23504 - Victim and Survivor Participation Manager in the Office of the Victims' Commissioner

Victim and Survivor Participation Manager

Grade 7

Office of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales

The Victims' Commissioner is an independent statutory office established to promote the interests of victims and witnesses, encourage good practice and keep under review the operation of the Victims' Code. The Office of the Victims' Commissioner works with government, criminal justice agencies, victim support organisations and stakeholders to improve victims' experiences and outcomes across England and Wales.

The Victims’ Commissioner’s Office for England and Wales is establishing a victim and survivor panel for adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). The panel will provide a supportive, empowering and independent mechanism for adult victims and survivors to inform government policy and practice, helping to ensure survivor insight is reflected in policy and decision-making related to tackling CSAE across safeguarding, criminal justice and child protection systems. It will also play an important role in holding government to account on these issues.

The postholder will lead the day-to-day participation, facilitation and wraparound support model for the CSAE Victim and Survivor Advisory Panel. They will be responsible for ensuring that panel members are safeguarded, supported and able to participate confidently and meaningfully in government policy work.

This is a specialist role requiring strong experience of trauma-informed, survivor-centred working. The postholder will act as a key advocate for panel members, helping to elevate their voices, protect their wellbeing and ensure their expertise is treated with seriousness, respect and care.

Working closely with panel members, the wider Victims’ Commissioner’s Office, including the Commissioner herself, cross-government departments, and third sector partners, the postholder will coordinate a forward pipeline of engagement opportunities, support officials to prepare clear and appropriate briefs, facilitate sensitive engagement sessions, and maintain consistent feedback loops so that panel members can see how their insight has informed policy development and implementation.

Success in this role will mean ensuring that engagement is ethical, purposeful and capable of influencing policy. The postholder will be expected to uphold high standards of trauma-informed practice, challenge poorly prepared or inappropriate engagement where needed, champion equitable collaboration and help the panel operate safely, credibly and effectively throughout its term.

Terms

This post is being offered on 2-year temporary appointment in line with the panel’s full term. This role may be extended subject to relevant approvals.

The terms on offer will be dependent on your current employment

Staff within the Ministry of Justice will be posted on detached duty terms and Temporary Responsibility allowance if appropriate

Staff in HMPPS or another government department will be posted on Loan terms

Individuals who are not currently civil servants will be offered a Fixed Term Appointment.

If you wish to discuss the above options, should you be successful, please contact us via the following functional mailbox: PolicyGroupRecruitment@justice.gov.uk

Candidates are reminded that to be eligible for this campaign; you must still be employed as a civil servant at the point of accepting the role. If you resign or your FTA contract ends before you are made and accept an offer, you will become ineligible and you will be withdrawn from the process.

Location

The Office of the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales is recruiting nationally to fill this temporary role. We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your base location.

Whilst remote working for this role is available there is a requirement for occasional travel to 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Salary

Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.

The Role

The postholder will work to support panel members to engage fully with cross-government officials and ministers, in a way that feels safe and empowering and enables them to meaningfully contribute their voices to the design and development of policies to tackle CSAE.

We recognise the value that lived experience of child sexual abuse would bring to this role, although there is no expectation that applicants disclose personal experiences as part of the recruitment process.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, wellbeing and wraparound care

Lead the implementation of a safe, trauma-informed participation model for the panel, ensuring safeguarding, wellbeing and psychological safety are built into all aspects of panel activity in line with the terms of reference.

Deliver trauma-informed onboarding for panel members, ensuring they understand the panel’s purpose, ways of working, support offer, boundaries, safeguarding routes and what participation will involve.

Act as the key point of contact for panel members, ensuring their safety needs, boundaries, accessibility requirements and wellbeing are understood and responded to appropriately. This includes providing regular check-ins and post-engagement debriefs so members are supported throughout their participation and have clear routes to raise concerns or feedback.

Lead and hold accountability for thorough risk management and uphold support processes, including recording, escalation and review of safeguarding or wellbeing concerns.

Work closely with the clinical support provider to ensure members have access to appropriate therapeutic and wellbeing support, and that risks or concerns are identified and managed safely appropriately.