A2 Casework assistants - French Speaking

Are you interested in developing a career with a real purpose? Start your career as a casework assistant with the Crown Prosecution Service in an integral supporting role.
As a casework assistant, you’re often the first point of contact dealing with enquiries and correspondence. You’re responsible for providing casework support within your team, gaining insight into the important work of the Crown Prosecution Service along the way., Casework assistants provide vital administrative support on the front line of our service. You support prosecutors by serving documents and preparing case files for hearings in the magistrates’ and Crown Court. You’re the first point of contact for your team, responding professionally to criminal justice partners, victims and witnesses to maintain public confidence in our work. Excellent written, verbal and digital communication skills are essential – including knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications.
Your roles and responsibilities are:
+ To prepare cases for court, supporting our legal teams to operate effectively and efficiently
+ To ensure all work is produced to a high standard reflecting the values of the Crown Prosecution Service
+ To ensure information received is recorded accurately so that it can be easily retrieved and accessed by the team working on the case
+ To provide excellent customer service when dealing with enquiries received by your team over the phone or in writing, so that the public and stakeholders can have confidence in the work of the Crown Prosecution Service
+ To carry out related tasks as requested by prosecutors, in support of your team’s work.
Find out what the role is like - Apply to become a casework assistant
Our central casework divisions
Central casework divisions in the Crown Prosecution Service deal with some of the most complex criminal cases we prosecute. Working closely with specialist investigators across the criminal justice system, these divisions prosecute offences including organised crime, fraud, terrorism, corporate manslaughter and economic crime on an international scale., You’re asked to respond to three questions in the personal statement section of your application form – in no more than 250 words each – setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience demonstrate each core behaviour for this role. These are:
1. Motivation (lead behaviour) - Why have you applied for this position with the Crown Prosecution Service?
2. Developing self and others - What skills have you learnt from school/social life/professional occupation, that you feel are important in the workplace?
3. Seeing the big picture - What skills would you hope to gain if successful in this role with the Crown Prosecution Service?
You must address each of these questions when providing your core behaviour examples on the personal statement section. If you don’t do this, your application will be turned down.
In addition you need to demonstrate the CPS or Civil Service Values.
Please note, the panel reserve the right to only assess the lead behaviour 'Motivation' at shortlist and raise the minimum standard pass mark.
Applications are shortlisted following the deadline, and the successful candidates are invited to assessment and interview.
Second stage – Assessment and interview
If you pass the first recruitment stage, you're invited to complete an assessment for both written and oral French language skills which will be assessed under the Common European Framework for Languages(CEFR) scale.
Should you be successful in the assessment you will then be invited to the final stage interview.
Full guidance and instructions are provided about this stage of the process at the time. Assessments and Interviews take place using Microsoft Teams between 28 October - 7 November 2024.
We ask that you note the dates that the interview and assessments are due to take place. However, these dates may be subject to change and we can’t guarantee alternative interview dates.

Offer of employment
If we offer you a role, offers and pre-employment checks begin from Monday 11 November 2024. It can take up to two weeks for all offers to be made.

Other
This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share are considered, bearing in mind the operational needs of the department.
This role is a mixture of home working and office working. You must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period in an office or another official workplace. Dependant upon business needs there may be some requirement of travel to Paris for this role.
You must consider if the commute from your home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. If you’re successful, we will discuss hybrid working before you take up the post.
Clearance
If successful, you’re required to secure Security Check (SC) clearance.
If you’re invited to interview, you’re asked to complete the character enquiry form and nationality and immigration questionnaire.
If you’re an internal member of staff, you won’t need to do a DBS check as you already hold this clearance.
Reserve list
If you’re recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another role if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the reserve list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.
Reasonable Adjustments
Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we're happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you'd like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact EarlyCareers@cps.gov.uk.
Fraud check
The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Insiders Threat Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

In this role, you deliver customer service to internal and external stakeholders. You build on your skills – including communication, quality checking and time management – to complete your work to a high standard and help achieve your team’s goals and objectives.
French Speaking – This post has a language requirement, candidates will be required to pass both written and oral French language skills at a minimum of B1 level under Common European Framework for Languages(CEFR) scale.
You must have the digital capabilities required to complete tasks that are part of the role., + Be at least 18 years of age
+ Written and oral French language skills at a minimum of B1 level under Common European Framework for Languages(CEFR) scale.
+ Have excellent written, verbal and digital communication skills - including knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications
+ Have an interest in criminal law and public service.
You do not need qualifications or legal experience for this role, a structured induction training plan is provided. Customer service skills are desirable but not required., French Speaking – This post has a language requirement, candidates will be required to pass both written and oral French language skills at a minimum of B1 level under Common European Framework for Languages(CEFR) scale., + Developing Self and Others
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace

Alongside your salary of £22,100, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £5,967 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We’re passionate about ensuring that we're a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We're a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home, and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. From September 2024, you must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI+, race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.
The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.
+ You can do impactful, purposeful work that’s making a difference to your local communities.
+ You can learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
+ We care about your wellbeing.
+ We want you to feel valued, trusted and included.
We also offer the following benefits:
+ Civil Service contributory pension of up to 27%
+ 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
+ an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
+ a competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
+ flexible working and a family-friendly approach to work
+ Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings.