My inspiration 

I’m a true crime enthusiast and I’m genuinely interested in the diversity of life. I think the work of the Crown Prosecution Service is fantastic. It’s independent and provides a key role between the police and the courts to be legal and fair, which is so important. It provides the checks and measures.

I’ve also always wanted to work from home. It feels so different and is a completely different pace to retail. I love the flexibility. I have elderly parents and sometimes life gets in the way.

My background 

I worked in retail for 40 years but felt that it was changing, particularly during the pandemic. I moved to night shifts but I felt I missed out on so much. I needed a change.

My husband works in the civil service and that gave me the idea. I saw the casework assistant role and thought ‘should I?’. At 56, I realised I had nothing to lose. The application process was straightforward and I did some interview research. The role seemed ideal but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. But I got the job!

My typical day 

When the police send a case to the Crown Prosecution Service, it comes to our team. As a casework assistant, I get together all the basic case information. I look at what the police send and what they say they’ve sent. If it’s all as it should be, the case is progressed to a lawyer at the magistrates’ court. If not, it gets sent back for more information.

We deal with general new cases, complex cases, and rape and serious sexual offences in the North East, so that covers Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland.

On a typical day, I deal with remand cases first – anyone who is arrested overnight goes to the magistrates’ court the next day. We have to bundle the information ready. After that, we progress the cases that the police want to go ahead.

My biggest learning 

My advice to anyone thinking of applying is to give it a try – you have nothing to lose. There are lots of opportunities here, with ongoing support and training. You don’t need to know about the law, you learn as you go. Just go for it.