COPFS

Procurator Fiscal Depute

Candidates Guide

Contents

Contents

Pages Contents

3 Introduction

4 About COPFS

5 The offer

6 The role

7-10 Making an application

11 General pre-employment requirements

12 Equal opportunities

13-14 Employment with COPFS

15 Appeals

18 FAQs

2

Introduction

This guide is to inform you about our Procurator Fiscal Depute role and

will help you through the recruitment process to become a PFD with

COPFS. It is vital that you read this carefully as hints and tips are

contained. If you have any further questions or require the application

pack in an alternative format, you can contact:

recruitment@copfs.gsi.gov.uk.

3

About COPFS The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is Scotland’s prosecution service. We receive reports about crimes from the police and other reporting agencies and then decide what action to take, including whether to prosecute someone. We also look into deaths that need further explanation and investigate allegations of criminal conduct against police officers.

COPFS plays a pivotal part in the justice system, working with others to make Scotland safe from crime, disorder and danger. The public interest is at the heart of all we do as independent prosecutors. We take into account the diverse needs of victims, witnesses, communities and the rights of those accused of crime. We support the Strategy for Justice in Scotland and, in particular, its priorities of:

Reducing crime, particularly violent and serious organised crime

Tackling hate crime and sectarianism

Supporting victims and witnesses

Increasing public confidence and reducing fear of crime

Our values are:

Being professional

Showing respect

Our aim is to meet the Law Officers’ strategic priority of achieving operational effectiveness in all cases.

The main roles and responsibilities of COPFS are to:

investigate, prosecute and disrupt crime, including seizing the proceeds of crime

establish the cause of sudden, unexplained or suspicious deaths

investigate allegations of criminal conduct against police officers.

Our Key Objectives are:

to secure the confidence of our diverse communities by improving the delivery of justice through the timely, efficient and effective prosecution of crime

to give priority to the prosecution of serious crime, including drugs trafficking and persistent offenders

to provide services that meet the information needs of victims, witnesses and next-of-kin, in co-operation with other agencies

to ensure that all deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal are investigated appropriately and speedily

4

The offer

We are currently seeking exceptional lawyers to help us in delivering justice

and supporting witnesses. If you are a solicitor or advocate qualified to

practice in Scotland, or will be by the end of August 2016, and are interested

in playing a key role at the heart of the criminal justice system, we would like

to hear from you.

COPFS is offering Procurator Fiscal Depute opportunities starting in Summer

2016. Permanent contracts will be offered on merit to the top performing

candidates.

The number of posts is yet to be determined however, further information will

be made available throughout the recruitment process.

Applications are welcome from those seeking Full-time, Part-time and Job

share positions.

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As a Procurator Fiscal Depute you will play a key role in the criminal justice system. You will take decisions on criminal proceedings, conduct courts and work closely with the police and other criminal justice partners to improve the efficient delivery of justice for local communities.

This is a demanding role acting in the public interest as one of the Lord Advocate’s local representatives, requiring common sense, flexibility and a sound knowledge of the criminal law system in Scotland. Whilst there may be an opportunity to undertake a variety of duties within COPFS, the main essence of the role is to prepare and present cases effectively in court and deal sensitively and appropriately with victims and witnesses.

You must be passionate about serving the public interest at all times; confident in making complex and difficult decisions, based on independent assessment of all the available evidence; and enthusiastic about meeting the needs of victims and witnesses.

The job title is applicable to a range of posts within the Service. These posts are characterised by similar skill requirements and job weights. Broadly, such posts could include the following responsibilities:

Non Court Legal Duties

• Marking of criminal reports

• Summary Court preparation

• Drafting charges and legal documents

• Dealing with appeals

• Caseload management

• Consultation with witnesses

• Preparation of reports to Crown Counsel

Court Related Duties

• Preparation for and conduct of Summary criminal courts

• Dealing with issues relating to victims, witnesses, other relevant parties and obtaining of evidence

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and other duties may be required appropriate to the role.

.

The role

6

Making an application;

the competency based

approach

COPFS follow the Civil Service approach to competency based recruitment.

