Job Title: Investigating Officer for Stage 2 and Stage 3 statutory Children Act complaints

Contract: Associate

Hours: Variable, according to demand for services/caseload and role in investigation

Salary: £25.25 per hour

Location: Associate Independent Investigating Officers for Complaints primarily work from home. Some travel may be required as part of an investigation – location will vary according to the referral received from the Local Authority. Cases will be allocated to Associate IOs living locally to the referring authority, wherever possible.

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity, founded by Thomas Coram in London, helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About the role

We are seeking additional experienced Associate Independent Investigating Officers (IO) for Complaints, to increase our capacity to respond to referrals from Local Authorities to provide an independent element to the formal Stage 2 investigations under the Children Act 1989.

The IO will lead investigations, and will give the complainant (who may be a child, young person or adult) the opportunity to express their view, ensure the child or young person’s rights and best interests are at the centre of the investigation and that the investigation/review process is open and transparent. They write a report on the investigation/review, which is submitted to the referring agency.

The Job Description document sets out the expectations for an Associate Independent Person for Complaints (IPC) who is approved by Coram Voice. IPCs are independent, freelance and responsible for their own work. Nevertheless, IPCs are accountable to the organisation for their professional standards and are expected to comply with Coram Voice Code of Ethics and Practice Guidelines.

Please note: the nature of associate work means that we cannot guarantee a regular amount of work, and complaints will be allocated dependent on the associate’s availability, location and the needs and demands of the individual case. Investigation work takes place Monday to Friday within working hours. This position is not suitable for applicants who already work or have commitments more than two days within the working week.

Closing date: Please note this is a rolling recruitment campaign

Interview date: TBC

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from, Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBTQ+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.