Head of Cross Government and Public Engagement Policy - Grooming Gangs Inquiry

Details
-----------

Reference number

463773

Salary

£76,117 \- £88,261
National pay location: Leeds £76,117\-£83,729

London pay location: Westminster £80,237\-£88,261
GBP

Job grade

Grade 6### Contract type

Temporary

Fixed term

Loan### Length of employment

12 months### Business area

HO \- Chief Operating Officer Group### Type of role

Policy### Working pattern

Full\-time, Compressed hours### Number of jobs available

1
Contents
------------

• Location


• About the job


• Benefits


• Things you need to know


• Apply and further information

Location
------------

Leeds, WestminsterAbout the job
-----------------

Job summary

The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs (IIGG or “the Inquiry”) was established under the Inquiries Act 2005 following Recommendation 2 of Baroness Louise Casey’s *National Audit on Group\-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse* (June 2025\). The Inquiry will examine group\-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, with a mandate to understand what happened, why institutional failings allowed it to continue, and what must change to protect children in the future.

The Inquiry is led by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE as Chair and supported by Panellists Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE. It has full statutory powers to compel evidence and call witnesses across institutional and geographical boundaries.

The Head of Cross Government and Public Engagement Policyis a senior leadership role at the centre of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs. The post holder will lead the Inquiry’s Private Office function, policy liaison and co\-ordination, and external engagement, ensuring the Chair and senior leadership are supported with high‑quality advice, robust governance, and effective relationships across government, public bodies, devolved administrations, and external organisations.

This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking to develop core civil service policy experience within a high\-profile Inquiry and would suit those looking to deliver a body of work with which to build on and seek future promotion.

Job description

This role combines strategic policy leadership with operational grip, acting as the Inquiry’s primary interface with the Home Office sponsor team and wider government, while also overseeing how external organisations engage with the Inquiry, including correspondence, commissioned advice, and engagement routes.

The post holder will operate with significant autonomy at Grade 6, shaping the Inquiry’s credibility, independence and effectiveness in a complex, high‑profile and sensitive environment.

Key Responsibilities

Public correspondence

Hold senior accountability for the handling and assurance of all public correspondence, ensuring clear frameworks for triage, escalation and handling of complex or high‑risk representations in line with the Inquiry’s statutory remit.

• Provide senior ownership of safeguarding arrangements linked to correspondence, ensuring effective routes are established for identifying, escalating and managing safeguarding concerns.


• Set the strategic approach to protecting staff wellbeing within the correspondence function, including mitigating risks of workplace trauma and compassion fatigue through appropriate operating models, oversight and access to support.

Stakeholder and external engagement

• Develop a public engagement policy to ensure that all public engagement and correspondence is delivered ensuring engagement approaches are proportionate, transparent, aligned with the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, and within a trauma\-informed approach.

Private Office leadership

• Establish and lead an effective Private Office function supporting the Chair, Secretary and Deputy Secretary by providing clear, timely and well‑judged advice, briefings and submissions to enable informed decision‑making and handling of meetings/engagement.

Cross‑government liaison

• Act as the primary policy liaison with the Home Office sponsor team and build effective working relationships with other Inquiries and arm’s‑length bodies and Devolved Administrations, ensuring appropriate engagement, information‑sharing and respect for devolution settlements.

Leadership and capability

• Lead and develop a multi\-disciplinary team across Private Office, policy and engagement functions, setting clear strategic direction, role clarity and culture of professionalism, inclusivity and collaboration.

Line Management

This role requires effective line management of a small team (3\-4 team members).

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full\-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.

Training

The Inquiry will provide staff with training on Safeguarding and Trauma, as well as core corporate responsibilities.

Travel

The Inquiry will have offices in London and Leeds. However, regular travel will be required to London for face\-to\-face meetings/engagements, subject to business needs.

Fixed Term Appointment (FTA)/Loan

This post is being offered on a 12 months’ basis in order to complete a finite piece of work. Please refer to attached Candidate Information Pack.

The Inquiry timeline is 36 months, and the assignment may be extended subject to relevant approvals.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience operating at senior level in a policy, Private Office or central co\-ordination role within government or a comparable complex organisation.


• Strong understanding of requirements to build consensus, working collaboratively and ensuring senior sponsorship and alignment.


• Excellent judgement, with the ability to balance pace, quality, independence and risk in a high‑profile environment.


• Proven ability to lead teams, manage ambiguity and deliver through others at senior level.


• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including handling sensitive and complex correspondence.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working on or alongside statutory inquiries, reviews or investigations.


• Understanding of inquiry governance, public law, or sponsor arrangements.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture


• Communicating and Influencing


• Leadership


• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits
------------

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28\.97%.


• In\-year reward scheme for one\-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.


• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.


• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.


• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home\-based working. This is a non\-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.


• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Sign\-up on our website to receive emails with information about careers at the Home Office.

Things you need to know
---------------------------

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.### Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1\. Application – by 9th June 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV


• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).


• Evidence of the Behaviour Seeing the Big Picture (maximum of 250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2\. Sift – 11th June 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviour \- Seeing the Big Picture, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (Personal Statement / CV). Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

3\. Interview – from 2nd July 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an

This listing is from indeed. View original listing ↗