About the job

Job summary

The Victim Witness Care Unit (VWCU) was established on 16 March 2023 and provides a central point of contact to victims and witnesses during their journey through the Service Justice System (SJS), providing support and guidance. The unit has been created following several independent reviews of the SJS, where it was identified that there was an inconsistency in the level of support offered to victims and vulnerable witnesses of crime across Defence. The VWCU puts victims and witnesses at the heart of the investigative process and provides a truly end-to-end service for victims and witnesses of crime, from initial contact through to court and beyond.

The VWCU is independent of Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force chains of command and provides a central point of contact to victims and witnesses of serious crimes committed by service personnel in the UK and abroad. Our team of civilian Victim Liaison Officers (VLO) are trained to listen and provide coordinated support that is tailored to the individual. Our VLOs will ensure their clients voice is heard and their rights are met.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse team of VLO’s, in a relatively new service within Defence, who have already exceeded expectations by providing a person centered and Trauma Informed Approach in supporting their clients through their journey in the SJS.

If you have a passion for multi-agency and collaborative working, whilst coordinating and facilitating a victim’s rights and wellbeing, this is an opportunity for you to strongly consider.   

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Job description

As a VLO you will work flexibly and collaboratively across Defence and with external stakeholders, to ensure a victim’s rights are delivered/offered. You will be inclusive by nature, open to diverse ideas and confidently welcome and receive challenge in line with your working day. 

You will have the responsibility of being the central point of contact for victims and witnesses to provide a professional, consistent, and seamless end to end support service, from the first point of contact through to the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent prosecution and sentencing.

To have governance over own caseloads and effectively communicate with, influence, monitor and manage victims and witnesses for Court Martial and Summary Hearing. Facilitate liaison and be a dedicated contact between victims and witnesses, service police, the Service Prosecution Authority (SPA) and supporting agencies, to promote and support effective trials.

Provide enhanced support for vulnerable victims of crime in accordance with the Victims code of practice (VCOP), providing remote continued telephone support, be responsible for determining, signposting and referring to the relevant support agency as required.

Main Responsibilities: 

• To manage and coordinate each case as the client’s central point of contact ensuring their rights are met. 
• Working proactively and collaboratively with law enforcement, Service Prosecution Authority (SPA), and other stakeholders in establishing and coordinating the clients support pathway.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of support and associated paperwork whilst being ensuring the client remains appraised of case progress, remaining mindful in the handling of sensitive material.
• To conduct a detailed needs assessment with each client to identify support requirements and signpost accordingly.To dynamically assess these needs as the case progresses and adjust/establish support as required.
• Support management team by establishing and developing networking with external agencies.
• Contribute to the continued development of the unit by identifying areas/ideas to streamline current practice.
• To perform duty VLO role to answer incoming calls to the office phone and to respond to enquiries to the group mailbox during working hours.
• Occasional travel within the UK to support clients in extremis and to undertake continued personal development.

This post will report to the civilian grade SEO who is the Director of the VWCU.

Person specification

Essential:

• Has excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence – approachable, tactful, empathetic, diplomatic, and non-judgemental.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft IT applications and ability to learn new IT systems.
• Knowledge of the Victims Codes of practice (VCOP)
• Confident and competent when engaging a range of stake holders, including law enforcement, prosecution services and senior civilian/military colleagues.
• Remains calm and efficient when under pressure.
• To have experience or understanding of the Service or Criminal Justice Service. 
• Personally committed to creating an inclusive working environment.

Desirable:

• Driving Licence.
• Has the ability to manage competing priorities and volume case work at pace.
• Knowledge of the Witness Charter.
• Enjoy working in a rapidly changing area and relish the opportunity to quickly respond to emerging issues.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a CV, details to include job history, relevant qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will also be required to provide a statement of suitability of no more than 500 words providing experience relevant to the role.

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours

• Communicating & Influencing
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing 
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk  

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.  

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.