About the job

Job summary

The Home Office is here to make the UK safer. It has a fundamental role in protecting the country from harm, ensuring the security and economic prosperity of the UK. Every member of the Home Office plays a part in making that happen. Our work is varied and rewarding, attracting people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

The Chief of Staff (CoS) is a critical post within the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) office. 

The IASC is a unique role which was established by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and is independent of government. The Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, works collaboratively with the government and its partners to ensure modern slavery is effectively tackled in the UK, as well as working with international partners to promote best practice.

This post is offered on a initial fixed term basis of 12 months with potential to extend subject to business needs to complete a finite piece of work. 

Job description

The CoS supports the IASC to carry out her role to: 

•    Encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and in the identification of victims;
•    Work alongside Government in its implementation of the reform of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to improve UK’s ability to identify and support victims of modern slavery;
•    Commission specific research, studies and inquiries to strengthen the evidence base on modern slavery to support the mobilisation of appropriate responses and the commissioning of interventions; and
•    Build positive relationships with the modern slavery leadership community, including the Devolved Administrations, business, academia, civil society, international partners and victims of modern slavery.

What you’ll do day-to-day 

The CoS reports to the IASC and has a particular leadership responsibility for: 

•    Establishing, managing and developing an effective, high-performing team to ensure the IASC office has the people, systems, and processes to help the IASC fulfil her role effectively. This will include robust commercial systems, accommodation, IT and information security and knowledge management. 
•    Business planning and financial management, ensuring robust value for money is achieved, and managing the IASC budget. This includes ensuring that the IASC remains within delegated authority limits and there are appropriate internal management and financial controls are in place, including effective measures against fraud and theft, and ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with. 
•    Acting as the main contact between the IASC office and the Home Office as Sponsor Department. Managing complex stakeholder relationships including the Devolved Administrations and wider sector.
•    Supporting the IASC to develop a robust strategic plan for submission to the Home Secretary, in line with the remit of the IASC role, and coordinate and manage the production and publication of the IASC’s annual report (in line with statutory obligations). 
•    Responsibility for delivery of the IASC strategic plan and projects across the office of the IASC.
•    Working with the IASC to develop and deliver policy initiatives in line with the IASC’s remit and strategic plan.  
•    Building an effective working relationship with the Home Office Sponsorship Unit and ensuring compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding, between the IASC and its sponsor department. 
•    Ensuring effective HR and personnel management processes are in place for the office, including security, IT, whistleblowing, disciplinary and performance procedures.
•    Regularly reviewing workforce planning to ensure the resources are most efficiently deployed to meet the needs of the IASC and focused on delivering the IASC remit.

Due to the nature of the work, this role is full time only with compressed hours available.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

•    A good understanding of modern slavery policy and experience/understanding of the sector as a whole. 
•    High level of political awareness and experience working in a complex political environment.
•    Excellent and proven relationship management skills across a wide range of stakeholders, with a track record of delivery and working with multiple challenging stakeholders to deliver outcomes. 
•    Strong organisational and delivery skills; maintaining a clear focus on maximising resource efficiency, continually questioning the value of activities against strategic priorities, whilst demonstrating transparency both in terms of decisions made around financial choices and money spent. 
•    Ability to shape the strategic direction and translate this into tangible and deliverable plans.
•    Strong policy making skills and experience of delivering policy into practice.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong literacy, numeracy and IT skills.

Desirable criteria

•    Experience of working with vulnerable individuals.
•    Project and programme management skills. 
•    Experience of working with Ministers. 

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 and Experience.

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 job history and skills
•    A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words) 
•    Provide evidence of the lead behaviour Delivering at Pace (250 words maximum) 

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

The statement of suitability 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.

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview.

The sift will be held on the behaviour and the statement of suitability. 

In the event a high volume of applications are received, an initial sift may be carried out on the lead behaviour Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift when the statement of suitability will also be marked.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will consist of behaviour-based questions on all the behaviours listed in the advert. You will also be requested to give a short presentation on a topic to be provided prior to the interview.  Details will be provided.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 4th March 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 25th March 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change. 

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

 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.

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 and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

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

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. 

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

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 counter-terrorist 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

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.