About the job

Job summary

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on the Immigration Enforcement careers page.

Job description

Immigration Enforcement (IE) tackles the criminality behind organised immigration crime. Our Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) teams play a fundamental role in tackling immigration crime, as part of a multi-layered UK law enforcement approach. Through working closely with partners in the National Crime Agency, territorial policing and many other agencies and departments, our CFI Teams take vigorous action against those criminals that seek to benefit from illegal migration.

Working with CFI teams is challenging and fast paced, requiring quick decision making in demanding situations. Our Criminal & Financial Investigators undertake a wide range of activities which are primarily focused on the investigation and prosecution of immigration crime but which also support the detection, apprehension, and removal of immigration offenders. Our people need to operate in sometimes difficult and pressurised environments and are required to make well balanced decisions. All staff are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism and teamwork with adherence to our vision statement: "Tackling immigration crime by empowering our people, inspiring confidence and protecting communities."

Where we uncover evidence of criminality linked to immigration abuse, we investigate these offences under the Immigration Act 1971, as amended by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, and related legislation such as the Identity Documents Act 2010. Such offences might include facilitation, human trafficking, and the use of false or fraudulently obtained documents.

In England and Wales, we use powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) in much the same way as the police do, while in Scotland and Northern Ireland we currently rely on the Immigration Acts.

You’ll manage a team of Immigration Officers focusing on serious and organised immigration crime investigations to achieve maximum disruption of organised crime group (OCG)’s operating in the UK and overseas. Using the latest techniques, you’ll disrupt and tackle high-threat criminal immigration focused activities, build cases, and bring criminals to justice. The primary aim of this team is to take forward investigations into the organised crime groups who are facilitating the illegal movement of migrants and other immigration crime.

Person specification

The successful candidate will join an established team, and undertake all duties relevant to the Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) grade including:

• Leading and supervising a team of investigators and investigations. Ensuring effective and proactive supervision from the outset to ensure effective investigation strategies are set and the most effective outcomes are identified and pursued. Ensuring investigations are conducted at pace and subject to regular review to maintain focus on delivering key milestones, such as arrest, charge and timely case management, making best use of pre-charge advice and other criminal justice outcomes.
• Acting as the lead investigator in the most serious and complex cases or otherwise acting as the senior investigating officer.
• Managing and monitoring of investigations to ensure progress towards disruption targets.
• Providing quality assurance of investigations.
• Assisting with operational activity and acting as Officer in Charge of enforcement activity.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with other law enforcement partners and stakeholders.
• Attending court when required to give evidence.
• Ensuring compliance with Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (CPIA) and Home Office policy, procedures and professional standards.
• Managing a team of Immigration Officer Criminal
• Mentoring newly qualified Immigration Officer Criminal Investigators to the appropriate standard.
• Acting as regional on-call CIO, taking, and assessing referrals from NCCU and other law enforcement agencies to ensure full out-of-hours CFI coverage.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo and pass a health assessment, which is usually repeated every three years (although this can sometimes be yearly for specific health reasons).

If not already trained successful candidates will also need to be arrest trained to PST level 3 and pass an annual PST refresher to enable them to undertake operational activity (this may be residential depending on location).

There will be a requirement to attend court to give evidence. All Criminal and Financial Investigation staff are required to disclose any adverse judicial decisions or internal disciplinary matters under CPIA. Applicants need to bear this in mind when considering their eligibility for this post.

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Recent experience of leading serious and complex crime investigations, including a comprehensive understanding (through practical application) of relevant legislation, and ability to lead a team of investigators of varying experience.
• A current/active Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) Level 2 or equivalent recognised qualification/accreditation in investigation crime issued by a Government body (see below)
• Experience of taking complex investigations to court, of working collaboratively with CPS and Counsel and have demonstrated fortitude in this pressurised environment.
• An all-round awareness of the specialist functions associated with complex crime investigation such as use of POCA, surveillance, exploitation of digital devices, operational planning, and public protection.
• A good understanding of immigration legislation and the ability to consider non-prosecution disruption methods.
• Experience of conducting arrests and working in frontline enforcement.
• Experience at interviewing suspects and witnesses, including knowledge of custody procedures/time limits and appropriate authorisations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across law enforcement and government; maximising the opportunity to work in partnership with others to enhance the reach and reputation of Immigration Enforcement.
• Excellent leadership skills and be focused on the development of others.

Applicants should note that it is a requirement of the post that arrest and criminal investigation accreditation is achieved and maintained.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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, Experience and Technical skills.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• a CV detailing career history, including all training and qualifications, including all required accreditations.
• statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
• Provide evidence of the lead behaviour - Leadership (maximum 250 words)
  

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note your personal statement should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.

For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement

For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Behaviours

Please note: An initial check prior to sift will be made on candidates holding PIP2 accreditation. Candidates who are confirmed as not being accredited will automatically have their application rejected.

The sift will be held on the lead behaviour - Leadership and the statement of suitability (personal statement). CV will not be scored. 

The statement of suitability (personal statement) will be scored first for all candidates. Those who achieve the minimum pass score for the Statement of Suitability (personal statement), will progress to a full sift where their lead behaviour – Leadership will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for these elements.