This approach allows the panel to assess a candidates past behaviours as a

prediction of future behaviours. This means the panel will be looking for real

life examples of how you have met the competencies that you will be

assessed against, which can be found on the next page.

General answers of what you might do in a situation will not suffice. We

recommend you adhere to the ‘STAR’ (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method

to present your answers.

You will need to ensure that the examples given in your application form are

concise and meet with the recommended word count of 250 words per

competency. Answers in excess of 250 words will not be assessed beyond

this count which will likely affect your score.

Although the competencies and specific indicators which you will be assessed

against are on the next page of this guide, the full competency framework is

available to download as part of your application pack. It is strongly

recommended you download this and carefully read through all aspects of the

framework to gain a fuller understanding of the competencies.

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Essential and desirable criteria

8

Essential Criteria

Candidates must be qualified in Scottish Law, or will be by the end of August 2016

and hold a valid practising certificate.

There are no age limits and suitability for the job will be the determining factor for

selection.

Desirable Criteria

It is desirable for candidates to have Court experience.

The same 3 point scale is used to score applications at the application stage and

to assess candidates at the interview stage it is therefore essential that your

application form gives a full but concise description of the nature, extent and level

of your experience in relation to the appointment. You may find that on occasions

you are sifted in or out of with the same evidence. This could happen because

each exercise is a separate competition with different standards being set.

3- The candidate provided evidence that demonstrated highly effective

behaviour against the requirements of the role and level of competence required.

2- The candidate provided evidence that demonstrated effective behaviour

against the requirements of the role and level of competence required.

1- The candidate provided evidence that partially demonstrated effective

behaviour against the requirements of the role and level of competence required,

but there are a few minor gaps that can be investigated at interview or developed

on the job.

0- The candidate failed to demonstrate that they meet the level of competence

required.

Applicants who score zero in any of the competences or essential

skills/experience/qualifications will not be selected for appointment.

Additional methods of assessment may be used in the assessment of a

presentation.

How you will be assessed

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The competencies COPFS competencies apply to all vacancies.

You will be required to demonstrate specifically how you meet with the below competencies

in your application form and, if selected, further at interview.

The competencies and specific indicators which will be tested will be:

Making Effective Decisions (Level 3)

• Make decisions when they are needed, even if they prove difficult or unpopular

• Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to

collect new data when necessary from internal and external sources

• Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key

conclusions

• Explore different options outlining costs, benefits, risks and potential responses to each

• Recognise scope of own authority for decision making and empower team members to

make decisions

• Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making to help build

engagement and present robust recommendations

Leading and Communicating (Level 3)

• Take opportunities to regularly communicate and interact with staff, helping to clarify goals

and activities and the links between these and Departmental strategy

• Recognise, respect and reward the contribution and achievements of others

• Communicate in a succinct, engaging manner and stand ground when needed

• Communicate using appropriate styles, methods and timing, including digital channels, to

maximise understanding and impact

• Promote the work of the Department and play an active part in supporting the Civil Service

values and culture

• Convey enthusiasm and energy about their work and encourage others to do the same

Managing a Quality Service (Level 3)

• Make effective use of project management skills and techniques to deliver outcomes,

including identifying risks and mitigating actions

• Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and service standards to provide

quality, efficiency and value for money

• Work with team to set priorities, goals, objectives and timescales

• Establish mechanisms to seek out and respond to feedback from customers about service

provided

• Promote a culture that tackles fraud and deception, keeping others informed of outcomes

• Develop proposals to improve the quality of service with involvement from a diverse range

of staff, stakeholders or delivery partners

Delivering at Pace (Level 3)

• Successfully manage, support and stretch self and team to deliver agreed goals and

objectives

• Show a positive approach in keeping their own and the team’s efforts focused on the

goals that really matter

• Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to standard, giving credit

to teams and individuals as appropriate

• Plan ahead but reassess workloads and priorities if situations change or people are facing

conflicting demands

• Regularly monitor own and team’s work against milestones or targets and act promptly to

keep work on track and maintain performance

• Coach and support others to set and achieve challenging goals for themselves

Recruitment timetable

Date Action Location

20/05/2016 Advert published COPFS Website

03/06/2016 Advert closes COPFS Website

10/06/2016 Application results/ invites to interview

issued by email

n/a

15/06/2016 -

27/06/2016

Interviews Glasgow/Edinburgh

w/c

27/06/2016

Interview results issued by email n/a

All dates are subject to change. Should candidates be unavailable for any

of the selection stages then please notify us of the reasons why as soon

as possible.

