About the job

Job summary

Why an Apprenticeship with The Planning Inspectorate?

As an apprentice in The Planning Inspectorate, you will work within one of our casework teams dealing with appeals, examinations or applications. You’ll have 3 different 6-month placements across your apprenticeship working in a different team, learning different ways of working whilst building on the core skills of the apprenticeship.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please see the information pack attached. You can also view our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Job description

Is a Business Administrator Apprenticeship right for you?

Are your strengths organisation and attention to detail?

Do you have a pro-active and motivated attitude?

Are you keen to achieve results?

Do you have effective communication skills?

Are you a team player?

Would you like to learn new skills and have new experiences?

Are you interested in working in an administrative role and learning more about the Civil Service and the wider public sector?

An apprenticeship is an exciting opportunity to 'earn whilst you learn’ by combining theoretical learning with practical ‘on-the-job’ experience. It allows you to work towards a nationally recognised qualification, whilst building skills in your daily role and earning a salary. An apprenticeship also allows you to secure a qualification with no tuition / student fees as the programme is fully funded.

You’ll be preparing electronic and paper files to agreed deadlines and making effective decisions considering the Inspectorates policies and procedures. Your attention to detail will be used when reviewing and producing documents, and in ensuring files, databases and websites are up to date and correct. Communication skills are vital, as you’ll be talking to customers and colleagues via a variety of media. Being a team player is key as you will collaborate with colleagues across the organisation, identifying better ways of working.

The successful candidates will be supported to undertake a Level 3 Apprenticeship as a Business Administrator. During the apprenticeship you will gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours to work successfully in an administrative role either in the Civil Service, wider public or private sectors.

For full information on the role and assessment process please refer to the candidate pack attached.

Office Attendance

All of our office-based roles are contractually located at Temple Quay House in Bristol. We encourage office attendance to foster collaboration, conversation, group creativity and employee wellbeing. As an Apprentice, you must be able to attend our current office location at Engine Shed (near Temple Meads Railway Station) on a weekly basis. If you would like to discuss our Office Attendance in more detail, please contact us at PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk  

Person specification

Eligibility Criteria

You must:

• Be gaining substantive new skills and learning from the apprenticeship
• Be at least 16-years old
• Have left full-time education when the apprenticeship starts
• Not be in receipt of funding for other learning programmes (including another apprenticeship)
• Not have already obtained a Level 3 Business Administrator Qualification or similar
• Not have a degree or any other qualification at Level 5 and above or have a Level 4 qualification in the same or a very similar subject to Business Administration

Essential Criteria

• Commitment and enthusiasm to undertake a Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship
• Experience of working within a team
• Confident in customer service skills
• Ability to problem solve with a good eye for detail
• Ability to prioritise and manage your own time
• IT literate and confident in using Microsoft Office especially outlook, word and excel
• Good standard of communication skills (written and oral)
• Proactive and positive approach

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £20,172, Planning Inspectorate contributes £5,366 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application 

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

•  A CV: The CV section is an opportunity for you to tell us what skills, experience and knowledge you have that are relevant to the role.  The Essential Criteria lists what we are looking for.  Your CV should include job history, (detailing a brief description of your role, responsibilities and duties) and/or detail any other roles and responsibilities which help demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria, such as sports teams, volunteering activities etc. You should also include in your CV how your experience and skills match the behaviours listed in the person specification page of the candidate pack. 
• You must type, or ‘copy and paste’ into the text box called ‘Employment History’ within the online application. You cannot attach a copy of your CV.

• A Personal Statement (1000 words Max) The personal statement allows you to provide examples of your experience linking them with the behaviours listed in the person specification page and the essential criteria. You can use examples from your work life, personal life, school or volunteering projects you may have been involved in. Please link these to the behaviours and essential criteria listed in the person specification page in the Candidate Pack.

• Application questions: You will also be asked three questions during the application process, one about your willingness and ability to attend our Bristol Office regularly, one to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and one about where you saw our advert (these questions will not be scored).

We will assess your application on the evidence you have provided against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements detailed in the Person Specification in the candidate pack. 

In the event of a large number of applications, a lead sift may take place.  The following point will be used as the lead criteria when shortlisting if this happens, and if you do not meet the minimum standard the rest of your application will not be assessed.  Please ensure you demonstrate this in your Personal statement.

•  Commitment and enthusiasm to undertake a Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Interview 

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour and strength questions

Candidates who are successful at shortlist stage will be sent full assessment requirements with their interview invitations.

Other Information 

Shortlist Date: 15th – 27th February 2024  

Interview Date: w/c 11th March 2024  

Interviews are currently being completed remotely using Microsoft Teams. We would like to reassure candidates that the virtual interview will not be recorded (or retained) within the Planning Inspectorate, other than usual interview protocol and in line with the Civil Service jobs Privacy notice.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

The Planning Inspectorate is committed to finding the right person for the job. We recruit using Success Profiles and consider the criteria you will need to demonstrate to be successful for the role, by doing this we are pushing up performance, diversifying our workforce and creating an inclusive culture.

ID and Documents

If specific qualifications/memberships are essential for the role and you are successful, you will be asked to provide accurate scanned or photographed images of the qualifications/memberships that you listed on your application prior to your start date.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs.  If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

To be considered for an interview under the scheme you must:

• have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010
• provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description
• meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential

While we will endeavour to provide you with all the appropriate information, you are the expert on your specific requirements so if you require any adjustments, you should consider the information provided about the assessment process in the candidate pack and then:

• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. The earlier and more clearly you tell us what you need and why you need it, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate you in a timely fashion.

 Existing Civil Servants should ensure that they have an in-principle agreement for a loan prior to applying.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.