Coroners Officer

Job Title: Coroner’s Officer

Business group: Frontline Policing

OCU/Unit/Section: Central Specialist Crime - Major Inquiries - Coroner’s Service

Band D

Location: Pan-London: Coroners Courts are located in Barnet, Croydon, Fulham, Southwark, Westminster, Walthamstow and St Pancras & Poplar

Shift Pattern: 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday

Vetting Level: RV/CTC

Reports to: Coroner's Officer Manager

Staff Reporting: 0

The post is professionally accountable to the coroner for case management, legal matters and decisions taken in the name of coroner

Coroner’s Officer Job Description

Purpose of the job
To case manage death reports made to the coroner and coroner’s investigations and inquests.
To implement the statutory duties of the coroner on his or her behalf

Principal accountabilities and objectives
(these may vary slightly in different jurisdictions)

1. To receive death reports and as directed make further enquiries
2. To present to the coroner the information on cases for decisions on management
3. To inform interested persons of their rights and roles and liaise as directed
4. To secure disclosure and to disclose statements and reports as directed
5. To support the coroner in ordering autopsies, issuing Forms A and B to the Registrar of Deaths and liaising over release of bodies to funeral directors.
6. To alert coroners where reviews or coronial decisions are needed
7. To prepare cases for inquest (these may be paper case files or electronic or both)
8. To engage in correspondence as directed
9. To meet bereaved families and interested persons where necessary
10. To usher and support the coroner in court from time to time
11. To liaise with organisations conducting other investigations or assisting the coroner
12. To liaise with other jurisdictions and facilitate transfers of investigations
13. To assist in the provision of information on cases for the manager, the coroner and in reporting to the Ministry of Justice and Chief Coroner
14. Where appropriate to follow jurisdictional policies
15. To work as a team and attend meetings to support effective service delivery
16. To contribute to service development
17. Any other duties of a similar nature which may arise from time to time.

Job context

Officers will maintain contacts with a wide variety of people and organisations:
Other Coroner’s Offices
Metropolitan Police Service
The senior coroner and assistant coroners
Clerk or PA to the coroner, other Local Authority staff, especially receptionists and ushers
Members of the public
Ministry of Justice
Emergency services
Solicitors and Barristers representing interested parties
Hospitals and GPs
Registrars
Funeral Directors
Pathologists
Mortuary services

Coroners Officer: Person specification

EDUCATION:
1. Relevant GCSE and/or similar qualification, or relevant work experience at a similar level. D S

KNOWLEDGE:
2. Knowledge and understanding of delivering public services in a busy, public facing environment in a caring and empathetic manner. E S I
3. Knowledge of at least one process of death investigation, either police, hospital or coroner E S I
4. Knowledge of Coroners & Justice Act. D I

EXPERIENCE:
5. Proven and relevant experience gained in an investigatory role. E S I
6. Experience of handling and communicating with bereaved people D S I
7. Experience of working in a legal or police or health or regulatory environment. E S I
8. Experience of using the full range of Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint. E S I
9. Experience of communicating effectively with vulnerable customers and at all levels of the organisation and in all formats. E S I
10. Planning and prioritising own workloads to achieve tasks within a tight deadline, and pressurised environment, including problem solving and working independently. E S I
11. Experience of responding to verbal or written correspondence where English may not be a first language. E S I

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
13. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both verbally and in writing. E I
14. Ability communicate effectively with a wide range of people at all levels and external organisations including Police Commanders, Chief Officers, Coroners, Ministry of Justice, counsel and solicitors. E S I
15. Ability to work in a team, share work to meet service demands, and escalate to manger or coroner delays and work overload E S I
16. The ability to share criticism and praise. D S I

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:
17. Must demonstrate an understanding of the issues relating to equal opportunities in service delivery, and actively promote ways of eradicating racism, sexism and other forms of negative discrimination through the MPS policies and procedures.
18. To comply with the Health & Safety Policy.
19. To comply with the duties of confidentiality and disclosure as required under GDPR and as directed by the coroner.

Key: D Desirable I Evaluated at interview E Essential S Shortlisting criteria