**Press and Communications Lead – Grooming Gangs Inquiry

Job summary

The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs (IIGG or “the Inquiry”) was established under the Inquiries Act 2005 following Recommendation 2 of Baroness Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (June 2025). The Inquiry will examine group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, with a mandate to understand what happened, why institutional failings allowed it to continue, and what must change to protect children in the future.

The Inquiry is led by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE as Chair and supported by Panellists Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE. It has full statutory powers to compel evidence and call witnesses across institutional and geographical boundaries.

The Press and Communications Lead provides a unique and challenging opportunity to lead the communications strategy and implementation for a high profile national Public Inquiry.

Your work will have a significant impact on shaping the Inquiry and its external reputation, and your role will be pivotal in building public trust and confidence in the Inquiry’s independence and operational efficiency.

Job description

The work will be wide-ranging, from working with national and regional media, to supporting engagement in affected communities through to major national hearings.

You will work closely with the Chair, panel, and senior Inquiry leadership team to ensure the Inquiry’s communications to the public, survivors and families, national and local media, Parliament, and cross‑government partners are transparent, accurate, and empathetic. You will manage media handling sensitively, advise on reputational risk, and co-ordinate closely with external stakeholders in the press and media.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the Inquiry’s end‑to‑end communications strategy - ensuring transparent, accurate, and empathetic messaging to the public, survivors and families, media, Parliament, and cross‑government partners.
• Managing high‑profile media handling in a sensitive context, advising on reputational risk, and co-ordinating closely with external stakeholders in the press and media.
• Ensuring the Inquiry’s communications build public trust and confidence in its independence and operational efficiency.
• Working closely with the Chair and panel and the senior Inquiry team on communications strategies and media interventions.
• Operating with considerable autonomy and having a significant impact on the Inquiry’s external reputation.

Line Management

This role requires effective line management of a small team (3-4 team members).

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.

Training

The Inquiry will provide staff with training on Safeguarding and Trauma, as well as core corporate responsibilities.

Travel

Inquiry will have offices in London and Leeds. However, regular travel will be required to London for face-to-face meetings/engagements, subject to business needs.

Fixed Term Appointment (FTA)/Loan

This post is being offered on a 12 months’ basis in order to complete a finite piece of work. Please refer to attached Candidate Information Pack.

The Inquiry timeline is 36 months, and the assignment may be extended subject to relevant approvals.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience leading press & communications in high‑profile, sensitive contexts; excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication; able to distil complex issues, deliver difficult messages clearly and sensitively, and tailor content to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to manage reputational risk and operate under scrutiny; strong judgement and decision‑making with limited precedent.
• Experience coordinating communications across large organisations; familiarity with accessibility needs and inclusive comms approaches.
• Proven experience of working with senior leaders and senior journalists.
• Experience of line management experience and leading a team.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in crisis communications and with public inquiries, reviews, or other high-profile campaigns.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the following Civil Service Verbal test.

1. Online Test – by 14th September 2026

If you successfully pass the CS Verbal test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service test(s) will be available when you are invited to take the test. The online test is accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the test on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your test, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

2. Application – by 14th September 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour Communicating and Influencing (maximum of 250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience , including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – 16th September 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviour , as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (Personal Statement / CV). Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4. First Interview – from 7th October 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert). All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on Teams.

5. Second Interview – from 28th October 2026

If you are successful at interview, you will be invited to a second interview with the Inquiry Chair and Panel which will consist of a 10 minute presentation. The presentation question/scenario will be provided to you with your interview invitation. Slides will not be accepted.

The presentation will be assessed against 'Experience' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be assessed against the 'Essential Criteria' as listed in the job advertisement.

The second interview will take place in person at our London or Leeds office.

Please note any travel expenses incurred in attending the interview will not be re-imbursed.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers .

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website .

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preferences

You will only be able to select a single location preference so please ensure this is a location that you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at your preferred location and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and experience have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code , and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance , candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make yo