Quality Assurance & Training Officer

Salary   

£29,303 - £35,564

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Number of jobs available   

1 

Detail of reserve list   

12 Months 

Region   

North East / Midlands

City/Town   

Jarrow or Burton on Trent

Building/Site   

Ministry of Justice, Berkley Way, Jarrow or Branston Registry, Burton on Trent

Grade   

EO

Organisation Grade for MoJ   

EO

Post Type   

Permanent 

Working Pattern   

Full Time

Role Type   

Operational Delivery, Knowledge & Information Management 

Diversity and Inclusion  

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity. 

About the Department 

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 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. 

What we do 

We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system: 

• courts 

• prisons 

• probation services 

• attendance centres 

We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights. 

Background

The Offender Subject Access Request Team manage and process offender subject access requests (SARs) on behalf of the MoJ.  We liaise with MoJ’s internal departments to retrieve personal information held about data subjects vetting this in compliance with Part 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). 

Excellent information and records management is knowing what information you have across an organisation and having the right information available at the right time by those who need it. Being good at this is vital for any organisation as information plays an integral role in delivering day-to-day business, underpins policy and operational delivery, ensures legal obligations are met and safeguards the corporate record for use by civil servants in the future and the need for transparency with the public.  

Offender Subject Access Request Team (SAR) is part of the Information Services Division, within the Ministry of Justice’ Security and Information Directorate, Service Transformation Group. 

Our purpose is to disclose the right information to the right people, at the right time, by responding to offender SARs. 

The team is responsible for processing approximately 8,000 offender SARs a year, liaising with prisons and probation areas to retrieve personal information held on the requestor, and preparing it for release within the legislative deadline of one calendar month. 

We aim to put users at the centre of what we do and strive to continually improve our service and processes in response to feedback. We are moving forward with a programme of transformation to ensure that we deliver a high-quality service, to the appropriate standard and to the appropriate timescales, whilst supporting staff wellbeing and development. This is an ambitious programme of change over the coming years and the role is critical in shaping its success. 

The team works collaboratively with His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) as our key partners in delivery and stakeholder engagement.  

You will be joining the Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) profession at an exciting time as this transformation is underway in MoJ and across government.  

Job Description

As a member of the Quality Assurance and Training team, you will play a key part in enhancing operational performance and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.

Overall Purpose

The Quality Assurance and Training (QAT) team sits at the heart of the Offender Subject Access Request (SAR) function. The team is responsible for delivering high‑quality training, conducting rigorous quality assurance, and managing complaints. QAT plays a vital role in setting, maintaining, and continuously improving standards across the entire Offender SAR process.

This role is essential in ensuring the Offender SAR service operates to consistently high standards. Through the integration of quality assurance, training expertise, and complaint insights, you will strengthen operational effectiveness and support a culture where learning and improvement are embedded.

Training & Development

• Design, deliver, review, and update comprehensive training programmes for new and existing staff.

• Create high‑quality training materials to support transformation and ongoing improvement initiatives.

• Collaborate closely with Vetting teams to deliver upskilling sessions and ensure readiness for new processes or system changes.

Quality Assurance

• Conduct thorough QA checks across the full offender SAR process, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, policies, and quality standards.

• Analyse data to identify trends, risks, and themes, contributing to Lessons Learned activities.

• Use QA insights to inform service improvements and refine training content.

Complaints Management

• Triage and respond to complaints relating to offender SARs in a timely and professional manner.

• Carry out detailed reviews where concerns are raised, identifying root causes and assessing compliance.

• Provide clear, constructive feedback to staff and stakeholders.

• Make recommendations for service improvements and ensure complaint outcomes inform training and operational practices.

Main Responsibilities

• Deliver induction, refresher, and capability‑building training, ensuring all materials remain accurate, relevant, and up to date.

• Provide targeted coaching and support where performance concerns are identified, adapting approaches to individual learning needs.

• Undertake second‑level vetting to improve quality, reduce risk, and ensure statutory deadlines are met.

• Conduct QA checks to identify errors, risks, and trends, ensuring findings are recorded accurately and consistently.

• Provide clear, structured, evidence‑based feedback to staff, managers, and senior leaders.

• Analyse QA outcomes to identify trends at both individual and unit level, delivering training and guidance to address gaps.

• Horizon scan for legislative, policy, or procedural changes and work with legal and operational colleagues to update training and practices accordingly.

• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and training documents, keeping them under regular review.

• Support the achievement of a minimum 90% SAR compliance rate and ensure complaints are responded to within 20 working days.

• Maintain accurate QAT work trackers for audit and governance purposes.

• Monitor QAT queries and provide timely and accurate responses.

• Work with team leaders to embed learning from data breaches, near misses, and complaints.

• Support effective partnership and stakeholder engagement.

• Monitor and manage the Quality Assurance Mailbox, ensuring timely responses.

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and wider business objectives.

• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, upholding Ministry of Justice and Civil Service values at all times.

Person Specification

Essential

• Understanding of the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.

• Ability to communicate clearly with a diverse range of stakeholders using MS Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, and face‑to‑face communication.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills.

• Ability to self‑motivate and work both collaboratively and independently.

Desirable

• Working knowledge and practical experience of the Offender SAR vetting process.

• Experience working in a Quality Assurance or Training environment.

• Experience delivering presentations to small or large groups.

Assessment Criteria (Behaviours)

1. Changing and Improving (250 words)

2. Making Effective Decisions (250 words)

3. Seeing the Big Picture (250 words)

4. Managing a Quality Service (250 words)

A sift based on the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Behaviours Application Form Question Word Limit 250