Disclosure Research Officer

An opportunity has arisen for a Disclosure Research Officer to join our Information Assurance Team within Legal Services. This is a new position in a new team and therefore an exciting opportunity to make this position your own, supporting the Data Protection Officer and the Information Sharing Coordinator.

The team provides advice and guidance to police colleagues and members of the public in order to safeguard the sensitive data the force hold.

In this role you will provide assistance to the Data Protection Officer for the day to day compliance considerations, including data protection impact assessments and investigating data breaches.

In this role your main responsibilities will be:

• To undertake work management tasks for the team which may include the monitoring of the team mailbox and administration of the teams electronic files.
• Responding to telephone enquiries from internal and external customers and where necessary, liaise with applicants, or their representatives seeking clarification regarding requests.
• To maintain a record management system for audit purposes and possible legal challenges and disputes for all disclosures made, with their justification.
• The investigation of Data Breaches, assistance with Data Protection Impact Assessments and signposting members of the Constabulary for increased efficiency. 

Skills, experience and qualifications required:

• You will need to have good IT skills and experience of using Microsoft Office.
• An ability to gather and organise information in a logical manner.
• You will need to be confident in communicating with internal colleagues (Police Staff and Officers) as well as partner agencies, also the public by e-mail and telephone with a view to providing assistance and advice where necessary.  
• Experience in working in a legal, FOI or data protection environment within a public sector organisation would be of benefit; as would knowledge of researching systems. However this is not an essential requirement as full training will be provided.

An additional benefit to this role is that it is within the same ‘job family’ as other Disclosure Researchers within the Legal Services directorate. Therefore the ability to increase your knowledge of various legislations and disclosure regimes is likely as there may be a requirement, dependant on demand, to carry out this role within the Data Protection, Legal Disclosure team or Freedom Of Information team. Therefore a flexible approach to work is essential.

To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a 5 year ‘checkable history’ in the UK – ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last 5 years.

Does this sound like the role for you? Click the link below to apply.

Why work for Avon and Somerset Police?

Avon and Somerset Police has gained a reputation as a pioneering and innovative force, responsible for policing a large diverse, multi-cultural population.

If you are looking for a fresh challenge which offers a genuine opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives, variety and the chance to broaden your experience, then Avon and Somerset is the force for you.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Avon and Somerset Police are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

We are working hard to increase diversity and inclusion within the Constabulary, where communities are under-represented, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, people of all ages, abilities, faiths, religions and gender, LGBT communities and those from other disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds, who share our values and wish to make a difference to the communities we serve.

All applications will be treated on merit, based on the evidence provided in your application and suitability for the role you have applied for.

Flexible working

All requests for flexible working patterns will be considered and will be dependent on the role.

Recruitment and Selection Policy

Internal applicants who are at risk of redundancy or in need of redeployment and pass the selection process, will be offered the role over the remaining internal and external applicants.

Police Barred and Advisory lists

Individuals placed on the Police Barred and Advisory lists will not be considered for employment by the police for a minimum of 5 years from the date of listing in the case of gross misconduct, or 3 years from the date of listing in the case of poor performance.

Vetting and safeguarding

Avon and Somerset Police are committed to safeguarding and operate safer recruitment processes, to ensure a police service that employees are proud to work for because they feel safe, valued and part of a happy and supportive work environment. All employees and volunteers therefore will be subject to background checks including vetting and references.