Coroner's Support Officer

Surrey County Council; Woking; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Woking is seeking a Coroner's Support Officer to assist in delivering judicial duties with empathy to bereaved families. The role involves recording deaths, managing communications, and providing administrative support to coroner officers. Ideal candidates will have experience within a coronial service or similar field, possess strong analytical skills, and showcase excellent customer service. This full-time role offers a salary of £30,647 annually and additional benefits including leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

26 days' holiday (rising to 31)

Generous pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a coronial service or investigatory profession.
• Ability to provide high levels of customer care and professionalism.
• Strong analytical skills to perform investigative duties.

Responsibilities

• Record deaths and progress investigations referred to the Coroner.
• Handle queries and complaints independently.
• Summon and administer jurors for Coroner's Inquests.

Skills

Experience in coronial service

Analytical ability

Customer care

Report writing

Excellent IT skills

Job description

The starting salary for these full-time, permanent roles is £30,647 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be recruiting a newCoroner's Support Officerto join our fantastic team, based in Woking. As a Coroner's Officer you will help support the Senior Coroner deliver their judicial duties, providing a high-quality service to bereaved families by progressing cases efficiently and with empathy.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer\'s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

We are looking for individuals who can work at pace to make a difference to the lives of people who have lost family members, loved ones or friends.

In this role, you will be responsible for recording deaths and progressing investigations referred to the Coroner in line with the Coroner's and Justice Act 2009, Coroner's (Investigations) Regulations 2013, Coroner's (Inquests) Rules 2013, and the Chief Coroner's Guidance.

You will deal with HM Coroner bereaved families and a variety of third-party agencies such as Hospitals, GP surgeries, and Police on a daily basis, so clear communication and liaison is key to the role to ensure all parties are updated with the progress of referrals and are provided with appropriate support.

You will need to be able to remain sympathetic and empathetic whilst working to policy and procedure.

Key duties of a Coroner\'s Support Officer include:

• Use specialist knowledge to input referrals into in-house systems, manage communications promptly, and keep senior staff informed of urgent/important developments.
• Handle queries and complaints independently, using initiative to resolve issues.
• Provide accurate, efficient, and confidential support to coroner officers, organising and quality-checking your own work.
• Maintain and update confidential records and filing systems (manual and electronic).
• Summon and administer jurors, and support the Coroner during Inquest Openings and at front of house when court is open.
• Occasionally attend NHS mortuaries (Guildford, Chertsey, Redhill) to verify identification details before post-mortem examinations.
• Deal with enquiries from bereaved families with empathy and excellent customer care, championing their needs.

This role is key to provide administration support for the initial investigation steps that assists the timeliness of coronial investigations.

This is a hugely rewarding role that is of benefit to the residents of Surrey. Your excellent customer service and communication skills will tie in with your ability to relate to people from backgrounds which reflect the diversity of the people who live and work in Surrey.

Shortlisting Criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Experience of working within a coronial service, the police, legal profession or other investigatory or regulatory profession.
• Analytical ability to perform this investigation driven role
• Ability to provide high levels of customer care and professionalism to members of the public
• Ability to write well structured, clear, and concise reports using information gathered from multiple sources
• Excellent IT skills and the ability to follow defined processes in a timely manner

This role requires travel across the county. The role holder will need to have a full (UK) drivers\' licence and the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 20th December 2025 with interviews to follow.

An enhanced DBS \'Disclosure and Barring Service\' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children\'s and Adults\' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we\'re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.