Investigator, Government, Legal Counsel

Hybrid working – allocated to offices in Coventry and York

Based in Coventry and York .

Our Investigators act with the delegated authority on behalf of the Ombudsman, either one of two functions:

• in Assessment where Investigators assess complaints made to the LGSCO, making early decisions on cases and looking for opportunities to resolve them without the need for a full investigation; and
• in Investigation where Investigators carry out full investigations and remedy injustice wherever appropriate.

We are currently recruiting Investigators to work in our Assessment function, however Investigators can be required to perform either function according to business need. See the job description for further information on how the two functions operate differently.

Investigators will deal with complaints about a wide range of different topics covering the span of local authority services and private adult social care. No two cases are the same, and no two days are the same in terms of the complaints you will consider. The role provides real challenge, requiring you to get up to speed quickly on a diverse range of subjects, from children's social care to rights of way, and homelessness to waste collections.

Investigators operate in a highly pressurised and collaborative environment where individuals contribute to the work of the team and the wider organisation. They are also personally responsible for their own case work and for maintaining high standards of performance and professional practice, meeting challenging objectives around quantity, quality, timeliness and impact. Once inducted and fully trained, Investigators are expected to operate with minimal guidance and supervision, demonstrating a high degree of resilience and confidence in their work.

As we receive high volumes of complaints, Investigators are expected to demonstrate effective workload management skills and proportionate decision making at all times. Both skilled judgment and confident decision making are essential aspects of the role.

There is an opportunity to get involved in subject-specific forums, where you will have a chance to share your knowledge and discuss cases, as well as inform the Ombudsman's policy

positions on key issues. These forums play a key role in our external communications work, and have supported recent focus reports and practitioner guides on subjects such as end of life care, council tax appeal rights and planning enforcement.

There is also the opportunity to get involved in other projects. Recently, Investigators have worked alongside colleagues in other parts of the organisation to look at developing our use of artificial intelligence.

Hours 35

Salary £44,980 to £53,780 per annum

Holiday 25 days rising by 1 day with three years’ service and a further 2 days with five years’ service. Plus bank holidays and 3 concessionary days between Christmas and New Year.

Education

No specific qualification is required, however an understanding and application of the knowledge, skill and experience (listed above) is required. This is typically gained through a degree level professional/academic qualification or extensive practical experience.

Skills

• Establish trust and confidence with customers and service users
• Deal with a diverse range of people, some of whom may require additional support in making their complaint to us, and some of whom can display challenging behaviours
• Be able to deal with complex problem solving, analysis of complex written material, identification of key issues and able to communicate decisions in plain English
• Maintain high levels of resilience to work under pressure and to deadlines, with effective prioritisation skills
• Manage competing priorities and deliver against…