About the job

Job summary

Background

Forestry England is the body responsible for managing the Nation’s Forests, the largest single landholding in the country, comprising over 1500 separate sites including a wide range of forested and open land, housing, commercial property and various recreation/leisure businesses receiving over 200 million visits a year.

It is an exciting time to join Corporate Affairs Division (CAD).  We have a leading role to play in growing and developing Forestry England as it continues to evolve as an organisation and as part of the Forestry Commission. The functions led and delivered by CAD  are vital to ensuring Forestry England’s operations are viewed as trusted, robust, transparent and compliant.  The corporate functions within the team includes the CEO office, strategy, natural capital, policy, governance, risk, compliance, performance, insight and knowledge information.

Knowledge and information management provides a key expertise recognising the critical role information plays in Forestry England and across the whole Forestry Commission.  The function has a dual focus and leads on cross-Forestry Commission information strategy and policy as well as having operational responsibility in Forestry England for implementing information management, information rights and information security.

Purpose of the Job

Information is recognised as a vital asset to Forestry England and being able to meet its mission to look after the nation’s forests.  Managing our information effectively so accurate, valued information can be identified and found quickly means we will be more successful as an organisation in meeting these aims. The KIM function has responsibility for the strategy and practices of records management, data protection and information rights work across Forestry England - managing Forestry England’s own operational risk whilst also working collaboratively with the wider Forestry Commission family or organisations.

We are looking for an experienced and self-motivated information and records professional to join our Knowledge and Information management function. The role provides an exciting opportunity for the post holder to use their information and records management expertise and knowledge to build on the established KIM function. This is a wide agenda that will change over time as Forestry England’s information management strategy and culture embeds and matures.

The post holder will have operational responsibility for information management and records management practices across Forestry England and will help the organisation to meet its obligations under information rights laws and records management obligations.

Job description

Key work areas

1. Advocate and deliver a comprehensive and best practice approach to information rights and records management compliance including FOI, EIR and data protection legislation to help ensure Forestry England complies with all legal requirements in relation to information governance and processing of personal data.
2. Develop excellent records management and data quality practices for Forestry England and support the development, implementation and embedding of the Forestry England Information Management Strategy.
3. Deliver the management of and responses to Freedom of the Information, Environmental Information Regulation and Subject Access requests. Identifying the location of information requested under information rights legislation and forming recommendations about any exemptions that may apply.
4. Deliver compliance with the Public Records Act through providing advice and guidance on appraisal and selection of records. Acting as the main point of contact for transfers to the National Archives for Forestry Commission and Forestry England.
5. Leading transformation on paper management as part of the digital first approach we wish to adopt.
6. Developing, promoting and providing advice and guidance on the adoption and use of retention schedules.
7. Ensuring retention is consistently applied across information systems, especially M365 applications and paper holdings.
8. Developing, promoting and managing the disposition process, taking a risk based approach to documenting decisions on what to keep, destroy or transfer.
9. Assisting on the development of information governance policies and processes.
10. Assist in identifying, reporting and investigating data security breaches. Escalate notifications of data breaches and gather and disseminate supporting information.
    
11. Assist with the provision of a customer focused information governance and records management service, including developing guidance and providing advice as needed.
12. Assist with the development and delivery of information governance and records management training.
13. Identify and escalate areas of high information risk.
14. Contributing to the advice and guidance for compliant and forward looking approach to information management in furthering the organisations strategic and operational aims and ambitions.
15. Stay informed of developments in data protection and information rights legislation.

Person specification

Experience and Professional/Technical Expertise

Essential

Excellent working knowledge of records management legislation, best practice and public sector regulations and experience of applying this in the workplace.

Good working knowledge of information rights legislation including the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations, General Data Protection Regulation and other relevant information management laws.

Practitioner certificate in FOI management or willingness to obtain it within 3 months of starting the role.

Able to work on own initiative, with ability to reprioritise, keep track of multiple activities and meet deadlines in a rapidly changing work environment.

Able to give clear written and verbal explanations to staff at all levels, members of the public and external agencies.

Able to handle situations with tact and diplomacy having regard for the sensitive and confidential nature of the some of the data that may be handled.

Flexible work attitude and positive approach towards change.

Desirable

Excellent working knowledge and experienced in the use of SharePoint and the organisation and management of electronic information within SharePoint.

Project management experience. Experience of supporting the delivery of programmes of work in an environment of organisational transition and change.

Ability to support the delivery of effective and relevant training to groups of staff.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,863, Forestry Commission contributes £8,063 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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following: 

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A personal statement – in no more than 750 words please provide details of how you meet the Essential relevant experience and criteria as set out in the person specification. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement.  Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview Stage 
 
For candidates successful for interview, we will be assessing you on Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours.

We will be conducting interviews in person at our Bristol office and there will be a presentation at interview stage.

Sift w/c 15 April

Interview w/c 06 May

The above dates are subject to change

Further Information 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 9 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Any move to Forestry Commission 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 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

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

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 fcerecruitment.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.

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 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.