## 2019–20 Business Plan And Cps 2020 Delivering Justice Our Values

Our strategic priorities reflect our commitment to being a flexible, trusted prosecution service. That commitment is underpinned by our existing values:

•	 Treat everyone with 
respect
•	 Be independent and fair •	 Be honest and open •	 Behave professionally 
and strive for excellence

## We Support The Success Of Our People

We will attract and retain the best people and be recognised for our investment in staff, training and skills.

How will we achieve this:

•	 Reflect the community we serve by further developing our inclusive 
culture and diverse workforce 
•	 Ensure we are resourced appropriately across all functions and 
geographical locations by attracting, recruiting and retaining people with the skills and capability to deliver high quality services 
•	 Foster a culture of learning that offers all employees the learning 
opportunities and personal support required for their career development.

Measured by:
Increase the employee engagement index from the 2018 Civil Service People Survey to more than 61% Meet the Civil Service ambition for apprenticeships of 2.3% Maintain level of spending on the development of our people at more than 0.42% of overall expenditure Ensure number of staff declared disabled at least meets the Civil Service average of 10% Ensure number of staff declared black, Asian or minority ethnic is representative of the communities we serve at more than 16.7% Ensure number of staff declared lesbian, gay or bisexual increases from current 6% rate Ensure number of prosecutors in post is within 5% of budgeted levels

## Everyone In The Cps Contributes To High Quality Casework We Will Deliver Justice Through Excellent, Timely Legal Decision Making, Casework Preparation And Presentation.

How will we achieve this:

•	 Ensure the criminal justice system is fair to all parties by 
implementing the second phase of the joint police and CPS national disclosure improvement plan 
•	 Work in close partnership with the police to improve the 
effectiveness and efficiency of prosecutions by improving file quality 
•	 Improve the quality of our casework and decision making through a 
comprehensive training programme for prosecutors
•	 Work collaboratively with criminal justice system partners to jointly 
improve case progression.

Measured by:
Increase compliance with Crown Court directions to more than 93%
Maintain proportion of recorded 
sentence uplifts in finalised hate 
crime convictions above 70% Reduce magistrates' court cases dropped at third or subsequent hearing to less than 20% Maintain Crown Court guilty pleas at first hearing above 40% Contribute to the recovery of more than £80m proceeds of crime

## We Will **Continuously Improve** The Way We Work

We will continue to digitise and modernise the way we work, supporting a flexible workforce and delivering swifter justice, fewer hearings and more effective trials.

How will we achieve this:

•	 Ensure digital receipt of files for pre-charge decisions and enhanced 
efficiency through an improved charging model jointly with the police 
•	 Continue to work closely with other criminal justice system agencies 
to explore and pilot how technology can improve the way we deliver our disclosure obligations 
•	 Contribute to modernisation of the criminal justice system by 
collaborating with partners on the design and introduction of reforms to court systems and processes 
•	 Streamline case preparation through the improved sharing of digital 
case information and by continuing to drive the fast, safe digital transfer of multi-media evidence
•	 Build on the successful ICT modernisation programme by continuing 
to improve and future-proof our technology.

Sustain availability of more than 99.5% of core business IT infrastructure
Increase percentage of investigative agencies sending multimedia evidence via shared systems to more than 65%
Improve timeliness of charging decisions to an average of less than 26 days

## The **Public Has Confidence** That The Cps Is Fair, Effective And Independent

Our decisions will be open and transparent, and the public will trust that we are fair and deliver justice.

How will we achieve this:

•	 Build trust and public understanding of our role across all 
communities and continue to develop creative ways to explain our work locally and nationally 
•	 Meet the obligations of the Victims' Code by engaging appropriately 
with victims and witnesses
•	 Improve capability through sharing good practice and reacting 
quickly to disseminate the details of what has been learned 

Improve victims' letters towards 100% meeting quality standards

•	 Contribute to Government priorities such as tackling violent crime, 
modern slavery and domestic abuse and the EU Exit through effective collaborations with partner agencies

Ensure timeliness of communications with victims towards the Victims' Code standard of 100%

•	 Build trust and understanding of our work among partners through 
strategic stakeholder and parliamentary engagement.