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability (personal statement) will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability (personal statement).

However, if a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) only.

If you are successful at sift stage, candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of Behaviour based question and Strength-based questions. 

Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here

In addition, you will also undertake a 5-10 minute presentation which will be aligned to the Technical Skills linked to the to the Professional Investigations Programme at Level 2 Competency framework and policy. The scenario question will be circulated 5 days prior to interview date. 

Problems during the application process

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application (e.g. you have ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we may not be able to reopen your application.

Please note, we cannot make amendments to any part of the application.

Please use the following in the subject line in your email if you need to get in contact with us about your initial application “Please re-open my application – Vacancy Ref: 347228 CLOSING DATE: 18th April 2024. 

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details with reasonable adjustments section.

Tie break decisions

The strengths and/or behaviours being assessed will be ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores. Please note that the order in which behaviours are listed in the advert does not necessarily reflect the order of importance.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 29th April 2024.  

Interviews are expected to take place from 27th May 2024 onwards.

Interviews will be face to face at the following locations, Belfast, Cardiff, Croydon, Dover, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. Further details will be provided ahead of interview.

Please note: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Further information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Selecting your locations

Please note only list locations where you are prepared to work and can travel to (as you could be offered any of your noted preferences).

When completing your application, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred location(s). Please ensure you select all locations you are interested in on the understanding that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role. Please note, only advertised locations can be offered.

Reserve List

Where a campaign identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list may be held for up to 12 months.

Reserve lists will be managed by locational merit lists, appointing in merit order per location. You may be offered a post at any of your preferred locations.

Whilst on a reserve list we may offer you an alternative similar role in the Home Office. Should you reject an alternative role, you will remain on the reserve list for the role you applied for. If you accept an alternative role, you will be withdrawn from the reserve list.

Please note there are no guarantees that further vacancies will arise in the locations you originally applied for before your time on the reserve list expires.

Candidates Please Note: Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or contingent worker you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e.: outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.

Are these Reserved Posts for UK Nationals only?

UK nationals who hold dual nationality are able to apply for this reserved post. If a UK passport is not being presented, then candidates will need to provide alternative evidence of UK nationality in line with the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK. As stated in the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

Annual Hours Working Allowance

We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance of approx. 32%, depending on location. This is to compensate for working shift patterns including night shifts, early morning starts, late night finishes, weekends, and public holidays.  Shifts can vary in length and can be up to 12 hours. Shifts can be changed or extended according to business need. The rate payable is dependent on location and role and is indicative of the shift pattern you will be required to work.

The higher the AHA, the more flexible you will be required to be. Please note that the allowance is subject to regular review and can go down as well as up 

Age: These are shift working roles and so you must be at least 18 years or over to apply for this role. You will be required to work between 22.00 and 06.00, so this is a legal requirement. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/night-working-hours and Child employment: Restrictions on child employment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Part-time work

We encourage applications from candidates who wish to work part-time however, unless specified in the advert, part-time opportunities cannot be guaranteed in frontline roles due to the 24/7 operational nature of the business. Those wishing to work part-time should notify the vacancy holder as soon as a provisional offer of employment is made to explore whether this can be accommodated [at your selected location]. Please note that full shifts (of up to 12 hours) will be required even if a part time contract is sought.

Please note that not all work patterns can be supported within this role, successful candidates should discuss work patterns with the vacancy holder ahead of accepting any offer.

Appearance

As part of this role you will be required to wear a uniform (which will be provided). Staff must ensure that their uniform is worn correctly, in line with these uniform standards, is kept clean and is well presented. To support this requirement, adequate uniform supplies will be available and issued. Uniformed staff represent their organisation at all times and should ensure that their dress and personal appearance reflects this responsibility. 

Training and Development

Candidates new to this role within Criminal & Financial Investigations will complete a 2 week induction course where you will look at the history of Immigration, the Home Office Core values, the work of Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and UK Visas and Immigration.  You will also start to learn the core skills on being an Investigator and the law and powers you operate under. You will then undertake a 2 week Public and Personal Safety Training course, learning the skills to arrest, search and how to use conflict resolution, defence and restraint techniques. 

Public and Personal Safety Training [PPST] – Level 3

These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training [PPST] which develops skills in personal safety, arrest, and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PPST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer will be conditional upon you being physically fit to undertake and pass the training.

You must be prepared to undertake regular refreshers of this.

Flexible Working Arrangement is not an option

This role is not suitable for a combination of office and home-based working due to the requirements of the role. Successful candidates will be required to attend the office/other work location as specified in the advert at all times, to carry out this role.

Travel expectation

The post requires a commitment to working flexibly, including weekend working, on-call, shift working and will involve some travel throughout the UK as well as working away from home, including overnight stays where necessary.

Contact Details

Please use the following in the subject line in your email if you need to get in contact with us: Vacancy Ref: 347228.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Additional Security Checks: As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine their suitability to work for the organisation.

Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks.

Please see the Border Force Privacy Information Notice (PIN) on Border Force privacy information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information on how your details may be shared.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• 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. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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.