Given the timeframes involved there is no guarantee we will be able to

accommodate you however we will do what we can to help wherever

possible.

Due to the large volumes of applications anticipated, we will not be able to

provide unsuccessful candidates with feedback.

Candidates unsuccessful at interview, who would like feedback, must email

their request within one week after notification of results to

recruitment@copfs.gsi.gov.uk

Feedback

10

General pre employment

requirements If you do not provide proof of any of the general or specific information

requested by COPFS as set out below you may not be able to commence

employment with us.

Prior to applying for this role, please contact us if you have any queries or

concerns about this.

To comply with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standards outlined by

the Cabinet Office, COPFS must verify all four elements below for all new

staff:

Identity- you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity if invited

to interview and potentially at another time during the recruitment

process.

Nationality and Immigration Status- you will be asked to provide proof

of your eligibility to work and remain in the UK and the Civil Service.

Employment/ Academic History Verification (3 years) - If you are

successful, we will commence 3 year history verification checks.

Criminal Records Check- COPFS is exempt from the Rehabilitation of

Offenders Act (1974) and will conduct an ‘Enhanced’ Disclosure

Scotland check, so all convictions whether they are spent or not will be

considered when we decide on whether or not to offer you a position.

Only after all of these checks have been completed and the results found

to be satisfactory will the successful candidate be eligible to commence

work with COPFS.

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Taking diversity seriously COPFS is proud to maintain an inclusive workplace and we encourage

applicants from all backgrounds. Our policy is to provide equal opportunities

for employment, career development and promotion to all where eligible, on

the basis of ability, qualifications and suitability for the work. Selection will be

based on fair and open competition and regardless of gender, race, disability,

sexual orientation, marital status or ethnic origin.

We are a ‘Top 10’ Stonewall Top 100 employer, holders of the Investors in

People Symbol and hold Disability Symbol employer status from JobCentre

Plus.

Current staff network groups include: Proud in COPFS; Equality

Ambassadors; Staff Disability Advisory Group; People Consultation Group;

Editorial Group; Communications Network.

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Candidates declaring a

disability COPFS is committed to valuing diversity and equality of opportunity. Part of

this commitment is that we guarantee an interview to any eligible candidate

who has declared a disability as defined by the Equality Act (2010), provided

they meet the minimum criteria for the post.

The Equality Act defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical

or mental impairment which has a substantial and adverse long-term effect

on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Please notify us

in your application if we can provide any reasonable adjustments to enable

you to compete at each of the selection stages.

For the purposes of the scheme, the minimum criteria to qualify for interview

requires demonstration of effective behaviour across 3 competences and

partially effective behaviour in 1 competence as well as meeting the

essential criteria.

Conditions of employment Salary

£30,399 per annum (full time) Year 1 £31,569 per annum (full time) Year 2

£39,000 per annum after 2 year accreditation complete

Successful candidates will be subject to the depute accreditation process and be

expected to complete a 9 month probation period.

Salary is paid monthly by credit transfer to your nominated bank account. Starting

salary for successful candidates will be £30,399 per annum FTE. Your appointment

will be in the lower range of the PFD Pay Band (Training Depute level 1).

On the anniversary of your appointment (subject to satisfactory completion of your

probation) your salary will increase to the appropriate level on the Training Depute

salary range (Training Depute level 2), currently £31,569 per annum FTE.

You will move to the band minimum of the main Depute salary range, Pay Band PFD,

once you have been accredited as fully competent, currently £39,000 per annum FTE.