Improve public confidence score, measured by independent research, to above 62%

## Cps 2020 Delivering Justice

Our duty is to prosecute the right people for the right offences. The CPS works with our partners at the heart of the criminal justice system to protect the public and create a safe society. We will be independent and fair and will deliver justice in every case, acting professionally and striving for excellence. We will treat people with respect and will be honest and open about our work. 

## Public Confidence Delivering Justice By Ensuring Public Confidence That We Are Fair, Effective And Independent

Our decisions will be open and transparent, and the public will trust that we are fair and deliver justice. We will: 

•	 Positively influence the criminal justice landscape 
and deliver justice with our partners. 
•	 Provide a professional service to everyone we 
work with. 
•	 Treat victims and witnesses with respect and 
care, and respond to their individual needs.  
•	 Be open, listen, explain our decisions and learn 
from our successes and our mistakes. 
•	 Anticipate and adapt to new and emerging 
criminal trends.  
•	 Work with and learn from communities to build 
confidence in the criminal justice system.  
•	 Create engaging campaigns that explain our 
work.  
•	 Develop effective policies and guidance that 
reflect changes in society. 
•	 Deal promptly and thoroughly with enquiries and 
complaints.

## Delivering Justice By Supporting The Success Of Our People

We will attract the best people and be recognised for our investment in staff, training and skills. We will:

•	 Behave according to our values, creating a 
culture of respect where it's safe to speak up. 
•	 Nurture and grow our talent, offering everyone a 
clear path for career development.  
•	 Empower leaders to foster a culture of learning 
where everyone takes responsibility for their own development, and progression is based on merit. 
•	 Broaden our expertise by supporting career 
moves in and out of the CPS, and between teams. 
•	 Equip our people with the skills to excel in a 
changing environment. 
•	 Support social mobility, and invest in 
apprenticeships, scholarships, legal and professional training.  
•	 Set high expectations for individual performance, 
and be clear how this is managed. 
•	 Develop a diverse workforce that reflects the 
society we serve.

## Success Of Our People High Quality Casework Delivering Justice With Everyone Contributing To High Quality Casework We Will Deliver Justice Through Excellent, Timely Legal Decision-Making, Casework Preparation And Presentation. We Will:

•	 Give early advice to investigators so that the 
right cases progress, or are quickly stopped. 
•	 Take the right decisions, treating every case fairly 
and equally, and bringing the correct charges according to the evidence and the Code for Crown Prosecutors. 
•	 Deliver swifter justice through timely case 
preparation, encouraging appropriate early guilty pleas. 
•	 Build and progress strong cases. •	 Provide first class advocacy in every case. •	 Build effective partnerships, nationally and 
internationally, to ensure excellence across the criminal justice system and to prevent harm to the UK.

## Delivering Justice By Continuously Improving How We Work

We will continue to digitise and modernise the way we work, supporting a flexible workforce and delivering swifter justice, fewer hearings and more effective trials. We will: 

•	 Look forward, identifying opportunities to reform 
and improve. 
•	 Work flexibly across geographic boundaries to 
drive up quality across the CPS. 
•	 Rapidly redeploy resources to respond to 
changing crime patterns.  
•	 Co-create a shared, digital system that works for 
all partners in the criminal justice system. 
•	 Design new ways of working informed by the 
expertise of our frontline staff.  
•	 Invest in our IT, giving people the tools they 
need to do their best, wherever they work. 
•	 Adapt business processes that support efficiency 
and cut bureaucracy.

## Continuously Improving About The Crown Prosecution Service

The CPS is responsible for prosecuting most cases heard in the criminal courts in England and Wales. It is led by the Director of Public Prosecutions and acts independently on criminal cases investigated by the police and other agencies. The CPS is responsible for deciding the appropriate charge in more serious or complex cases and provides information, assistance and support to victims and witnesses.