Client:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales, with circa 7,000 employees across 14 main sites. The CPS is responsible for reviewing evidence from police, deciding whether to prosecute, and presenting cases in court. The CPS operates independently to ensure fair and impartial application of the law.
Role: Speak Out Champion
Client brief:
The CPS sought to appoint to appoint an exceptional individual for the role of Speak Out Champion. As a part time role (six days a month), the Speak Out Champion is responsible for providing an independent and impartial route for CPS employees to raise concerns about inappropriate behaviour or treatment they witness or experience by individuals, teams or the department. As the Nominated Officer for whistleblowing concerns, the postholder signposts individuals to potential routes of resolution, undertakes wider work in raising awareness via communications and staff engagement, as well as supporting wider cultural change through the provision of insight and feedback to the CPS Board.
The process:
Veredus delivered a wide-reaching executive search process, looking at Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion leaders (EDI) and influencers, capable of taking a person-centred approach to supporting individuals raising concerns, as well as using intelligence and insight to advise the board and leadership team on themes related to culture and inclusion.
During the search phase, we identified and approached over 200 individuals. The role was advertised on the CPS and Veredus websites, with additional marketing on LinkedIn. Through the combined search and advertising strategy, we generated 68 applications, with diversity represented across all protected characteristics.
Of the applications received, six were longlisted and invited to preliminary interview with the Veredus Team. Our preliminary interviews created a positive environment for candidates from different backgrounds to present themselves and their credentials relative to the brief. The four shortlisted candidates were invited to attend a Staff Engagement Exercise, led by the Veredus Team, and rigorous referencing and due diligence checks were completed at this stage.
The results:
The search concluded successfully with a diverse, high calibre shortlist, from which two candidates were considered appointable. The successful candidate offered lived experience, broad experience of providing person-centred support to individuals with concerns, and deep expertise in creating inclusive workplaces.
Take-aways:
• This unique, special role attracted high engagement from EDI leads across the breadth of the public and private sectors.
• Taking time to build our understanding of the nuances of the role, and its independent nature was critical in assessing the experience and attributes of candidates from quite different backgrounds would bring to the role.
• EDI-focused market mapping enabled us to attract a diverse field of candidates across all protected characteristics.
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