Quality Assurance and Improvement Specialists

Overview
This position offers a chance to become part of the Quality and Service Improvement team, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality and efficiency of services provided by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The Quality and Service Improvement team collaborates with various departments to establish benchmarks, ensure compliance with these benchmarks, and foster enhancements in service quality by pinpointing effective practices and areas for advancement.

Acting as a supportive partner to other teams, we provide assurance to both internal and external stakeholders that the IOPC's operations uphold high standards and prioritize the experience of service users.

Our responsibilities encompass a broad spectrum of assurance activities, managing feedback and complaints regarding the IOPC, and overseeing the development of operational guidelines, with a strong emphasis on quality enhancement and user experience.

The Quality Assurance and Improvement Specialist will engage across the organization, aiding in the development and sustainability of our quality enhancement initiatives. This role will involve promoting the quality improvement cycle across various teams, ensuring that internal insights translate into tangible enhancements.

Close collaboration with the Organisational Quality Assurance Group will be essential, ensuring that updates on quality improvement initiatives are current, thereby allowing this group to monitor our efforts in learning and sharing effective practices. Managing the daily progress of improvement initiatives and assisting relevant teams in measuring and documenting impact will be crucial aspects of this role.

Additional responsibilities will include supporting the broader team in reviewing policies and standards, ensuring compliance with these standards, and managing feedback and complaints regarding the IOPC.

During the selection process, candidates will be evaluated against the following Level 2 behaviors:

• Delivering Results Efficiently
• Managing Quality Services
• Effective Communication and Influence
• Collaborative Teamwork

This position utilizes Success Profiles; further information is available through the appropriate channels.

Benefits:

• 27.5 days of paid annual leave (increasing with tenure to 32.5 days)
• Options to carry over, purchase, or sell annual leave
• Civil Service pension scheme
• Comprehensive maternity leave package
• Employee assistance program
• Access to membership with the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
• Cycle to work initiative
• Opportunities for affordable access to the latest home and electronics through Vivup
• Car leasing options
• Staff networks focused on various protected characteristics, managed by staff for staff:
  • Enable Network
  • Welsh Network
  • Pride and LGBTQI+ Network
  • Sex and Family Network
  • Race, Religion, and Belief Network

Tailored learning and development opportunities, a flexible working environment, and a culture that promotes inclusion and diversity are also part of the package.

Important Information:

The IOPC is not part of the Civil Service transfer process, meaning successful candidates cannot transfer on existing terms and conditions.

The IOPC does not participate in the UK Visa Sponsorship Scheme; candidates must provide evidence of their Right to Work in the UK if offered a position.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, necessitating a standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for the successful candidate during the pre-employment phase.

Transitioning to the Independent Office for Police Conduct from another employer will result in the loss of access to childcare vouchers, including transfers between government departments. However, eligibility for other government schemes, such as Tax-Free Childcare, may be available.

Emotional Consideration:

This role may involve occasional exposure to distressing material, which can be impactful and challenging. The IOPC acknowledges this and provides a range of wellbeing resources, including Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) peer support, a dedicated Wellbeing Advisor, and access to confidential counseling services. All staff are encouraged to proactively engage with the support available.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify learning opportunities and improvements from cases to foster a 'learning culture' through structured problem-solving approaches.
• Assist in the development and implementation of the organizational learning strategy.
• Participate in organizational improvement activities aimed at embedding learning and driving enhancements throughout the organization.
• Advocate for a service user focus across the IOPC.
• Promote a structured problem-solving approach, including root cause analysis, to address quality concerns and highlight effective practices.
• Oversee the quality improvement cycle, including updating improvement actions and learning on the system.
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure internal learning is documented and actions are advanced with measurable outcomes.
• Manage organizational risk by assessing serious complaints and ensuring they are addressed appropriately, in line with policies and legislation, while liaising with service users and senior management.
• Support the complaints and feedback function by ensuring all complaints against IOPC staff are investigated according to statutory requirements and KPIs, while maintaining confidentiality.
• Align work with the IOPC's strategic objectives, focusing on learning and accountability.
• Challenge processes that do not add value.
• Represent the organization as required, including designing and delivering presentations for IOPC colleagues and potentially at external events.
• Plan and lead components of the quality improvement framework, including:
  • Quality improvement initiatives, including maintaining and enhancing processes for tracking learning and improvement.
  • Development and design of quality standards for teams across the IOPC.
  • Reviews of operational work as appropriate, providing constructive feedback to colleagues.
  • An audit and sampling regime to assure the quality of our work.
  • Conduct debriefs and after-action reviews with internal and external service users to extract learning for the IOPC and other organizations as necessary.
  • Design and deliver presentations for colleagues, external stakeholders, and service users as required.
  • Collect, analyze, and respond to complaints and feedback regarding our work.
  • Utilize structured problem-solving approaches to enhance service delivery based on best practices, mistakes, and feedback.
  • Assist Learning & Development colleagues in facilitating root cause analysis workshops to address quality concerns and identify solutions.
  • Produce high-quality reports from quality assurance activities, highlighting key learnings and recommendations, ensuring constructive feedback is provided.
  • Coordinate and facilitate the IOPC's efforts to achieve externally recognized standards and qualifications as required by management.
• Collaborate with colleagues and external partners to enhance service delivery and implement organizational learning.
• Transform raw data from various sources into useful management information, producing reports and presenting findings to senior management as needed.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Quality team to achieve the team's objectives.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications:

• Proven experience in quality assurance and improvement initiatives.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience in gathering and analyzing information against policies, guidance, and legislation to inform decisions and recommendations.
• Strong persuasion and influencing abilities.
• Skills to provide constructive feedback to colleagues.
• Experience collaborating with colleagues, service users, and stakeholders to drive service enhancements.
• Familiarity with IT databases and proficiency in Microsoft applications.
• Understanding of relevant legislation and guidance, or the motivation to learn quickly, applying this knowledge to make informed recommendations.
• Awareness of the police complaints system and the statutory framework governing the IOPC, or a willingness to gain this understanding promptly.
• Knowledge of the Human Rights Act 1998 and IOPC obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Understanding of the IPCC (Staff Conduct) Regulations 2004.
• Familiarity with the IOPC's staff code of conduct and disciplinary policies.

Experience Requirements:

Candidates should possess experience that enables them to lead in one or more of the following areas, with a working knowledge of at least one other area:

• Applying structured problem-solving techniques to quality improvement initiatives, including identifying root causes.
• Collaborating with other teams to identify solutions to quality issues or enhance effective practices.
• Measuring the impact of actions taken in response to quality concerns.
• Implementing improvement projects to enhance quality, utilizing an evidence-based and service user-focused approach.
• Engaging with service users and stakeholders to understand their needs and incorporate these into improvement activities.
• Experience in gathering and analyzing evidence against policies, guidance, and legislation to inform decisions and recommendations.

Clearance Requirements:

This role requires clearance to BPSS / SC / DV.

Reasonable Adjustments:

The IOPC is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aim to support you in demonstrating your full potential during the assessment process. We are open to providing necessary tools for your success. Potential reasonable adjustments may include:

• Additional time for presentations or interview questions.
• Formatting changes for written assignments.
• Written questions during interviews.

If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please inform us accordingly.