Chief Information Officer | Penrith, Cumbria | £60,912 - £64,878 | Hybrid | Permanent, Full Time

Chief Information Officer, but not the version you're picturing. No server rooms, no infrastructure roadmap. This is the most senior information governance appointment in the force, and the remit is far wider than the title suggests. Think data protection, disclosure, records, cyber risk and everything in between.

Foxgroves Recruitment is proud to support Cumbria Constabulary with another significant senior appointment. This role sits within the Digital, Data and Technology Command and is the strategic lead for data and information across the whole Constabulary.

The remit is wide. Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations, data protection, the Disclosure and Barring Service, cyber security risk, and records improvement. If something in the Constabulary has an information dimension to it, it lands on this desk.

The Role

You'll lead a function of around 30 people through two direct reports, split between transactional delivery and governance. Disclosure covers public access and disclosure - Freedom of Information, subject access, and information sharing into family court proceedings and partner agencies - alongside a team of around 12 delivering DBS searches and barring decisions.

Data and Information Privacy is where the governance sits: data protection, information security, cyber risk, and records management across the full information lifecycle. Both disclosure areas run to service level agreements and statutory deadlines, so turnaround and quality are measured and visible.

It's a strategic role in remit, but not one you can do from behind a strategy document. You'll sit on boards and own the frameworks, and you'll also be advising a colleague on whether a particular piece of data can be shared and picking up whatever came in overnight.

You will:

• Set and drive the information governance strategy and improvement plan across the Constabulary, and hold the organisation to proper information asset ownership
• Oversee and develop the two teams, covering performance, development and welfare
• Own the Constabulary's response to Freedom of Information and EIR requests - around 1,400 a year, from routine enquiries through to detailed submissions from press, academics and campaign groups
• Oversee subject access rights, family court disclosure and information sharing with partner agencies
• Lead the in-house DBS function, where disclosure decisions directly affect whether individuals are employed
• Take responsibility for data protection compliance, information security and records management from collection through to disposal.
• Handle personal data breaches, including assessment and reporting to the Information Commissioner's Office
• Respond to cyber security alerts and risk, including decisions on external organisations holding Constabulary data, weighing operational and safeguarding consequences
• Lead the cyber security insurance process and the control measures behind it
• Advise Professional Standards and Legal where information has been misused, including potential offences under the Data Protection Act and the Computer Misuse Act
• Contribute to ICO and HMICFRS audit and inspection activity
• Manage the budget and cost centre for the function
• Keep driving the cultural change agenda across the function and the wider organisation

About You

You'll be an experienced information governance leader who is comfortable giving advice that carries real consequences, and confident enough to keep making the case for good data when operational policing is the loudest voice in the room.

Much of this job is persuading operational colleagues to do something that isn't their instinct. Officers join to police. Getting them to record properly, apply retention correctly and take ownership of their data is done through credibility and relationships, not authority, and it takes patience. Resilience is key here as the demand is constant and priorities shift quickly.

You'll bring:

• Senior information governance experience gained in a large, complex organisation with exposure across a wide range of departments and functions
• Experience leading a multi-disciplinary team, including performance management, development and welfare
• Risk assessment applied to real decision making
• Budget and cost centre management
• Working knowledge of the relevant legislative framework - Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, Human Rights Act 1998, Police Act 1997, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and DBS and barring legislation
• Degree level education or equivalent, or demonstrable competence
• A professional qualification in information governance, information management or data protection
• Qualification in management or leadership, or demonstrable competence
• Absolute professionalism and discretion - you will see sensitive and at times distressing material

Desirable:

• Membership of a relevant professional body such as the Information and Records Management Society
• A qualification in information or cyber security
• A qualification in records management
• Knowledge of Management of Police Information APP
• Experience of leading change

Why This One Is Worth a Look

There are no bells and whistles attached to this role. You aren't the one making arrests. But getting information management right prevents harm and keeps vulnerable people safe, it means decisions get made on the right data rather than the wrong data, and when something does go wrong it means the force can respond quickly enough to limit the damage.

Wrongful disclosure can result in someone's liberty being removed, or children being permanently removed from a parent's care. Inaccurate or excessive disclosure causes real distress. That's the weight this role carries, and it's exactly why the Constabulary is taking its time getting the appointment right.

It's also genuinely varied. Most people who've done it will tell you they learn something new most weeks, and that no two problems arrive in quite the same shape.

Package

• £60'912 - £64'878 dep on experience
• Hybrid working with 3 days on site at Penrith HQ/ 2 Days WFH
• 24 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays, rising to 30 days plus banks with service
• Vehicle purchase scheme
• Excellent flexible working policy with ability to take up to 2 days a month from accrued hours, standard hours 37 hours a week
• Free parking
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Option of condensed working hours over 4 days

Please note there is an expectation of flexibility to work extended hours where circumstances require it.

A Note on Political Restriction

Please note this is a politically restricted post. The successful candidate will be subject to restrictions on certain political activities in line with the relevant legislation. Full details will be provided during the recruitment process, and it's worth raising any questions about what that means in practice at an early stage.

A Note on Vetting

Due to the nature of this employer, this appointment is subject to an enhanced vetting process. This means that in addition to standard pre-employment checks, you, and potentially your partner and any members of your household and parents, may be subject to police vetting as part of the recruitment process. Full details will be provided at the appropriate stage.

For this post specifically, you will need to achieve Management Vetting and Security Clearance as a minimum. Please factor the timescale for that into your availability.

Foxgroves Recruitment acts as an employment agency for vacancies on behalf of clients, following fair and inclusive recruitment practices in line with the Equality Act 2010. All appointments are subject to pre-employment screening, including right to work checks, reference checks, and qualification verification. Reasonable adjustments are available for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.