Successful candidates transferring from other Government departments will start on

the Year 1 salary and progress as per new entrants as COPFS accreditation is required

before moving onto Procurator Fiscal Depute pay band.

Please note that we will not meet any expenses you may incur in association with this

recruitment exercise (tests or interview), nor if you have to relocate to take up

appointment (this is also applicable to any current COPFS/Civil Service staff who may

make an application for an externally advertised post).

Successful applicants will be expected to work 42 hours per week including lunch

breaks. You will have an annual leave allowance of 25 days per year and will also

benefit from an additional 11.5 public and privilege holidays per year. Candidates

appointed to posts within the national marking hub based at Stirling will require to be

available on Mondays and to attend work on a rota basis at 7.00am on Mondays.

Part time allowances will be calculated as a pro rata amount and confirmed within the

contract of employment.

If you are recommended for appointment, the recommendation will be subject to

satisfactory completion of COPFS pre employment checks. These checks include

evidence of qualifications, health, character, references and an Enhanced Disclosure

Scotland check. When these enquiries are satisfactorily completed, the Human

Resources Division will issue a formal offer of employment.

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14

The civil service code As a Civil Servant, you will be expected to carry out your role with dedication and

a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values. The Civil Service Code

defines the core values that you, as a Civil Servant, are expected to work within

and uphold. These core values are:

Honesty

Impartiality

Integrity

Objectivity

The Code forms part of the terms and conditions of every Civil Servant. Further

information can be obtained from:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/values.

Pension arrangements On joining the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, employees will be

automatically enrolled in the Civil Service pension arrangements if you are

considered to be an ‘eligible worker’ (further information will be provided if you are

successful for appointment). The pension arrangements can provide you and your

family with financial support when you retire as well as protection during your

employment.

Full details about COPFS pension options are contained in the pension information

pack which is issued to all new members of staff by our pension administrators.

You can find further information on Civil Service Pensions via the Cabinet Office

(www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions).

Civil Service Recruitment

Principles The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s recruitment processes are

underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair

and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment

Principles which can be found at www.civilservicecommission.org.uk.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and

you wish to make a complaint, you should contact The Recruitment Manager, Crown

Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Crown Office, 25 Chambers Street, Edinburgh,

EH1 1LA in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from

the Service you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission.

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The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s recruitment processes are

underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of

fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment

Principles which can be found at www.civilservicecommission.org.uk.

We hope you don’t have cause to appeal, however appeals can be submitted in

writing within 5 working days of receiving a result and can made only on two

grounds;

1. There has been a procedural irregularity that can be seen to have materially

disadvantaged the individual candidate

2. There has been an infringement of the COPFS’ equal opportunities policy

causing real disadvantage

Appeals outwith these grounds will not be considered. Where any appeal is upheld,

COPFS will take steps to remove the disadvantage or compensate for actual loss.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles

and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact The Recruitment Manager,

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Crown Office, 25 Chambers Street,

Edinburgh, EH1 1LA in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response

you receive from the Service you can contact the Office of the Civil Service

Commission.

Appealing

FAQs I’ve applied before but wasn’t successful, can I apply again?

- yes, we would be happy to receive your application. Please ensure you read all

supplementary documentation as our processes may have changed from the last

time you applied.

I applied this year using the same answers in my application form from last

year. Last year I got an interview but didn’t this year, why?

- each recruitment exercise is considered separately. The volume and quality of

applications will determine the standard of assessment required each year.

I am out of the country when interviews are taking place, do I have to

attend my interview in person?

- we require attendance in person for your interview. Please see our timetable

for information of when interviews are to take place.

I have to travel to get to my interview; can you reimburse my costs for

assessments?

-unfortunately we are unable to meet any expenses you may incur in association

with this recruitment exercise.

When will I get my placement?

- we will endeavour to advise you of your location placement when you are

advised you are successful

I have a specific query which hasn’t been answered in this guide, who can I

refer my query to?

-Please email recruitment@copfs.gsi.gov.uk

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and finally This guide is for information only and does not form part of the service’s

conditions of employment.

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