About the Role
People Services Job Description Questionnaire All parts must be completed before a role can be evaluated. The completed JDQ must be attached to the submission sheet. Surrey Police and Sussex Police work closely together however they remain two separate legal entities with different terms and conditions of employment for police staff. Please refer to your contract of employment which identifies which employer you work for and the relevant terms and conditions that apply to you. Part 1: Job Description: JOB TITLE Head of Governance, Risk and Assurance LOCATION Surrey Police HQ DEPARTMENT Strategy, Governance and Performance Directorate GRADE VETTING LEVEL WORKING HOURS 36 hours per week REPORTS TO Director of Strategy, Governance and Performance JOB PURPOSE (Why does the job exist?) The Head of Governance, Risk and Assurance is responsible for providing independent, robust and credible oversight of the force’s governance, risk management and assurance arrangements. The role ensures that the organisation: • Clearly understands its strategic and operational risks • Has effective governance and control frameworks in place • Can demonstrate compliance, legitimacy and accountability • Learns systematically from inspections, audits and incidents The postholder acts as the lead professional authority for Governance, Risk and Assurance, enabling senior leaders to take informed decisions and supporting the organisation in maintaining public trust, confidence and inspection readiness. Key Accountabilities: 1 Risk Management Own and maintain the force ‑ wide risk management framework, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, escalated and managed consistently. Maintain strategic risk registers and ensure alignment between operational, departmental and strategic risk. Support senior leaders in understanding risk appetite and tolerance and their implications for decision ‑ making. 2 Governance and Assurance Design and maintain effective governance and assurance arrangements, including boards, reporting mechanisms and decision records. Oversee assurance mapping, ensuring a clear line of sight between risk, control and mitigation. Coordinate internal and external assurance activity to avoid duplication and assurance gaps. 3 Inspection, Audit and Compliance Act as the force lead for HMICFRS inspection coordination, evidence management and a ction tracking. Oversee responses to inspection findings, recommendations and causes of concern. Maintain a single, authoritative repository for audit and inspection actions, ensuring accountability and follow through. 4 Organisational Learning Ensure learning from inspections, audits, serious incidents and reviews is captured, analysed and embedded. Promote a culture of openness, learning and improvement rather than blame or compliance only behaviours. 5 Advisory and Professional Leadership Provide authoritative advice to the Director, Chief Officer Group and senior leaders on risk exposure, assurance gaps and governance maturity. Challenge constructively where governance or risk management is ineffective or inconsistent. 6 Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character of work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser graded post. Key Results Areas Force ‑ wide Risk Management Effectiveness Robust Governance and Assurance Frameworks Inspection, Audit and Regulatory Readiness Organisational Learning and Continuous Improvement Independent Professional Advice and Assurance to Senior Leaders Assurance Culture and Capability Confidence, Legitimacy and Public Trust Budgetary Accountabilities: (if applicable) 1 2 Organisational Structure Chart: (Chart should include the structure that this role sits within. I f the role manages staff, please specify on the chart who and how many people they manage) Part 2: Person Specification: Essential Criteria are those that are critical for the satisfactory performance of the role. It is expected that all applicants meet the essential criteria to be eligible for appointment QUALIFICATIONS: (A minimum qualification must be included in the essential section-this must not be left blank) Graduate qualification (or demonstrable equivalent professional experience) in a relevant discipline. Relevant professional qualification or accreditation in risk management, governance, audit or assurance . Experience of working with or alongside HMICFRS, OPCCs or public audit bodies . KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: Experience Significant experience in a senior governance, risk, assurance, inspection or compliance role, within policing or a similarly complex, regulated public sector organisation. Proven experience of working directly with senior leaders, providing professional advice and challenge on risk exposure, assurance confidence and organisational readiness. Demonstrable experience of inspection, audit or regulatory environments, including coordinating responses, managing recommendations and embedding sustainable organisational learning. Experience of operating with a high degree of autonomy and discretion, exercising independent judgement while working within broad strategic direction. Experience of partnership working with external oversight bodies, regulators or auditors, building trusted professional relationships based on credibility and transparency. Skills Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling the identification of systemic risk, assurance gaps and root causes across complex organisational boundaries. Highly developed influencing and communication skills, with the ability to: Challenge senior leaders constructively Communicate complex Governance, Risk and Assurance issues clearly Persuade others to act without relying on line management authority Strong professional judgement and independence, enabling proportionate escalation of Governance, Risk and Assurance concerns, even where issues are sensitive or contested. Ability to design, implement and maintain force wide frameworks, including risk registers, assurance models, inspection coordination and action tracking. Credible leadership skills, enabling the role holder to promote a learning focused, improvement led assurance culture rather than one focused solely on compliance. Knowledge Comprehensive knowledge of governance, risk management and assurance frameworks within policing or a comparable public sector environment, including statutory obligations, inspection regimes and accountability arrangements. Strong understanding of the UK policing landscape, including the roles of Chief Constables, PCCs/OPCCs, HMICFRS, internal and external audit, and their respective assurance and scrutiny functions. Working knowledge of inspection and regulatory methodologies, including HMICFRS PEEL assessments, audit standards and assurance mapping, and how these translate into organisational improvement. Understanding of public sector decision making, risk appetite and legitimacy, including the balance between operational delivery, governance control and public confidence. Competencies – CVF Mapping 1. We Are Emotionally Aware Maintains composure and resilience under pressure. Demonstrates empathy and awareness of operational and workforce impacts. Leads with emotional intelligence during periods of change and scrutiny. 