an agreed framework. / 40%
Other / Working with the Volunteer development team, assist with some areas of volunteer recruitment to ensure consistency across the network, e.g. interviewing or attending events.
Ensure integrity, fairness and consideration of the needs of others are incorporated into daily duties and relationships with colleagues, as part of a defined framework.
Deputise for other Team Leaders (Outreach and Court Services, Volunteer Development) to provide cover for sickness and other absence on an ad-hoc basis.
Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably required within the scope of the role. / 5%

CITIZENS ADVICE

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

  1. Experience of delivering in an effective customer-focused role with a diverse range of stakeholders
  2. Experience of co-ordinating and supporting recruitment of a team of volunteers or staff
  3. Experience of working directly with a diverse range of clients or service users
  4. Experience of monitoring and maintaining service delivery against agreed targets, identifying opportunities for improvements
  5. Experience of working effectively without direct supervision and prioritising own workload
  6. Experience of dealing with difficult and / or emotional situations
  7. Understanding and knowledge of safe working practices, the Data Protection Act and other legal requirements
  8. Experience of gathering, analysing and using information to solve problems
  9. Proven ability to build and develop effective working relationships
  10. Experience of communicating sensitively and effectively both verbally and in writing with a wide range of people

Desirable Criteria:

  1. For Wales posts, ability to speak Welsh
  2. Understanding of voluntary and statutory agencies including relevant professional roles, particularly in the criminal justice, health and social care sectors
  3. Understanding of the criminal justice system and specifically the journey of a witness through the court process
  4. Experience of safeguarding issues and legislation
  5. Experience of providing support and guidance to diverse range of volunteers

Requirements for role (candidates will confirm at application stage and at interview)

  1. Ability to contribute to an inventive, responsible and generous organisation/team culture
  2. Proven ability to use IT packages, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation packages, email (maintaining an electronic diary) and the ability to use or learn to use other packages as necessary
  3. Willingness to travel within the specified geographical area, and occasionally within the UK (including occasional overnights)
  4. Willingness to work flexible hours (including unsocial hours) based on operational need
  5. Ability to travel through whatever means necessary to perform the role (in certain areas driving license may be required)
  6. Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of Witness Service in which equality and diversity is embedded throughout
  7. Awareness that the Witness Service places witnesses at the heart of everything we do
  8. An up-to-date satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check
  9. Commitment to continuing professional development

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.SALARY

£23,230 gross per annum plus £3,520 London allowance, if applicable (gross annual salary and allowance FTE, pro-rata for part-time posts)

If you are a designated essential car user, you will receive an Essential Car User Allowance payment in addition to your salary.

2.ANNUAL/TOTAL LEAVE

Annual leave is 26 days pro rata per annum from 1st January to 31st December, plus 4 fixed days (normally over Christmas and New Year). Additionally, there is Long Service Leave of 1-5 days after 3-7 years’ service. Leave is pro rata for part time posts.

3.PENSION SCHEME

Citizens Advice provides a Group Stakeholder scheme. Further details of this scheme will be provided to the successful applicant at offer and contract stage.

4.LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Citizens Advice has a co-ordinated staff training and development strategy. This will mean that training for your current job, and future career developments relevant to Citizens Advice will be provided and you will be encouraged to take an active role.

5.INTEREST FREE LOANS

Interest-free loans are available to purchase season tickets for travel, and for career development purposes. If you are a designated essential car user, interest-free car loans are also available.

6.SALARY SACRIFICE SCHEMES

Citizens Advice offers childcare vouchers and operates a Cycle to Work scheme which provide a tax-efficient method for employees to pay for childcare or purchase a bicycle for commuting to work.

7.REMOVAL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES

Individuals appointed to permanent posts (i.e. excluding fixed term contracts) in Citizens Advice are eligible for reimbursement of up to £500 to cover costs associated with relocation and removal. Please ask for a copy of the full policy to check your eligibility.

8.DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECKS(DBS)

For posts supporting child witnesses, or supervising those who do, your employment is conditional on possessing up-to-date satisfactory enhanced DBS and child barred list checks. You have a duty to tell your manager immediately of any changes in your circumstances that might affect the outcome of your DBS clearance.
A criminal record will not necessarily mean you are unsuitable for the role. Should there be any disclosures, a risk assessment will be carried out in line with the Witness Service criminal record check policy. If the risks are deemed to be too high or if Citizens Advice is unable to secure insurance for you, employment may be terminated in line with Citizens Advice’s policy.

9.EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Citizens Advice recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges unfair discrimination. We recognise people with different backgrounds, skills, attitudes and experiences bring fresh ideas and perceptions, and we wish to encourage and harness these differences to make our services more relevant and approachable. Citizens Advice will not discriminate or tolerate discriminatory behaviour on the grounds of race, colour, sex, transgender, disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital/partnership or family status, sexual orientation, age, social class, educational background, employment status, working pattern, trade union membership or any other irrelevant factor in any aspect of employment.

Our values include a commitment to equality and fairness, and to valuing each other. All our employees are expected to have read and understood our Equality and Diversity Policy and to ensure they behave in accordance with its principles. Breaches of the policy may lead to disciplinary action.

10.DIGNITY AT WORK

Citizens Advice is committed to providing a culture in which all staff value each other and are able to work together to their full potential in an inclusive environment free from harassment, bullying and other unacceptable forms of behaviour. Unacceptable behaviour in the workplace will be actively dealt with, all complaints will be taken seriously, confidentiality will be respected and victimisation of those that raise complaints will not be tolerated.

Our values include commitments to work together and value each other - all our employees are expected to have read and understood our Dignity at Work Policy and to ensure they behave in accordance with its principles. All staff are responsible for helping to create and maintain a positive and inclusive working environment free from bullying and harassment. All managers have a particular responsibility for ensuring a supportive and inclusive working environment in which dignity at work is actively promoted.

11.PROBATIONARY POLICY

New appointments are subject to a six months probationary period. Performance is reviewed after three months and again after six months. At the end of the probationary period the outcome of the assessment may be confirmation of post; notice of dismissal; or at Citizens Advice’s discretion, an extension of the probationary period by a further three months.

12.POLITICAL IMPARTIALITY

An important part of the principle of impartiality is that Citizens Advice staff are seen to be upholding the principle of party political impartiality. To avoid possible misunderstanding or possible conflicts of interest guidelines have been established on staff taking part in party political activities. More information on this and a copy of the guidelines is available from the People Team, email . If you currently hold, or are intending to stand for local or national party political office, we will expect you to tell us about this if shortlisted for interview.

13.LOCATION

Court based within a specific area, as advertised.

14.EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Permanent (unless otherwise specified in advertisement)

15.FLEXIBILITY

Our roles are open to discussion about flexible working, which may include arrangements such as part-time working, formalised flexitime, fixed (non-standard) working hours, working from home and job-sharing.

16.HOURS OF WORK

As advertised

Citizens Advice is an operating name of The National Association of the Citizens Advice Bureaux.

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