Overview
Coroners Officer
Fixed Term, Full Time
£29,376 to £34,559 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date: Sunday 26th October 2025 at 11.59pm
Please note this is a Fixed Term Contract opportunity for a period of 1 year.
This is an Anywhere Worker position, the successful candidate will be expected to work from SEAX House, Chelmsford 1 to 2 days per week.
The successful individual will be required to attend the office daily during the training period for this role.
The Opportunity
Essex Coroners Service supports four full time Coroners in statutory duties as independent judiciary investigating the unnatural deaths across greater Essex. The service has 5,500 referrals per year and holds over 1,000 inquests a year.
We are currently seeking a Coroner Officer to join our team our day-to-day team on a 1-year fixed term basis. The Coroners Officer will be responsible for supporting the early information gathering, preparing report for Coroner decision. The officer will need to keep the family informed about process of investigation, whilst gathering evidence from external parties including pathologists, NHS, GPs, Police. They will follow Coroner instructions in completing the investigation, for the Coroner to determine if the death was natural causes or requires an inquest.
Demonstrating excellent customer service and interpersonal skills the successful candidate will be able to build strong relationship with families throughout the Coronial process as they deal with bereavement. They will be able to manage a wide range of stakeholders, influence and chasing evidence ensuring that cases can be progressed in a timely manner.
Accountabilities
- Responsible for investigating causes of death by obtaining written statements and collating and assembling evidence from police officers, medics, health and safety inspectors and other authorities.
- Responsible for arranging removal of a body, following the Coroner’s procedure, arrange for identification of the deceased and ensure that the property of the deceased is handled appropriately.
- Responsible for establishing contact with relatives of the deceased and their representatives, to keep them informed of procedures and progress.
- Responsible for arranging and obtaining details of medical history, hospital notes, doctor’s notes, and any other relevant material to prepare relevant paperwork and ensure release of a body to the appropriate party at the earliest possible time.
- Participate in and support contingency planning and testing to support the Council’s and Coroner’s services in the event of an emergency to maintain business continuity.
- Responsible for ensuring deaths involving UK citizens abroad are investigated correctly when a body arrives within the Coroner’s jurisdiction.
- Support the upskilling health service workers and other organisations, providing guidance on the work of the Coroner’s Service.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to RQF level 5 (Foundation Degree) or equivalent by experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal with a wide range of audiences including Consultants, GPs, Pathologists and legal representatives with discretion and judgement.
- Excellent organisational skills with experience of working across boundaries in close liaison with other agencies and under pressure.
- Excellent communication skills both written and oral, including the ability to deal with distressed bereaved families.
- Good computer literacy and keyboard skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of products.
- Preferrable to have relevant experience, on how to manage information of sudden, violent, suspicious, or unnatural deaths for which no death certificate has been issued.
- Excellent team working skills and the ability to successfully achieve team goals.