2. We Take Ownership Takes responsibility for identifying and escalating risk and governance concerns promptly. Holds others to account for addressing assurance actions and recommendations. Maintains professional independence, even under pressure. 3. We Collaborate Works effectively across Commands, functions and with external partners. Builds trusted relationships with auditors, inspectors and oversight bodies. Enables shared ownership of risk management while retaining clarity of accountability. 4. We Support and Inspire Provides clarity and confidence to leaders on Governance, Risk and Assurance expectations. Supports a culture of learning, openness and continuous improvement. Communicates complex assurance issues clearly and proportionately. 5. We Analyse Critically Applies analytical and professional judgement to identify assurance gaps, risk trends and systemic weaknesses. Distinguishes between symptoms and root causes, challenging unsupported narrative or optimism bias. Uses evidence to inform and influence senior decision making. 6 . We are innovative and open minded Continuously reviews and improves assurance approaches, drawing on good practice from across policing and the wider public sector. Encourages reflective practice and learning ‑ focused assurance rather than procedural compliance. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Part 3: Additional Information 1. Who is the job holder likely to communicate with on a regular basis and to what extent are they expected to influence, persuade and motivate others? The role holder communicates regularly with senior leaders across Operational Commands, enabling services and the Strategy, Governance and Performance Directorate. They engage directly with the Director and Chief Officer Group, influencing understanding of risk exposure, governance maturity and assurance confidence. The role also involves frequent engagement with external stakeholders, including HMICFRS and audit partners. Influence is exercised without command authority, relying on professional credibility, evidence and judgement to persuade and challenge senior leaders and drive improvements in governance and risk management practice. 2. Please give examples of the main problems and challenges the job holder will typically come across in their day-to-day role and describe how they would be expected to resolve them. The role routinely deals with ill ‑ defined, cross ‑ cutting and sensitive issues, such as: Conflicting views on risk severity or acceptability Gaps between perceived and actual assurance Resistance to challenge or scrutiny Competing priorities following inspection findings These challenges are resolved through structured analysis, professional challenge, clear escalation and facilitation of proportionate, sustainable responses that balance operational realities with governance expectations. 3. To what extent does the job holder have discretion to take action/make decisions? Please give examples. Do they have to refer decisions to others for ratification or are they required to take the lead? The role holder has significant discretion to: Design and operate the force’s Governance, Risk and Assurance framework Escalate risks and assurance concerns independently Determine inspection coordination and assurance approaches Initiate reviews, audits or assurance activity Formal ratification is required for: Changes to risk appetite Strategic governance model changes Acceptance of significant residual risks However, the role holder is expected to lead definition, analysis and recommendation , not seek permission for routine assurance actions. 4. Please explain the different parts of the organisation this role impacts upon and why. Please also highlight if it involves any partnership working with external stakeholders. The role impacts all parts of the force , influencing how risks are identified, managed and assured across Operational Commands and enabling services. Its impact is organisation ‑ wide , shaping leadership confidence, inspection outcomes and public accountability. Externally, the role has sustained engagement with: HMICFRS Internal and external audit Oversight and assurance partners OPCC (where assurance and governance interfaces exist) The role is critical in maintaining legitimacy, transparency and trust across organisational and partnership boundaries. 5. If the role requires Designated powers, the relevant information will need to be inserted below to highlight that the Postholder has additional responsibilities. The specified wording can be found on SharePoint: Designated Powers - Home (shdc.police.uk) under “ Job Profiles and Designated Powers’’. No designated powers The post holder should note that some or all of the duties and responsibilities detailed in this Job Profile require compliance with nationally agreed operating rules for accessing PNC and other information systems. PNC Code of Connections Volume 1 (Version 2.1) GDPR 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation) Computer Misuse Act 1990 Official Secrets Act 1989 Everyone working in a police environment will be vetted to the requisite level in keeping with the National Vetting Codes of Practice. The level of vetting required for a person, for both force vetting and national security vetting (NSV) will be proportionate to the role the individual carries out. Changes in an individual’s circumstances must be reported to the appropriate vetting authority as soon as possible. This role may involve travel to meetings and locations within and beyond the counties of Surrey and/or Sussex for which public transport may not be suitable. Therefore, the post-holder must have access to transport and be insured for business use. Where the transport involves the driving of police vehicles, you must have a full driving licence and the ability to attain a Force Police Driving Permit. I HAVE READ THE ABOVE JOB DESCRIPTION AND ACCEPT THE DUTIES OF THE POST AS SET OUT THEREIN: Signed: Print Name: Date: 1 May 2025