Salary: £26,421 to 27,334 pro rataHours: 22.2 hours (Tuesday to Thursday – to be agreed)Location: Cockermouth – Office basedContract: Part-time, permanent
About this opportunityThe role is to provide very high quality, efficient and effective support to the Coroners Service in Cumbria, and support HM Coroner with various aspects of the preparation, hosting, and administration, of Coroner’s Inquest Court proceedings.
Your key duty will be to be present at inquest hearings, and provide efficient, effective, and professional assistance to HM Coroner, and those attending the inquest and ensure inquests take place in accordance with HM Coroners requirements and meet the needs of the bereaved families / Next of Kin.
Part of the duties also include assisting the Support Team who provide high quality, efficient and effective administrative and business support to the HM Coroner and the wider coroners service, and to contribute to the effective and timely delivery of Coroner’s services.
You will be part of the team providing the nessasary support to enable Her Majesty’s Coroners in Cumbria to fulfil their legal and statutory responsibilities as a Judicial Officer.
Who we are looking for
You will need to be conscientious and hard working, and have the desire to provide high quality support to HM Coroner, and to the families / bereaved at what is one of the most difficult periods in their lives losing a loved one in difficult circumstances.
Some previous experience dealing with difficult subject matter, distressed individuals and/or the bereaved is key, and you must have tact and diplomacy and the ability to have conversations with families and stakeholders about difficult and sensitive information.
The role will require commitment and enthusiasm, and the ability to work to tight timelines as well as muliti-tasking and potentially balancing a number of conflicting priorities.
If you have the following, we would like to hear from you:
• proven and demonstratable experience in a customer facing role and can manage large groups of people;• strong communication skills with a customer service focus and high standards of customer care;• well-developed self-awareness and understand the specific requirements of a sensitive public facing role;• some experience dealing with the bereaved/next of kin, or relatable experience dealing those who may be distressed and emotional; • experience of reading and presenting aloud in public to large groups, potentially for extended periods and including documents with medical and legal terminology.
Ultimately, the role is interesting and extremely rewarding as it supports the staturory role of HM Coroner, and crucuially it helps families, the bereaved and next of kin at what is a difficult time in their lives having lost a loved one suddenly or in tragic circumstances.
KEY TO NOTEIt is important to stress that the role involves:• Working directly for HM Coroner, in their capacity as an ‘Independent Judicial Officer’ and member of the Judiciary (a Judge).• Dealing with matters relating to sudden and unexplained deaths, and the decased on a daily basis.• Subject matter and the type of cases dealt with will often include details, information and/or images which are potential difficult, distressing and/or graphic nature. • Having discussions with families of the deceased and the next of kin about very sensitive matters, and their loved ones death, when they may be emotional, unsure of what is happening or even angry.• Working to very tight deadlines, often with conflicting demands and priorities This type of work is obviously not for everyone. It is therefore important that you understand the above and the requirements of the role prior to applying, and consider fully if you are of a suitably robust character and have the emotional resiliance to deal with the above on a sustained and daily basis.
Application and Interview informationPlease ensure any application fully demonstrates how you meet the essential (and desirable) criteria, as detailed above and within the job decription.
Interviews will be face-to-face, and will be held at the HM Coroners Office, in Cockermouth.
Closing date: Monday 6th May 2024Interview date: To be arranged
We welcome applications from everyone At Cumberland Council, we are dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce, striving to mirror the rich tapestry of the communities we proudly serve. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are devoted in fostering an inclusive, supportive culture that embraces and appreciates our unique differences.
As a proud Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that disabled applicants, meeting the essential criteria for this position, are guaranteed an interview as part of our commitment to equal opportunities. Your diverse perspectives and talents contribute to our collective success, and we look forward to building a workplace that champions inclusivity and equality.
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