Background

This position is based at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), 10 Clyde Place, Buchanan Wharf, Glasgow, G5 8AQ. We currently operate a hybrid working business model, whereby colleagues work 50% of their contracted hours in the office and the remainder at home.

The CICA is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) within the Service Transformation Group (STG). We are responsible for the administration of the criminal injuries compensation schemes and make payments of compensation to people who have been injured because they were the victim of a violent crime in England, Scotland or Wales. We also administer the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (VOTCS). The schemes are funded by the UK Government in England and Wales and we receive income to fund our operation of the criminal injuries compensation schemes in Scotland from the Scottish Government.

We employ around 350 people and are based in Glasgow city centre with excellent transport links. We are a small, engaged, productive workforce with a real sense of corporate community. We are committed to delivering a fair, sensitive and efficient service to all applicants and work closely with stakeholders to ensure the victim is at the heart of everything we do. We want to keep improving our services and the way we work to best serve victims of violent crime, meet new challenges, deliver value for money and ensure CICA is a great place to work. We are committed to being a trauma-informed organisation, embedding this into what we do and how we do it.

Job Description

This is a critical senior leadership role with responsibility for leading and delivering on our mandate to provide compensation to victims of violent crime. You will be a member of the CICA Executive Management Team, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The role provides visible leadership across operational delivery, working collaboratively with others to ensure we deliver compensation accurately, in a timely manner and in a trauma-informed way.

This role requires exceptional operational delivery or customer service leadership, with well-developed interpersonal skills, strong analytical ability and a passion for achieving effective outcomes at pace. You will have the confidence and aptitude to contribute at board level, shaping the strategic direction of CICA and the important public service we provide. You will work collaboratively with other CICA Directors, functional delivery partners and stakeholders. You will lead an end-to-end service delivery team, whose work to provide compensation plays an important role in delivering justice to those injured or bereaved through violence. For the right candidate, it is a highly rewarding role which offers breadth to demonstrate your skills and an opportunity to develop your operational delivery profession capability.

It is an exciting time to be part of the senior leadership team at CICA as we drive forward our commitment to providing a modernised trauma-informed service for those applying for compensation. This role is key to the successful modernisation of our service, creating an environment among our front line teams that positively responds to change and a culture of continuous improvement.

You will lead a team of around 250 people whose role is to assess entitlement to compensation for over 45,000 new applicants each year. You will directly line manage eight people, including three Grade 7s (Head of Operations, Head of Operational Excellence, and Head of Performance and Workforce Planning). You will be responsible for and have oversight of the entire process from the receipt of the online application through the assessment process, liaising with police and medical providers, to decision and payment, where applicable, and reviews where requested. The role also has oversight of the performance, quality assurance and operations coaching and support teams and the in-house clinical psychologists.

As their senior leader, you will work with colleagues to ensure your team provides a high quality of service for applicants throughout the application process. You will be responsible for the delivery of key performance indicators which are set annually, and delivery of an annual compensation budget in excess of £150m. You will operate effective controls on work allocation, case progression and quality assurance to ensure that the assessment of entitlements is accurate and discretionary decision making is operated effectively.

As a senior leader you will be highly visible and build trust with colleagues across CICA, Service Transformation Group and the wider MoJ. You will exemplify and role model Civil Service behaviours and values. You must have strong inter-personal skills and be able to build mutually beneficial relationships at all levels. You will have a track record of high performance and delivery. A key influencer and contributor, you will be insightful, with a passion for continuous improvement and modernising public services. You will play a key role in shaping the culture and values of CICA, with a focus on respect, empathy and transparency whilst delivering a trauma-informed service with the victim at the heart.

Key responsibilities:

Leadership

• Lead a team of around 250 people and support colleagues to deliver on a set of demanding key performance metrics to high quality and efficiency standards

• Provide a high level of personal visibility across CICA, championing the Civil Service values, modelling inclusive leadership, and fostering a culture where diverse teams can succeed

• Embed a culture of delivery, accountability and professional excellence, identifying and managing key risks and resolving challenges

• Act as the organisational authority on CICA operational delivery, providing assurance to the Executive Management Team and Board

• Lead Operations Directorates contributions to CICA strategic outcomes, contributing to and delivering on Business Plan commitments

• Build a highly capable team through investing in regular training, mentoring, personal development and strong performance management

• Champion the Operational Delivery Profession to maintain and develop personal and team professional knowledge

• Actively contribute to the CICA Executive Management Team, driving improved collaboration, role modelling senior management visibility and leading on cross CICA activities

• Represent CICA on relevant MoJ and cross Government Committees and Boards, including deputising for the Chief Executive Officer as appropriate

• Be a stabilising force during times of change, guiding teams through transition with clarity, empathy, and a focus on maintaining momentum and morale

• Build strong engagement through effective communication with key stakeholders including Scottish Government.

