2 x Statement Takers

Statement Taker | 23 Month Contract | (Outside IR35) | Onsite Required - 3 days per week

Day Rate: £223.15 per day

Job Description:

The successful candidates will work under the supervision of the Head of Statement Taking or their designated deputy. Primary responsibilities will include leading complex interviews with applicants and other witnesses. This will involve questioning and gathering relevant evidence in line with client's Terms of Reference.

This post offers an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled, conscientious individual to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment, where they will be making a significant contribution to the client's investigation, and recommendations to changes in policy and practice.

• Prepare and lead sensitive private session interviews with vulnerable applicants;
• Prepare and lead complex interviews with other types of witnesses who have been involved in the care process. These could be in depth and technical;
• Work closely with another Statement Taker and a witness support representative in an interview environment to build and maintain good rapport with the witness/applicant;
• Take detailed record of the private session or interview and have responsibility for audio recording the session;
• Prepare often complex and lengthy witness statements, based on the private session or interview and the audio recording, to the standard required by the Inquiry;
• Work closely with the Legal Team in preparation of complex interviews;
• Liaise with the client's team about how to best support traumatised witnesses whilst gathering sometimes upsetting evidence;
• Be willing to travel UK wide. You will also be required to stay overnight near the venue of a private session;
• Be expected to work in the client's offices on a regular basis;
• Be able to work at a trauma skilled level, demonstrating an understanding of the complex factors involved in engagement with Inquiry witnesses and the impact of trauma.

Key Skills

• Subsequent to private sessions and interviews transfer relevant evidential content from audio recordings and notes into statement form. This should be done in line with the client's Terms of Reference and the required statement format. Liaise with the legal team where required in the preparation of detailed and relevant plans for Inquiry interviews and private sessions.
• You must ensure that all engagement with witnesses is handled with the utmost respect, sensitivity, courtesy and professionalism. You must be able to handle highly confidential information appropriately. You must be able to "capture a witness's words" in writing to give an accurate written account of their experiences within the format preferred by the client. You must be able to build and maintain strong relationships with the wider team.

• You will be able to work with minimum supervision. You will be highly organised and effective in managing your workload and balancing priorities to meet deadlines. You will demonstrate sound judgement and take personal responsibility for the delivery of tasks. You should have a high degree of emotional intelligence and have experience of dealing with people who have had traumatic experiences. You will have a high degree of personal resilience in dealing with sessions and interviews which can often contain distressing material. Significant, on-going support will also be provided by the client to all team members.
• You will monitor and progressively improve the efficiency of your systems and processes for taking statements. You will take ownership of the statement taking process from beginning to end and along with your Team Managers. strive to improve the experience for the witness. You will have a flexible approach to your duties and be willing to work on other client work, if and when required
• Experience or understanding of issues facing vulnerable witnesses and of trauma
• Familiarity with public inquiries
• Excellent IT skills.

This role has been deemed outside IR35 by the client. Applicants must hold, or be happy to apply for, a valid Basic Disclosure Scotland. Please click the link to apply.