Paralegal Officer (September 2023) Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Are you interested in advancing your career in Law? Begin your journey as a Paralegal Officer with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Paralegal Officers play an integral role in delivering justice. You will be responsible for undertaking case management duties within the paralegal team, whilst providing assistance to prosecutors as part of the overall prosecution team. As part of your role, you will be responsible for preparing and maintaining case progression both in Magistrates and Crown Court. You will have the ability to deal effectively and timeously, working both independently and in partnership with prosecutors, fellow paralegal staff, casework assistants and others within the local criminal justice system.
As a Paralegal Officer you are at the heart of what we do. Your day-to-day work will be varied as you face new experiences and are positively challenge; no two days will be the same. You will be able to gain vital skills, including organisation skills, communication skills and legal knowledge. The skills and knowledge which you will develop as a Paralegal Officer will allow you to go on to develop further professionally with access to a range of roles across the CPS and Civil Service.
At the Crown Prosecution Service, we are responsible for delivering justice through the independent and effective prosecution of crime. As the principal prosecuting authority across England and Wales the nature and diversity of cases we advise on and prosecute means our work is often emotionally challenging and complex. As such we employ over 7,000 individuals who think objectively, act professionally, show the upmost respect for others and continually strive for excellence.
We are looking for individuals who are committed to public service and make a difference in people’s lives and deliver justice. We are committed to delivering the highest standards in this complex and challenging field.
Click on the following, to find out more about the role of a Paralegal Officer,
My role as a paralegal officer (cps.gov.uk)
For further information on how to apply, please see the Candidate Pack at the bottom of this page.
For further information on vacancies and locations, please see the selection process details section.
Job description
The purpose of this role is to undertake case management duties within the paralegal team. You will also be expected to provide assistance to prosecutors as part of the overall prosecution team; through the preparation and progression of summary trial cases in the magistrates’ court.
This role will be involved in providing assistance through the preparation and ongoing maintenance of Crown Court casework from receipt of file pre committal/transfer, through attendance at Crown Court where necessary, to post court conclusion.
They will be expected to deal effectively and timeously with all case preparation, case progression and administrative tasks throughout the life cycle of a case, working both independently and in partnership with prosecutors, fellow paralegal staff, casework assistants and others within the local criminal justice system, to produce optimum outputs.
Person specification
To supervise and monitor workflows, plan and prioritise work and direct Paralegal Assistants to meet objectives and targets.
To read and research cases, providing advice and making recommendations to prosecutors upon receipt of papers following case allocation within the team.
In partnership with prosecutors the postholder will undertake summary trial case preparation and progression in respect of all cases in the Unit/Team (including cases in the PCPT).
Represent the CPS effectively to outside agencies and the public, providing care, information and support to victims and witnesses of crime. Represent the
unit at meetings, both internally and externally when required.
To prepare the Crown Court Case Preparation Package (CCCP1) on the Case Management System (CMS) at the pre and post committal/transfer stage, to include building indictments, consideration of the evidence and making recommendations to the reviewing lawyer as to the conduct of the case.
The postholder to be deployed at Court as required by the Paralegal Business Manager on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration issues such as case complexity and sensitivity.
Before attendance at the Court sitting, familiarise themselves with the history of the case, the progress log and the issues that are likely to arise.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
CPS is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are committed to be an equal opportunities employer and creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work and individuality is truly appreciated.
We want to ensure all our employee's 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, which means that where you work (i.e. a court, an office, or a remote setting such as your home) will be based on the kind of work you are undertaking.
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.
CPS commits to offer its employees the following experience
- Impactful, purposeful work – making a difference to your local communities
- The ability to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources
- To care about your wellbeing
- To feel valued, trusted and included
We also offer the following range of benefits:
- Civil Service Pension
- Access to employee savings
- Cycle2Work scheme
- 25 days leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service.
- 1 extra privilege day entitlement to mark the King's Birthday.
- Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- Flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
- Childcare vouchers unless already registered with the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme)
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The recruitment process will consist of an online application and an interview which will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:
From the 9th October 2023 to the 20th October 2023.
We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.
Strategic Resourcing Team will be conducting a pre-sift of applications whilst the campaign is live, to ensure applications are completed at the appropriate standard. If the application does not address all application questions appropriately, this will result in your application being declined. Applicants cannot resubmit a new application once declined. Pease see below and candidate pack for further information on behaviour questions.
The successful applicants will be required to secure DBS clearance; to speed up this process; you should bring 3 forms of ID with you on the day of interview. Data gathered from unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.
