91698 - Senior Policy Adviser in the Victims and Vulnerabilities Directorate

In order for Policy Group to meet its evolving business needs all Policy Group staff are expected to attend their base location (102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) at least 2 days a week. This hybrid working arrangement is not contractual and as a result staff could be asked to attend their base location more frequently.

Ways of Working

At the MoJ we believe and promote alternative ways of working, these roles are available as:

Full-time, part-time or the option to job share
Flexible working patterns
Flexible working arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs and home.
If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

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

New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.

If you are already a civil servant and are successful in an external recruitment competition for a role with us, your starting pay will be the better of:

promotion terms or transfer terms, as appropriate; or
pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 people with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

The Work of Victims, Vulnerabilities and Criminal Law Directorate

Victims, Vulnerability and Criminal Law Directorate sits at the heart of MoJ's policy agenda, working to reform complex systems that deal with some of the most vulnerable members of our society. We work closely with Ministers, No10, the senior judiciary, as well as a wide range of other Whitehall departments and agencies, to tackle a range of complex issues. Everything the directorate does to deliver our wide-ranging portfolio of work is uniquely focused on supporting those that need it most.

The Victim and Witness Policy Unit leads on systemic, multi-agency reform work to improve support and outcomes for victims and witnesses, to help them cope and recover from the impacts of crime and enable better justice outcomes. This is an important part of raising victims' confidence in the criminal justice system, and of delivering the Government's "Safer Streets" mission outcomes, in particular around halving violence against women and girls. This will be a fast paced and rewarding role, with significant opportunities for development while working on one of the department's top priority areas.

The Government has significant ambitions to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system and their access to support. The focus for the unit over the coming 12-24 months will be implementing the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, and in particular ensuring the baseline of entitlements for all victims of crime, set out in the Victims' Code, are well understood, and delivered, and agencies are held accountable. These measures will be enhanced through seizing opportunities to go further in the first-session Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill, as well as exploring digital and data improvements across the criminal justice system. We work collaboratively with operational colleagues and enablers in MOJ, other Government departments, criminal justice agencies and the victim support sector to deliver shared outcomes. We are a friendly, dedicated and purpose-led team, with a strong focus on development and wellbeing.

1 X Policy Advisor, Victims' Code Oversight Team

This role is an opportunity to work on measures to make sure that victims of crime receive the service that they deserve from the criminal justice system. The Victims' Code sets out the rights that victims can expect to receive and sets out the minimum standard that organisations must provide to victims of crime. You can find a link to the Victims' Code here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime. However, we know that currently victims do not always receive these rights, and that their broader experience isn't what it should be. This is why the Victims and Prisoners Act created a framework to oversee the delivery of the Victims' Code.