Overview
Candidates who have previously applied within the last 6 months are kindly encouraged not to reapply at this time.
Please note, we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Make a difference, join our team.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is a modern, vibrant organisation full of passionate, committed people. We make final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by UK Government departments and the NHS in England. We work closely with people to understand where, how and why public services sometimes fall short and fail to put people first. And we find ways to put it right.
Based in the centre of Manchester, we employ 600 individuals, collaboratively working together to make voices heard. We have created a diverse and inclusive culture that is supportive, whilst offering flexibility and hybrid working.
The role
We have grown significantly as an organisation last year and are continuing to grow. As our team grows, we’re looking for multiple caseworkers to help make sure every complaint makes a difference.
You will analyse evidence, speak to complainants and NHS or other government departments and liaise with our own Clinical Advisers to reach decisions on whether to uphold complaints.
Our Caseworkers bring experience from all walks of life. Some have been solicitors; others are nurses or complaints investigators in local government. Others are recent graduates who combine great customer service experience with writing and analysis skills.
Whatever your background, if the following sounds like you we would love to hear from you:
- an analytical mindset
- able to consider conflicting information and reach well-reasoned, impartial decisions
- able to interpret evidence from different sources and view things logically
- empathetically and sensitively
- able to communicate well, in writing and verbally with all people
- excellent writing skills, able to present complex information in a clear format
- resilient with a can-do attitude, some of our cases involve sensitive and upsetting situations
- able to work towards targets and meet deadlines
- organised and can balance conflicting priorities, often in a fast-paced or dynamic environment.
This is an exciting opportunity to help make a difference in society. The work we do is extremely important in righting individual wrongs, informing public policy and driving improvements in public services.
We offer the opportunity for progression. We have seen Caseworkers progress to Senior Caseworker positions, management positions, and positions in our internal quality and training teams. Some of our current Assistant Casework Directors joined us as Caseworkers.
Benefits
- Civil Service Pension scheme
- 32.5 days annual leave
- hybrid working – 40% office based
- access to a free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 advice and support from professionals and counsellors
- comprehensive learning and development programme
- employee discount scheme across hundreds of retailers
- bicycle loan scheme
- season ticket loan
- paid for professional memberships
We recognise the value of lived experience. If you have experience of complaining about any public body, we strongly encourage you to apply.
We know the value of having diverse, representative teams across our organisation. Which is why we particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented within the team. These include people who are:
- Asian, Black, Mixed Ethnicity or another ethnic background
- disabled
- LGBTQ.
Equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing are vital to the way we work and our culture. We want our colleagues feel included, valued, and supported at work. It is essential that we are representative and accessible for the people who work here and those who use our service.
Actions we take to embed this include:
- an anonymised shortlisting process to make sure it is fair and unbiased
- monitoring the demographic trends in our workforce and making measured, sustained efforts to improve our diversity at all levels
- providing wellbeing support and opportunities for personal and professional development for all colleagues
- creating spaces for connection and engagement through our employee network groups and social clubs
- part of the disability confident scheme
- providing reasonable adjustments
- engaging in regular inclusion learning to enhance the cultural competency of our organisation.
Key dates
Please note due to the training for the role, the start date is fixed and is 11 May 2026, you must be available for the following 3.5 weeks. We are unable to offer any flexibility on this date. Training is delivered as a mix of in office and virtual sessions and you will be required to be in the office for three days per week throughout this initial training period
However, if this date doesn’t work for you keep an eye out for upcoming recruitment. Due to growth, we are likely to be recruiting Caseworkers in the near future. Alternatively, you can register for job alerts on our careers page.
If you would like to learn more about the role and hear from our team directly, come along to one of our virtual open day sessions. Our colleagues will explain the role in depth and give you a chance to ask questions.
Sessions will be held via Microsoft Teams:
- Thursday 15 January 2026 at 12:00 pm
- Meeting ID: 314 008 246 385 22
- Passcode: AX6923bC
- Tuesday 20 January 2026 at 17:30 pm
- Meeting ID: 380 452 183 502 30
- Passcode: 9Fd2gz2A
- Thursday 22 January 2026 at 12:00 pm
- Meeting ID: 348 765 844 383 50
- Passcode: rP3JF7zN
Selection process
Application: you will be asked four questions as part of your application. You must use strong, clear examples, using the STAR method to answer questions. Question one will be used as an initial sift, if unsuccessful at this stage you will not be taken through to shortlist stage. Please do not use AI as this may result in in your application being rejected.
Assessment: if you are shortlisted for the role, you will be invited to complete a written assessment online. We will then invite candidates that pass the written assessment for interview in person.
Due to the high volume of applications, the need to carefully assess written assessments and the number of interviews we’ll be conducting, we anticipate a longer recruitment process.
Interview date: 09/03/2026 – 20/03/2026
If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact: Ruth Gray, Operations Manager at Ruth.Gray@ombudsman.org.uk
Interviews will be held onsite.
Please note that we do not offer feedback at application stage.
PLEASE NOTE: We can only consider applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK. We are unable to offer sponsorship as we do not have a licence.
We do not accept CV’s. To apply for the role, please complete the application form by clicking on the ‘apply now’ button.
No agencies. Applications from individuals only.
Important notice: fraudulent job postings
We have been made aware that some websites are falsely advertising job vacancies for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). We only advertise job vacancies through these official channels:
– our website
– GOV.uk
– Indeed
Do not share personal details with any other websites claiming to represent PHSO. Contact our recruitment team to report any concerns at recruitment@ombudsman.org.uk
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