Operational Delivery

• Ensure CICA operational priorities - annual compensation budget, timeliness of decision making and a stable live caseload - are met, balancing resources accordingly

• Drive improvements to performance across the Directorate to improve applicant experience and decision-making efficiency

• Ensure that procedures and ways of working are applicant focussed and trauma-informed

• Drive delivery excellence through the expert use of data and understanding of performance to improve decision-making, productivity and customer experience

• Build a quality, right first time, culture across the Directorate.

Financial Management

• Manage the operations directorate budget within delegated limits and ensure compliance with CICA corporate governance protocols

• Contribute to the effective financial management and operational efficiency of CICA

• Deliver compensation spend in line with Managing Public Money, ensuring tax-payers money is used effectively.

Corporate Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and manage risks within your own Directorate, and corporately through the Executive Management Committee and the CICA Audit and Risk Assurance Committee

• Contribute to CICA strategic and business planning through membership of the Executive Management Committee, Transformation and Change Committee and the CICA Board

• Work closely with the individual Directors to support operational delivery. Including with the Director of Modernisation Strategy and Implementation to support the identification and implementation of modernisation to improve service delivery and applicant experience; Director of Legal & Policy to ensure training needs are addressed and appropriately supported and operational guidance is followed; and, the Director of Corporate Services to support a strategic approach to recruitment and to ensure operational staff are aware of and compliant with corporate policies

• Active member of the CICA Executive Management Team, working collegiately with other Directors to drive forward cross organisational improvements

• Work with government and external auditors as required.

Person Specification

Essential

• Senior Leadership experience in front-line operational delivery or customer facing service role in a case-working organisation with a successful track record in meeting performance expectations and delivering service improvements

• A strong track record of motivating staff and embedding a culture of continuous improvement to achieve improved customer outcomes

• A confident and clear communicator, with strong influencing and negotiation skills able to engage, build trust and energise others

• Strong strategic thinking, including an ability to understand a wide range of complex and often sensitive issues, manage conflicting priorities and translate this into practical, deliverable plans

• A track record of developing a high-performance culture, through use of effective planning and delivery strategies

• Achievement of improved service and outcomes for customers, through more efficient use of resources and continuous improvement of operating practice

• Inclusive and collaborative, able to lead and contribute in multiple team settings, and with functional experts

• A willingness to innovate and work with new digital solutions, in situations where these may depend on the professional expertise of others

• A commitment to your own and your team’s development which has delivered positive value for money and benefits

• Robust personal resilience, flexibility and appetite to drive high performance.

Desirable

• Professional accreditation in Operational Delivery, Customer Service or similar, or significant senior level operational leadership experience in a complex delivery environment

• Experience working with vulnerable communities, including victims of violent crime

• Trauma-informed learning or training.

Assessment Criteria

Stage 1 

Applicants should provide:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Statement of suitability which evidences the essential criteria and, where met, the desirable criteria. The statement should be no more than 1000 words in length. 

• Behaviour statement of no more than 250 words against the following Behaviour, at Level G6:

  • Leadership

In the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on the lead Behaviour:

• Leadership

Stage 2 

If successful at Stage 1, you will be invited to interview, which will incorporate a short presentation. You will be notified of the presentation topic in your invitation to interview. At the interview we will assess you against the behaviours listed below.

• Leadership (lead)

• Managing a Quality Service

• Communicating and Influencing 

• Delivering at pace

• Seeing the big picture

Strengths will also be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here Success Profiles: Strengths - GOV.UK

How to apply

Applicants should provide:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Statement of suitability which evidences the essential criteria and, where met, the desirable criteria. The statement should be no more than 1000 words in length.

  • Behaviour statement of no more than 250 words against the following Behaviour, at Level G6: Leadership.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/

As a Disability Confident employer, the MoJ offers an interview to any disabled applicant who indicates they would like to be considered for an interview as a disabled applicant and meets the minimum criteria required for the role.

If you are assessed as meeting the minimum criteria, you can indicate that you would like to be considered for an interview as a disabled candidate by completing the related section of the application form.

Applications will be anonymised before assessment.

If you have any queries about the role, or wish to discuss, please contact Lynne.Henderson@cica.gov.uk

MoJ is committed to having inclusive and accessible recruitment. This includes by offering and implementing reasonable adjustments to enable disabled applicants to be considered for a job on an equal basis with non-disabled applicants. If you require reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please contact Corporate.Support@cica.gov.uk

The Data Protection Act 2018: The information provided by you in this application and the supporting documentation will be used to consider your suitability for the post. Following the exercise, the papers will be kept for one year or the period of the appointment, whichever is less and then reviewed and deleted if appropriate.