Administrative Officer – Operational Support Roles – Casework

This recruitment campaign brings together a number of opportunities across the Crown Prosecution Service, including Administrative Officer, Casework Assistant, Advocacy Clerking Assistant, Victim Liaison Assistant and Fees Clerk roles. Within the Crown Prosecution Service, these roles are graded A2, which is equivalent to the Administrative Officer (AO) grade in the wider Civil Service. Whilst these roles are distinct, they share a common core of responsibilities, skills and behaviours.

The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for delivering justice through the independent and effective prosecution of crime. As the principal prosecuting authority across England and Wales, our work is often complex and emotionally challenging. We are looking for individuals who are committed to public service, making a difference in people’s lives and delivering work to a high standard.

Whether supporting case progression, providing administrative support, communicating with victims, or processing financial information, all of the roles in this campaign play an important part in helping the Crown Prosecution Service operate effectively and maintain public confidence in our work.

You are asked to confirm your preferred role and location when completing your application. If you do not confirm your preference, you will be considered for the administrative officer role. If you are successful, you are placed on a list that reflects your preferred role and location. Offers are made from the relevant list in merit order, depending on business needs. If we do not have vacancies for your preferred role and location, you may be offered one of the other roles listed or an alternative location.

At A2/AO grade within the Crown Prosecution Service, you carry out a range of administrative, casework or support tasks that help our teams work effectively and deliver a high-quality service. Depending on the role, you may manage information, respond to enquiries, support case progression, communicate with victims or process financial records. In many cases, you are also the first point of contact for colleagues, external agencies or members of the public, so you must communicate clearly, professionally and within agreed timescales.

We are advertising two Administrative Officer – Operational Support Roles campaigns. You can only apply for one campaign - either Regional/Headquarters or Casework. If you submit applications for both, we accept the first application and reject the second.

These roles support the effective delivery of services across the Crown Prosecution Service by ensuring information is managed accurately, enquiries are handled professionally and work is completed to a high standard. Depending on the role, you may be required to:

• respond professionally to enquiries and correspondence from colleagues, criminal justice partners, external agencies and members of the public.
• provide high-quality administrative or casework support to help teams operate effectively and efficiently.
• work to agreed deadlines, service standards and timescales, managing competing priorities where required.
• build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• ensure work is completed to a high standard, in line with Crown Prosecution Service values, guidance and procedures.

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)

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

Recruitment process

The recruitment process consists of an online test and application, video interview and a final online interview through Microsoft Teams.

At the interview stage, you book your own time slot on Civil Service Jobs. Once booked, we can’t guarantee your time slot can be changed.

Behaviours – assessed at video interview and final interview stage

• Motivation (lead behaviour) – video interview and final interview
• Managing a Quality Service – video interview
• Working Together – video interview
• Delivering at Pace – final interview
• Communicating & Influencing - final interview

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘Motivation’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered, and your video interview won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark during the selection process.

The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to help you do a great job in this role. You are assessed against grade Administrative Officer/Level 1 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

Motivation – lead behaviour

We want to understand why you want to work in public service, law and the Crown Prosecution Service. We’ll be looking for you to cover the following five things at both video and final interview.

• Why you want to join the Crown Prosecution Service.
• Why you want to work in public service.
• Your interest in the criminal justice system.
• A strong focus on continuous learning and a willingness to progress your training and development.
• Awareness of the Crown Prosecution Service values and priorities – our latest strategy is available on our website: CPS 2030 strategy , The Crown Prosecution Service

Information Sessions

We are holding a series of information sessions – these are live webchats where you can ask us any queries you may have about your application, the process or the role. You can register here:

Thursday 27 August 12pm: https://meetandengage.com/amsofkpz5

Thursday 3 September 12pm: https://meetandengage.com/amsofpau6

First stage - Civil Service judgment test and application

After submitting the initial short application form, you are automatically invited to complete the online Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully complete the online test you are invited to complete an employment history section. Please note, this is not assessed by the panel. Both the online test and full application form must be completed and submitted before 11am on 7 September 2026.

Please ensure you allow enough time to complete both the online test and full application form before the deadline. We recommend completing the online test within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the invitation, to allow time to resolve any potential technical issues.

We send you an invitation to take the test and provide full instructions about how to complete it.

Any duplicate applications will be rejected.

For more guidance about the online Civil Service tests, please see the GOV.UK website: Civil Service online tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Second stage - video interview

If you pass the first stage, you are invited to complete a video interview. This is not a live interview - you use an online platform to record your responses to timed questions.

Invitations to the video interview are sent by email on 10 September, with full guidance and instructions included.

If you require any reasonable adjustments for the video interview, please contact earlycareers@cps.gov.uk by 11 am on 9 September. Requests received after this time may not be able to be accommodated.

You will can access the video interview system from 10 September. You can complete and submit your video interview at any point before the deadline of 11am on 17 September.

Third stage - final interview

If you pass the second stage, you are invited to attend a final interview with a Crown Prosecution Service panel. Full guidance and instructions are provided with your invitation. Invitations to final interview are expected to be sent during the week commencing 26 October.

Interviews are scheduled to take place between 2 November and 4 December and are held virtually through Microsoft Teams.

Please note these dates are subject to change, and we cannot guarantee alternative interview dates.

At this stage, you book your own interview slot through Civil Service Jobs. Once your slot has been confirmed, we cannot guarantee that changes will be possible.

We understand interviews can be stressful, so you will be sent your final interview Behaviour questions in advance.

Interview

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against A2/AO/ Level 1 in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing three behaviours at interview stage.

The interview stage also assesses two Civil Service Strengths, further information on Strengths can be found here: Success Profiles: Strengths - GOV.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles/success-profiles-strengths

Offer of employment

As part of your application, you are asked to indicate your preferred role and first-choice office location. If you are successful, you are placed on a merit list that reflects both your preferred role and your first-choice location. Offers are made from the list in merit order, depending on available vacancies and business need.

The number of offers made may vary depending on business need. Results are expected to be issued in the week commencing 7 December, but this may be subject to change.

If you pass the selection process but are not offered a role straight away, you may be placed on a reserve list for your preferred role and first-choice location for up to 12 months. During this time, you may be offered a suitable A2 role if a vacancy becomes available in your first-choice location. This could be for your preferred role, or another role included in this campaign, depending on available vacancies and business need. Being placed on a reserve list does not guarantee that an offer will be made.

If you are offered a role but are unable to accept due to extenuating circumstances, we will consider whether you can remain on the reserve list. This is not automatic and is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Clearance

If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check security Check clearance, for which you must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, and nationality and immigration questionnaire, (and national security vetting form if SC/DV).

If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

To be cleared to Security Check/Developed Vetting clearance level, you have to be able to meet the residency requirement in the Cabinet Office guidance. For the Crown Prosecution Service, this is three years within the last five years (Security Check).

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.