Ministry ofJustice – Witness Intermediary Scheme QAB Feedback and Complaints Lead

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.

You will need to have experience working in an area with vulnerability as its focus, regularly considering the space of vulnerability and service improvements reflecting this, such as mental health, children and disability services.

You will need to have substantial experience of setting and monitoring professional standards, developing and following performance and complaints policies, resolving issues both on an organisational and one to one basis and overcoming issues, whilst also recognising the need to ensure maximum value for public money. You will also have experience of managing confidential processes with potential for conflicts of interest.

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.

Feedback and Complaints Lead will be responsible for:

• Understanding and monitoring the feedback on RIs from the end-users through the WIS, by working closely with the NCA who collect this data.
• Working with MoJ, the QAB chair and wider stakeholders to review the Feedback and Complaints Policy every two years.
• Promoting quick, clear and fair responses, to feedback on RIs received by the QAB.
• Wherever possible promoting informal resolution and a constructive approach to learning from feedback, working closely with the QAB Continuous Professional Development lead to do so.
• Using objective sound judgment when reviewing feedback and complaints, to fairly determine any causes for concern and if the matter can be addressed informally, or if a full investigation is required due to breaches of the RI Procedural Guidance Manual.
• Undertaking risk assessments and investigations where there is a risk to a criminal case, potential harm to the public, or a serious breach of the RI Procedural Guidance Manual, for example. You can appoint another QAB member as an investigator where necessary.
• Developing short timely reports where required, with findings from the investigation.
• Working collaboratively with a determination panel, to finalise any recommendations in response to a complaint.
• Considering safeguarding and fitness to practice in relation to RIs where a formal complaint has been made.
• Working to reduce the costs of complaints investigations
• You will also be expected to be active on WIS recruitment processes and panels.

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

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

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

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

·       Experience of setting and monitoring professional standards.

·       Experience of handling feedback on a service.

·       Ability to take an objective view point, weighing up evidence and information regarding a range of different perspectives.

·       Ability to work in partnership with other board members, government officials and RIs to continue to improve the WIS.

·       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.