Salary: Band 5, £27,531 – £28,653 per annum Location: Bedlington Police Station Hours/Contract: 37 hours per week, permanent The role Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Information Management Department as a Disclosure Assistant. As a Disclosure Assistant you will provide a central point for all Data Protection matters including the service of Subject Access requests received into the Force and the OPCC. To provide a central point for the service of Freedom of information requests received into the Force and the OPCC. The role ensures that as part of a cohesive team, the Force is able to provide a service to manage all matters relating to Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation to aid compliance and service to Staff, Officers, Partner Agencies and Members of the Public. What you’ll do Effectively manage from receipt to disclosure, all rights of access requests relating to both Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation. Ensuring the force is compliant with legislative obligations, internal policy and procedure and relevant regulatory guidance. Apply in depth knowledge and experience to identify those requests that can be serviced efficiently and effectively without escalation to management. Ensure appropriate liaison with Senior Managers/Commanders within Departments and Area Commands in order to effectively progress applications received in line with the Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation. Provide advice and guidance to Colleagues at all levels in relation to the relevant legislation, ensuring that risks to the organisation/service/partners/individuals are highlighted, the risk level is determined and where appropriate apply mitigation or exemptions. Assist management in providing key performance data internally to inform Senior Managers and Officers at Board level and to centralised service functions on a national level. Contribute to departmental and Force-wide Audits undertaken internally and externally. When contributing to the collation of data, utilises knowledge and experience to ensure specific issues relating to the business areas are highlighted and mitigations identified. What you’ll bring Knowledge and experience of working in an environment specific to either or both Data Protection or Freedom of Information. Key understanding of risk relating to organisational and individual impact specific to both Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislative practices. Ability to managing conflicting priorities and workloads in support of departmental and organisational aims. Proficient computer skills, including Word, Excel. Ability to identify sources of information both internally and externally. Participate in meetings with peers and line managers. Ensure the ability to effectively and efficiently use specialist software to prepare documentation for disclosure, utilising knowledge and experience in doing so to identify relevant exemptions and highlighting risk. Provide an effective and efficient disclosure service, complying with relevant legislative timelines relating to Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation ensuring compliance with the specific legislation and ensuring that where necessary, legislative exemptions with sufficient explanation are appropriately applied. Assist in resolving queries relating to Data Protection and Freedom of Information queries externally from members of the public, partner agencies and from within the organisation including Chief Officer Team and Heads of Departments. We know it’s important for you to feel that you’re not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone. Just so you know Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Disclosure Assistant with TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute. The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by an interview. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert. We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate with to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview. If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter) You can get in touch with us via careersnorthumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly. If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance and medical information. Terms of appointment This is a permanent role subject to a six-month probationary period. If you are successful in your application, you will have a 6month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.