Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Hiring for Band D VIA Officer Edinburgh at Crown Full Time

Do you want to make a difference by securing justice in Scotland?

COPFS is currently looking for exceptional candidates to become Victim Information and Advice Officers to help in securing justice for victims of crime in Scotland.

Victim Information and Advice Officer

High Court, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Location

Edinburgh

Contract terms

Full Time, Permanent

Salary
Starting salary would be £31,266 with the maximum salary on this scale being £35,813 subject to future COPFS pay awards. All salaries are pro rata for part-time staff.

Benefits
We offer an excellent range of benefits which include:

• Generous Civil Service Pension employer contribution, on average over 26% of your pay.
• 25 days paid holiday + 11.5 public and privilege holidays (rising to 30 days paid holiday after 4 years).
• Flexible working hours and family friendly approach to work.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans.
• Employee Wellbeing Support with Mental Health First Aiders and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.

Closing Date

10th April 2022 at 23.55

About COPFS

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all crime in Scotland; the investigation of deaths which require further explanation; and the investigation of complaints against the police

.About the Role

This post is working within the High Court Victim Information and Advice Team. The cases in the High court are the most serious cases that are dealt with in Scotland including murder and serious sexual offending.

As a VIA Officer you will play a pivotal role within Scotland’s sole prosecution service. You will advise Victims, Witnesses and Bereaved next of kin in criminal proceedings calling in the High Court about the progress of cases, signposting them to support services and attend meetings with them. You will work closely with lawyers, Police and other criminal justice partners to improve the efficient delivery of justice for local communities.

This is demanding role, requiring strong communication skills and personal resilience. Whilst there may be an opportunity to undertake a variety of duties within COPFS, the main function of the role is to support and guide Victims, Witnesses and Bereaved next of kin through the criminal process sensitively and appropriately.

You will be responsible for both office-based duties including drafting legal notices and applications for Court within defined timescales and the supporting of bereaved relatives, victims and witnesses face to face at Court,

You must be passionate about serving the public interest at all times; confident in taking decisions and be committed to meeting the diverse needs of victims and witnesses.

Training will be provided to support successful candidates.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and other duties may be required as appropriate to the role

Essential Criteria Required

• Literacy and fluency in English
• Excellent communication and engagement skills with demonstrable experience of communicating with vulnerable individuals
• Be an effective, strong team player with personal resilience to work with sensitive cases in a fast-paced environment
• Strong organisational skills including prioritisation of workload and sound judgement in reaching decisions
• Good knowledge of IT software packages

Desirable Criteria Required

• An understanding of the work of COPFS and the criminal justice system in Scotland

Contact Us

If you have any queries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Additional Information

Application packs are available to download from our website https://www.copfs.gov.uk/careers.

Please note that we do not accept CVs.

Selection will be competency based.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has ongoing measures and guidance in its response to Covid-19 (Coronavirus), and would like to advise applicants that a decision has been taken that all interviews and any other discussions in the process must be conducted in a virtual/remote setting.In order to facilitate this way of working, COPFS asks all applicants to ensure that they have a suitable space to participate in the virtual interview and discussions as well as access to a personal device of choice by which you can undertake the interview/assessment if selected. Please ensure that your personal Wi-Fi/Broadband capacity will be sufficient to carry both audio and video.

Please note that COPFS has exemptions from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). COPFS must also adhere to strict Civil Service and Cabinet Office Baseline Personnel Security Standards regarding nationality, identity and history verification rules.