Chapter 10 - Level C

Appendices

Level C has two pay bands: C1 and C2. Standards guidance for Level C is attached at Appendix 1.
Staff in Level C must be either qualified solicitors or barristers. Recruitment will normally be to pay band C1 but Areas may recruit direct to pay band C2 if the candidate is able to demonstrate skills and experience which meet the standard expected of a Crown Prosecutor in pay band C2.
Prosecutors will spend two years in pay band C1 developing their skills in conjunction with the five learning stages set out in Appendix 2. Training which is available to support the learning stages in pay band C1 is outlined at Appendix 3. At the end of the two year period, they should be ready for progression to pay band C2 and this will be effected if the criteria in paragraph 5 are satisfied.
Prosecutors will not be able to remain in pay band C1 on a long term basis. If, having passed probation, satisfactory progress is not maintained during the second year, appropriate action should be taken in accordance with the inefficiency procedures.

Areas have the authority to progress staff from pay band C1 to pay band C2 if the following criteria are satisfied:

the individual has completed two years' service in pay band C1; and
the individual has received two consecutive performance appraisal reports at Box 3 or above; and
the individual has successfully completed the learning stages which are outlined in Appendix 2.

Line management should complete Appendix 4 and forward it to the Area Business Manager who, in turn, will arrange for the authorised pay notification forms to be sent to Personnel 3. The individual should be informed in writing of the date of his/her progression to pay band C2 and what his/her new salary will be.
Whilst a member of staff is absent on maternity leave or special leave (with or without pay) for three months or more during the initial two year period on pay band C1, "time will stand still".
Casual service does not count towards the two year period. Time spent working on a fixed term appointment which is converted to a permanent appointment does count.
The date of progression will normally be the anniversary of the start date - eg started in pay band C1 on 1.10.97, date to pay band C2 will be 1.10.99. In cases where time has stood still (paragraph 7), a commensurate adjustment will be made to the date of progression.

Those who were Crown Prosecutors before 1 October 1997, and who are in pay band C1, are subject to the same criteria (paragraph 5) as those appointed since 1 October 1997 and are to be assessed accordingly.
For those Crown Prosecutors who completed two years' service before 1 October 1997 and whose last performance appraisal assessment was a Box 3 (or above), a Box 3 (or above) assessment in the appraisal following the promulgation of this chapter will result in progression to pay band C2 because such an assessment will mean that the individual has successfully completed the learning stages which, in turn, means the criteria for progression have been satisfied.
Satisfactory completion of the five learning stages is required of those in pay band C1, irrespective of the individual's length of service. If a satisfactory standard is not being met, inefficiency procedures should be instigated in accordance with Volume 2 Chapter 4.

Staff in pay band C1 are appraised on the anniversary of their start date. The appraisal cycle for pay band C2 is 1 April - 31 March.
The initial appraisal report (the probation report) for those in pay band C1 will cover the first ten months of service. Assuming probation is not extended, the next report will cover a period of fourteen months - ie from the end of the period covered by the initial report until the day before the second anniversary of the start date.
Where "time stands still", Areas will issue appraisal reports when aggregated periods of work reach either ten or fourteen months.

Example:

A report would be issued covering the periods at (ii) and (iv) - ie 14 months in all.

The arrangements for deputising and temporary progression do not apply between pay bands within Level C.