If successful in obtaining an interview you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form and Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire
(If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance)
Information Sessions
We will also be holding meet and engagement sessions on the following dates, these sessions give candidates the chance to ask the resourcing team queries on the selection process/ role advertised:
8th September 1-2pm: https://meetandengage.com/allwha3i5
15th September 1-2pm: https://meetandengage.com/allwhdfh1
The sessions will be live webchats where you can ask us any queries you may have about your application, the process or the roles.
Application section (using the text boxes provided online)
You will be asked to complete a behaviour based section of no more than 1250 words, setting out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience, match the requirements as detailed in the Candidate Pack. You will need to address the core behaviours for this role, detailed in the Behaviours Section of the Candidate Pack, which are;
1. Managing a Quality Service – Lead Behaviour
A key part of this role is dealing with sensitive casework and ensuring we deliver a high-quality product or service.
Describe a situation where you had to manage the delivery of a high-quality service. How did you ensure that the service met the required standard?
2. Delivering At Pace
Case management is a key responsibility of a Paralegal officer, involving the organisation and maintenance of case files and the timely adherence to deadlines.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to manage multiple tasks? How did you prioritise?
3. Making Effective Decision
One crucial aspect of this role involves making informed and thoughtful decisions to ensure the delivery of an excellent service.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision that had potential risks and consequences?
Please also note that you MUST address each of the above questions when providing your behaviour examples. Failure to do this will result in your application being declined.
The panel reserve the right to only assess the lead question (Managing a Quality Service) and/or raise the standard / pass mark as required.
Please note that for this campaign candidate are NOT require to complete an online test.
Please refer to the Candidate Pack for further information as to the process and what is being tested at each stage.
CV Section (using the text boxes provided online)
You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section.’ You will be required to provide information regarding your employment history.
Please note that it is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post.
You will need to submit your full application form by 23:55pm on 21st September 2023.
Merit List and Deployment of Offers
Candidates are invited to provide two office location preferences from the list provided. If you are successful, we will exclusively offer using your choices in the first instance.
If invited to interview; your interview panel will be determined using your first preference of location. We are using a locational (localised) merit list system of appointment and offers will be made based on the merit order of each CPS Area interviewed for e.g. Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton or Lincoln would be CPS East Midlands. This means the highest rated candidate will be appointed from the region in which the vacancy has arisen. This means that even if you have scored higher than the candidate being selected, you will not be selected as you are not within the region with the vacancy.
After these appointments have been fulfilled under the locational merit list process, the remaining candidates who have successfully passed their assessments will remain on a merit list for 12 months.
If a candidate is offered a position that they are unable to accept they can remain on the reserve list and may be offered a position for their location preference should one become available, however the reserve list will expire 12 months after the interviews take place and positions for candidates first preference cannot be guaranteed.
Locations and Vacancies
Thames and Chiltern (Reading and St Albans)
Yorkshire and Humber (Hull, Sheffield and Leeds) - Expected to cover courts in Hull, Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford.
East Midlands (Nottingham and Leicester)
Mersey Cheshire (Liverpool)
North East (Middlesbrough and Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
Please be aware that the following areas are currently actively seeking to fill their waiting lists, and confirmation of available vacancies will be provided when possible.
Candidates who were placed on the waiting list for specific areas during the previous campaign will be given priority based on merit.
You should expect to join on the starting pay unless you are joining on a level transfer from another government department. If so, salary will be confirmed at pre-employment check stage.
Timeline
These dates are subject to change, however it may not be possible to accommodate alternative requests for an interview. Please refer to candidate pack for the scheduled timeline.
Please note, if you are successful following the shortlist, you will be invited to interview with minimum 5 working days’ notice. If you have an issue with the interview date selected please let us know as soon as possible and we will look into the possibility of rearranging, however this cannot be guaranteed.
Other
This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, considering at all times the operational needs of the Department.
This role will be in line with our hybrid working principles which are:
- Attending with Purpose - Considering where we work, whether at court, in the office or at home we focus on the needs of our role, team and Service and the positive benefits to best support business outcomes.
- Focused on Wellbeing - Supporting our own and others’ wellbeing enables us to thrive through inclusive working practices and environments.
- Collaboration is Key - Recognising that collaboration is integral to how we learn, grow and develop, together we prioritise innovation and problem solving, to achieve shared objectives.
Therefore, this will mean it will be a mixture of home working, office working and travelling to courts, how this is split will depend upon the business needs and your role within the organisation.
We would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post
Other
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.
Excess Fares
Please note excess fares will not apply
Fair Processing Notice (FPN)
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.
Current Civil Servants
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.
Civil Service Commissioners
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the CPS will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the IFD.
Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete
If you are dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact [email protected] with your concerns.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commissioners complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/
Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles can be found here –
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/
Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
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