Coroner's Officer

West Sussex County Council; Horsham; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in England is seeking a dedicated professional for the Coroners Service to investigate sudden deaths and support bereaved families. The ideal candidate should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a solid understanding of Coroner's policies, and the ability to manage sensitive cases. This position requires independence in travel around West Sussex, and offers a supportive work environment with benefits including annual leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Discounts on various services

Qualifications

• Ability to manage a caseload and set priorities.
• Experience in handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Proficiency in multiple computer databases.

Responsibilities

• Attend scenes of sudden deaths as requested.
• Provide support and guidance to bereaved families.
• Conduct formal investigative interviews.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Strong problem-solving skills

IT skills

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Knowledge of Coroner's policies and procedures

Job description

This role requires the successful candidate to be able to participate in an on‑call rota, acting as a single point of contact for any out of hours enquiries and attending scenes on behalf of the Coroner. You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes available (subject to availability) Travel will be within your jurisdiction which will include anywhere in West Sussex, Brighton and Hove. Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position. About the Job Under the direction of the Coroner, you will take on the significant responsibility of investigating and recording sudden and unexpected deaths, all in accordance with the Coroner's and Justice Act 2009, the Coroner's (Investigations) Regulations 2013, the Coroner's (Inquests) Rules 2013, and the Chief Coroner's Guidance. Our work in the Coroner Service and any given day can often feel quite different from the next! There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in this role, including:

• Attending scenes of sudden deaths in accordance with existing local authority policies and as requested by the Coroner.
• Working with the investigation team to provide expert advice in the field, recording and reporting tissue and organ donation requests on behalf of HM Coroner.
• The assignment of a number of 'designated powers' when appropriate by the Coroner, you will be expected to discharge such powers professionally, legally and
• Acting as a single point of contact providing immediate support and guidance to bereaved families following sudden and unexpected death ensuring that families, interested persons and witnesses are updated with the progress of the investigation and are provided with any necessary support.
• Preparing for and undertaking formal investigative interviews, writing statements, and conducting related investigative enquiries where appropriate of families, professionals, and witnesses in compliance with Coroner's and Justice Act 2009, Coroner's (Investigations) Regulations 2013, Coroner's (Inquests) Rules 2013 and the Chief Coroner's

Do you have personal resilience and professionalism when dealing with potentially sensitive, confidential, or distressing queries? Are you able to effective build and maintain relationships with service users? Do you have excellent IT skills? If the answer is yes, we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for a dedicated professional to join the Coroners Service. The Coroners Service comprises a small team dedicated to providing support to the Senior Coroner by ensuring that the legislative and case management processes, as well as the planning and handling of inquests, are conducted efficiently and effectively.

If you have excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and genuine desire to thrive in a supportive environment, we want to hear from you!

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills as well as the capability of absolute discretion in handling personal, sensitive and matters of a confidential nature.
• The ability to remain sympathetic and empathetic whilst working to policy and procedure.
• Good knowledge of Coroner's policies and procedures relating to Coroner's investigations. Particularly Coroner's and Justice Act 2009, Coroner's (Investigations) Regulations 2013, Coroner's (Inquests) Rules 2013 and Chief Coroner's Guidance.
• Experience in managing you own workload, working flexibly, multi-tasking and balancing different priorities. You will be comfortable making fast-time decisions when managing unpredictable caseloads and setting priorities.
• The ability to operate multiple computer database systems and be willing to undertake training to become proficient in all relevant Coroners and local authority systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills and is capable of exercising sound judgment independently and consistently, while adhering to relevant legislation and established procedures.

We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 27 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years' service plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme. A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.