Independent Assessor of Complaints
Crown Prosecution Service
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions
Since I became Director of Public Prosecutions in November 2023, I have made it a priority to provide the best leadership to all our staff and to transform and improve the service we provide.
The Crown Prosecution Service sits at the heart of the criminal justice system, working with partners to help keep the public safe. We prosecute criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other investigative organisations in England and Wales.
Our duty is to make sure that the right person is prosecuted for the right offence, and to bring offenders to justice wherever possible. These offences can include burglary, terrorism, domestic abuse and multimillion-pound fraud cases. We also work across borders to tackle cybercrime, human trafficking and drugs smuggling, and use our powers to confiscate the proceeds of crime at home and abroad.
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions
Independent Assessor of Complaints
As the Independent Assessor of Complaints, you investigate service complaints once our internal processes have been concluded, carefully considering the application of our complaints-related policies and the Victims Code. You are expected to operate independently, righting any wrongs, helping the Crown Prosecution Service improve the service it offers. You are accountable to the Crown Prosecution Service Board and expected to provide an annual report for external publication. As Independent Assessor of Complaints you are supported by an assistant from the Private Office and have a Board sponsor.
You need to have substantial experience of handling and investigating complaints, an understanding of service delivery within the public sector, and be an excellent written communicator on complex issues. You are expected to build a good understanding of the Crown Prosecution Service and its role in the wider criminal justice system. You build and maintain useful and collaborative relationships with people across the organisation to support service improvement.
As Independent Assessor of Complaints you have the chance to make a positive difference to the communities we serve and to wider society. The Crown Prosecution Service is a diverse and inclusive employer and works hard to create a culture where everyone can thrive.
What's the role?
The Crown Prosecution Service has used an Independent Assessor of Complaints since 2013. The role is to:
- investigate service (non-legal) complaints about the Crown Prosecution Service following the conclusion of its internal complaints process
- look at whether the Crown Prosecution Service properly followed the Victims’ Code guidance on the services that must be provided to victims
- check that the Crown Prosecution Service has followed its complaints procedure and other relevant policies.
This role demands exceptional skills in customer care, analysis, logic and judgement. You will:
- be independent of the Crown Prosecution Service and consider complaints that have exhausted the internal process on the facts and reach fair, independent decisions based on the merits of the particular case
- seek to right individual wrongs
- be solely accountable for the decisions made
- report to the Board on the Crown Prosecution Service's handling of complaints.
- support the Crown Prosecution Service to develop best practice and improved service standards including identifying process improvements and making recommendations to address service failures and reduce the likelihood of similar complaints arising in the future, and supporting the development of policies and guidance including the Crown Prosecution Service Feedback and Complaints policy and Goodwill Payments guidance. And building positive working relationships with operational teams.
You do not handle complaints about legal decisions.
More information about the role, including Terms of Reference: Independent Assessor of Complaints
Ombudsman’s principles
The Independent Assessor of Complaints' work is guided by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Principles of Good Complaint Handling. These are:
- getting it right
- being customer focused
- being open and accountable
- acting fairly and proportionately
- putting things right
- seeking continuous improvement.
Accountability and governance arrangements
The role is independent of the Crown Prosecution Service but accountable to the Board. You report annually on the general discharge of your functions and the standards of service provided to complainants by providing an Annual Report detailing your activities to the Board. This Annual Report is published on the Crown Prosecution Service website.
The latest copy can be found at: Independent Assessor of Complaints for the Crown Prosecution Service: Annual Report 2022-23
The Independent Assessor of Complaints is solely responsible and accountable for the conduct and administration of all work they carry out and for the decisions made in each case.
Support and location
You are supported with dedicated resource in the Crown Prosecution Service Public Correspondence and Complaints Team, based primarily at our offices in Petty France, London. You can do this role remotely with regular (at least monthly) travel to London.
This role pays £41,086 a year, plus reasonable expenses.
As Independent Assessor of Complaints you have the chance to make a positive difference to the communities we serve and to wider society.
What's required?
Time commitment
You must commit up to 60 days a year, with a maximum of five days a month.
Person specification
It is essential that your application demonstrates evidence of achievementin the areas listed in Part 1 as far as you are able to. These responses are further developed and discussed if you're invited for interview, together with the criteria listed in Part 2.
Part 1: Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential criteria
- Senior-level experience of complaints handling, investigations or regulation.
- Understanding service delivery and the complexity and diversity of the needs and expectations from public services users.
- Making and communicating decisions to service users on complex and sensitive issues in a straightforward, honest, empathetic and truthful way.
- Managing and effectively prioritising workloads and competing demands.
- Delivering a service in line with agreed policies, processes and timescales.
- Engaging with operational leaders in an organisation to support service change and improvement.
- Reporting and communication of issues and risks at Board level.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and an understanding of the role of the Crown Prosecution Service within it.
- Knowledge of the wider ombudsman landscape in the UK, particularly public sector schemes.
Part 2: Personal characteristics
- Independent, visibly and demonstrably impartial, and able to maintain decisions in the face of challenge or disagreement.
- Analytical, using information to make decisions based on the best available evidence.
- A communicator, simplifying complexity and adapting communication.
- Service focused, seeking ways to put customer needs at the heart of everything you do.
- A change agent, identifyingjo areas for improvement and supporting others through change.
- Credible, establishes personal credibility with senior figures within the organisation and with wider stakeholders.
If you're successful, you must get Security Check clearance before or once you've taken up the role.
How do I apply?
Please email us a CV setting out your career history and experience - up to two sides of A4. And a supporting statement (max 1,000 words) that demonstrates evidence of achievementin the areas listed in Part 1: Knowledge, skills and experience as far as you are able..Do let us know about any outside interests or reputational issues in a separate document.
The application deadline is 12pm on 6 September 2024.
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