Head of Service

Catch22; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Catch22 is seeking a Head of Service for a fixed-term position overseeing Victim Services. The successful candidate will ensure high-quality service delivery, manage staff and budgets, and represent the organization at various forums while contributing to a strategy aimed at improving victim support in Leicester and beyond.

Qualifications

• Experience managing and supervising staff.
• Experience in the victim and witness support field.
• Skilled in risk assessment and communication.

Responsibilities

• Deliver strategic and operational oversight for Victim Services.
• Oversee case management systems and staff performance.
• Develop partnerships with local criminal justice and health agencies.

Skills

Risk assessment

Planning

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Budget oversight

IT skills

Education

Minimum GCSEs in English and Maths

Recognised management qualification

Job description

Company Description

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals from cradle to career.

In Justice, we work with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing a range of services including offender management and resettlement, mentoring, veterans in custody, victim services, gangs work and youth justice. We believe that with effective support mechanisms and the correct interventions, we can change service user’s ideology, helping them desist from crime and reach their true potential.

Commissioned by Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Victim First is a free and confidential service available to all victims and witnesses of crime across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The service supports victims and witnesses to be resilient and in doing so are less likely to be re-victimised; empowered to cope and recover from crime and anti-social behaviour by timely and effective victim-centred support from local services, families and communities.

Job Description

This opportunity is a fixed term position covering a maternity period.

As Head of Service, you will deliver on the strategic and operational delivery of our Victim Services. You'll oversee case management systems, staff performance, and service development, ensuring services meet contractual requirements and deliver impactful outcomes for victims and witnesses.

You will act as the primary point of contact for commissioners and contribute to Catch22’s wider justice strategy, with a focus on growing our national Victim Services portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight aligned with Catch22’s goals and those of the commissioner.
• Lead and performance-manage Senior Case Workers and ensure service delivery meets agreed standards.
• Manage service budgets and deliver financial reports in partnership with the Finance Manager.
• Ensure all operational and safeguarding procedures are effectively implemented and followed.
• Lead quality assurance and continuous improvement, including audits, staff development, and policy reviews.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with local criminal justice and health agencies.
• Represent the service at strategic forums, partnership boards, and public relations opportunities.
• Ensure effective monitoring, data recording, and reporting systems are in place and functioning.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and best practice in victim services.
  
  

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to a good standard (minimum GCSEs in English and Maths).
• Recognised management qualification or willingness to work towards one.
• Experience managing and supervising staff.
• Experience in the victim and witness support field.
• Experience working with high-risk, socially excluded individuals.
• Skilled in risk assessment, planning, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience with case management systems and accurate record keeping.
• Financial management skills including budget oversight.
• Strong IT skills (Microsoft Office suite).
  
  

Desirable

• Formal management qualification (if not already held).
• In-depth knowledge of the National Victims’ Code and criminal justice processes.
• Experience working in a multi-agency setting.
• Knowledge of service evaluation and co-production with service users.
  
  

Personal Qualities And Other Requirements

• A proactive, adaptable, and solution-focused approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practice.
• Willingness to travel and work flexibly as needed.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, service user empowerment, and safeguarding.
  
  

Additional Information

Those interested in applying for this opportunity should review the Job Description & Person Specification to find out more. If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please see our contact information on the Candidate Help Page. Please use reference REF3667C in your message so that we can identify the opportunity.

When applying please be cautious over the answers you provide. If you select “NO” to the screening question regarding Right to Work in the UK, your application will automatically be closed.

Additional Requirements: The NPPV (non-police personnel vetting) check also requires that the post-holder has lived in the UK for the past 3 years with a few exceptions.

Contract: 12 month fixed term

Hours & work pattern: Full time, 37.5 hours per week.

Salary: £41,414.00

Location: You will spend 3 days a week at Leicestershire Police HQ. The remainder of your time will be split between remote working and supporting victims in the community.

Closing Date: Wednesday 11th of June 2025. Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the vacancy at any time, for any reason before the stated closing date.

Screening: Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check, police vetting check, and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK. Catch22 does not currently provide a licence to sponsor visas but please see this register to see those that do.

To Apply: Please provide your CV and cover letter, along with the completion of the screening questions to express your interest in this opportunity. Please note, in the interest of safer recruitment and ensuring that applicants are a right fit for the role, submitted applications must contain a CV, satisfactory responses to the screening questions, and information detailing interest in the role, to be considered for this position.

AI generated applications are not acceptable and could lead to a disqualification of your current and future applications across Catch22 jobs. In order to ensure that applications are fair, genuine, and representative of the candidate applying, our teams may use a number of tools to identify occurrences where candidates have not given an honest response during the application process.

Catch22’s Commitment to Opportunity & Progression

At Catch22 we are proud of our commitment in supporting people develop in their careers and progress in our organisation. In 2024, within our Justice Hub, we have 68% of those in management roles that originally joined Catch22 in the frontline workforce and some worked across a number of roles and Leadership positions before joining management. This allows us to have a highly experienced management group and provides development opportunities for those in our much valued front-line.

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see the Job Information Pack for more information.

Missing Links?

A number of our job aggregators do not allow for us to use hyperlinks in our advertisements. To view information contained within these links, please click apply, where you will be taken to the advert in our ATS. This will allow you to view and access the links contained within our adverts.

Catch22 Justice requests no contact from agencies or media sales

Benefits / Apply for Opportunities / recruitment process / Recruitment Policy / Set up Job Alerts

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.