In this guide
Resumes and cover letters
How to write a supporting statement for a person specification
Answer each person-specification criterion in turn, with a criteria map, an example answer and notes on Civil Service Success Profiles.
What a supporting statement is for
Many UK public-sector, education and charity employers shortlist by checking applications against a person specification: a list of essential and desirable criteria. The supporting statement, sometimes called supporting information or a personal statement, is where you show evidence for each one. A statement that reads well but misses a criterion can be marked down, because the shortlister is working through the list.
Map the criteria before you write
| Criterion | Essential or desirable | My evidence | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience of managing a caseload | Essential | Held 60 tenancy cases at Riverside Housing | Paragraph 1 |
| Knowledge of housing legislation | Essential | Applied tenancy and homelessness procedures; completed internal legal training | Paragraph 2 |
| Clear written communication | Essential | Wrote case notes audited quarterly; drafted tenant letters | Paragraph 3 |
| Experience of multi-agency work | Desirable | Monthly meetings with social care and police | Paragraph 4 |
If a criterion has no evidence in your column, decide whether to address it with the closest honest example or accept the gap. Never invent experience to fill it.
Structure: one heading per criterion
Unless the instructions say otherwise, use the criteria as headings, in the same order as the person specification. It makes your evidence easy to find and shows you have read the specification carefully. Where criteria overlap, one example can serve two headings, but say so rather than repeating it in full.
Writing an answer to one criterion
Illustrative example
Criterion: experience of managing a caseload
- As a Tenancy Support Officer at Riverside Housing I manage around 60 cases at a time, ranging from rent arrears to complex support needs. I prioritise weekly by risk, using a simple red, amber and green system I introduced for the team, and record every contact in the case system the same day. When three urgent cases arrived during a colleague's absence last winter, I re-planned my visits so that all were seen within 48 hours without missing scheduled reviews.
Situation, what the applicant did and the result, in one paragraph that answers exactly one criterion.
Civil Service applications and Success Profiles
The Civil Service recruits using Success Profiles, which have five elements: behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical. Not every element is used for every role. The advert tells you which behaviours or other elements will be assessed, often with word limits for each behaviour statement, and the expected behaviours vary by grade.
Write each behaviour example as a short story of what you did, focused on your own actions, and match the level to the grade of the role. The official guidance describes each behaviour at each grade.
Word limits, forms and final checks
Before you submit the statement
- Every essential criterion has its own evidence.
- I have followed the order and any headings the instructions ask for.
- I am within the word or character limit; I drafted it outside the form and saved a copy.
- Each example says what I did, not what the team did.
- Nothing contradicts my employment history elsewhere in the form.
Common questions
Is a supporting statement the same as a cover letter?
No. A cover letter makes a general case for the role; a supporting statement answers each criterion in a person specification, and is usually assessed against them.
Should I address the desirable criteria?
Yes, where you have genuine evidence, after the essential criteria. Meeting desirable criteria can distinguish your application when many candidates meet the essentials.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Success Profiles, the Civil Service recruitment frameworkCabinet Office (GOV.UK) · UK · checked 3 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Success Profiles: Civil Service behavioursCabinet Office (GOV.UK) · UK · checked 3 October 2026
- Civil Service CareersCivil Service (UK Government) · UK · checked 3 October 2026
Put it into practice
Tailor a resume in Resume StudioDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.