Caseworker

Job summary

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) helps people when things go wrong with public services. We make the final decision on complaints about UK Government departments and the NHS in England when they haven’t been resolved elsewhere.

Why this role matters: you will do meaningfulwork with real impact, understanding people’s experiences, working through evidence, and helping put things right when systems haven’t worked as they should. A role in which you can make a real difference.

The role

As a caseworker, you will investigate NHS and Government department complaints and manage your own cases from start to finish.

You will:

• understand what the complaint is about
• review evidence and relevant information
• speak with the people and organisations involved
• decide whether the organisation acted properly
• explain your decision clearly and fairly.

Job description

Is this role right for you?

It is a role for people who enjoy careful, analytical thinking, reading and working through detailed information, weighing up evidence and producing clear, well-reasoned written outcomes. You don’t need specialist knowledge we will train you.

This role may not suit you if you prefer quick decisions, short pieces of work, or you dislike writing and working through detail.

With multiple vacancies available, you will start alongside other new caseworkers, learning and developing together.

Career progression

Caseworkers often move into senior caseworker roles, management, and our quality and training teams. Some of our Assistant Casework Directors started as Caseworkers.

Training and development

We don’t expect you to arrive with casework or investigation experience. We will give you the time, training and support you need to become confident in the role.

You will start with a structured training programme designed to get you role-ready, including:

• an introduction to PHSO and how we work
• how to assess complaints and make fair decisions
• how to write clear, well-reasoned outcomes
• support to manage your caseload effectively

As you settle in, you will continue learning through:

• regular coaching and feedback from experienced colleagues
• access to our internal training and quality teams
• opportunities to build skills that support your next career step

Development doesn’t stop once you’re up and running, we invest in you whether you want to deepen your expertise, move into senior roles, or explore other career paths within PHSO.

We recognise the value of lived experience. If you have experience of complaining about any public body, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Person specification

What we’re looking for:

• ability to read and understand detailed information (sometimes a lot of it)
• confidence to make fair decisions based on evidence, and explain how you reached them
• clear written and verbal communication (you will write a lot in this role)
• a calm, professional approach with people who may be upset or frustrated
• ability to manage your own workload and work towards targets, including progressing and closing cases within expected timeframes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,820, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman contributes £10,666 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Civil Service Pension scheme
• 32.5 days annual leave
• Hybrid working (40% office-based)
• Flexible working
• Free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 advice and support)
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Employee discount scheme across hundreds of retailers
• Bicycle loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Gym membership subsidy
• Paid professional memberships
• Eye test reimbursement

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Key dates

• Start date: 11 January 2027 (no flexibility). You must be available for the first 3 weeks for training.
• Training: mix of office-based and virtual sessions; you’ll be in the office 3 days per week during the initial training period.
• Closing date: 20 September 2026
• Written online assessment task dates: 05 – 11 October 2026
• Interview date (in person): 26 October – 04 November 2026

If the fixed start date doesn’t work for you, please keep an eye out for future recruitment or register for job alerts on our careers page.

Virtual open day sessions (Microsoft Teams)

Join one of our virtual open days to hear from the team, learn more about the role, and ask questions.

Session 1: 09 September 2026 12:00 (GMT)

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/341588198223610?p=B7lq5xmWkMLV1aOKGh

Meeting ID: 341 588 198 223 610

Passcode: EA69d3Ye

Session 2: 15 September 2026 17:00 (GMT)

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/331640543128062?p=2VjKw4t13usCiyjvx9

Meeting ID: 331 640 543 128 062

Passcode: qX3im7Qe

How to apply (and how to do well)

Application form

You will answer four scored questions. We use these to shortlist and longlist, so your answers matter.

• choose real examples (from studies, workplace, volunteering, placements or other experience)
• focus on what you did, not what “we” did as a group
• explain your thinking: what you looked at, what you decided, and why
• keep it clear and specific, avoid generic statements

The first question will used as an initial sift to longlist applications.

Please do not use AI to write your answers. We need to assess your own analytical and communication skills, and applications may be rejected if answers appear AI-generated.

If your examples are very short, mostly opinion-based, or don’t describe a specific situation and outcome, you are unlikely to score well.

Online written assessment

If shortlisted, you will complete a written assessment online. It is designed to reflect the role, including analysing information and writing clearly.

Inclusion & wellbeing

Inclusion & Wellbeing

Equal