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

Do you meet the key eligibility criteria?

In order to be eligible, you MUST meet ALL the following criteria.

• I am at least 18 years old at the time of application.
• I am a UK National.
• I hold a full manual UK Driving Licence.
• I will need to undertake and pass a medical assessment if successful.
• I am aware that this role is physically demanding, and that I have a high level of mobility and fitness to carry out this role.
• I can undertake shift work.
• I will be able to provide all the ID documents required to complete my pre-employment screening and security clearance.

Reporting and Offender Management (ROM) teams are an integral part of Immigration Enforcement. Those who are required to report are predominantly immigration offenders, asylum seekers and high harm individuals. ROM teams monitor reporting regimes, identify those suitable for an enforced removal, detain those liable for removal, obtain intelligence and promote voluntary returns.

Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) and Reporting Offender Management (ROM) teams are part of the Home Office’s strategic aim to reduce the number of illegal migrants present in the UK and to work with partners, employers and the public to increase compliance with Immigration and employment rules.

Working for Immigration Enforcement is rewarding, challenging and fast-paced, requiring quick decision making in demanding situations, whilst maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. 

The West Midlands Reporting Centre is the busiest reporting centre outside London with over 3500 customers. The Reporting Centre is open Monday to Friday and is a fast-moving, reactive environment, requiring strong organisational and quick, well-judged, decision making.

This is a new, exciting yet challenging role that has been developed to respond to the future demands and operational requirements of a modern Immigration Reporting Centre under the provisions of the recently enacted Illegal Migration Act. 

Key activities include:

• Responsible manager for all operational arrest activity within the Solihull ROM and Single Point of Contact for all MEDP (Migration and Economic Development Partnership) and associated Illegal Migration Act activity for the West Midlands business area.

• Acting as both a strategic and tactical link between the ICE and ROM managers to ensure an effective level of resource is deployed of appropriately trained staff to detain customers off reporting events in accordance with pre prepared risk assessments as well as daily liaison and knowledge sharing with ICE colleagues on operational demands, resources and conflicting priorities.

• Managing a team of officers responsible for conducting Detentions Off Reporting and dynamically arranging for residential visits to arrest and detain those that Fail To Report as required in accordance with operational policy, guidance and best practice.
 
• Working alongside ROM manager colleagues on the Detention Off Reporting (DOR) workstream by identifying detainable and removable cases reporting to the Solihull ROM and presenting cases at the West Midlands ICE and ROM weekly tasking meeting.  Provision and education and training to wider ROM staff on operational requirements and practice in relation to DOR activity.
  
• Member of the West Midlands ICE and ROM business area management team delivering upon business goals and objectives and driving up performance across the wider business.
 
• Regular reviews of the ROM National performance reports to ensure that the Solihull ROM performs highest nationally across all relevant metrics.

• Line management of a team of Immigration Officers (IO’s)/Executive Officers (EO’s) and countersigning officer for a team of Administrative Officers (AO’)s.

• Ad hoc management support to the West Midlands ICE operation such as Office Manager, Critical Incident commander, support to middle and upper tier operations. Role to include rostered weekends as duty ICE manager. 

• Ensuring local Risk Assessment are up to date and relevant to the changing operational environment.

• Liaising with key internal stakeholders to represent the interests of the Solihull Reporting and Offender Management team, including ICE, Asylum, Removals Preparation, Foreign National Offender (FNO) Removal Command, National Removals Command and all other relevant business areas.

• Regular liaison with ROM national team colleagues on current and future ROM processes, technologies and capabilities.

Person specification

Championing the Solihull ROM as a great place to work placing staff wellbeing, workplace positivity and cohesion at the forefront of the day-to-day operation maximising Reward and Recognition programmes and initiatives as appropriate.

Person Specification:

Due to Border Security threats being unpredictable it is essential that the successful applicant in the role of an Operational Chief Immigration Officer must have:

• Committed, flexible and resilient.

• Enthusiasm and high self-motivation are key to this role as shifts can be likely to be long and demanding. Relevant training and equipment will be provided.

• Excellent ability to communicate to a wide range of people verbally and in writing, including stakeholders, customers, senior leaders and staff within own teams.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to lead and influence senior leaders, as well as all internal/ external colleagues.

• Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively with other teams to ensure delivery of the required outcome.

• Either hold the Immigration Enforcement PPST Level 3 qualification or be willing to undertake the necessary ICE pathway and arrest training courses to obtain this.

ICE Pathway Programme 

When you join us as a Chief Immigration Officer, you do not need to have any previous experience or prior knowledge about the role, as you will be given full and thorough training to enable you to be competent in the job. Not long after starting with us, you will commence training on the ICE Pathway Programme. The ICE Pathway Programme is the mandatory training all newly recruited ICE/ROM officers receive upon joining the HOME Office. The full programme has been designed to be progressive in its approach to delivery.

Delegates start with the ICE Pathway which is delivered over 8 weeks including two weeks of Initial Arrest Training. Upon successful completion, delegates will return to their team to commence the mentoring phase of the programme.

The ICE Pathway initial 5 weeks is classroom-based learning with a mixture of theory and practical exercises combined. The material taught covers topics such as History of Immigration, Pre and on entry functions, why people come to the U.K, Forgery skills including an assessment which is pass or fail. Illegal Entry, breach of conditions, EEA in country, Powers which govern the work we do (Schedule 2 and part 3), warrants, in country examination, visits & operational briefings, Baseline Vulnerability, Digital Pocket Notebooks, Statement writing, Community Engagement, file creation, Illegal working, Interview skills. During your entire programme from day 1 to the end of your 5 weeks you will be under observation, and assessment. All delegates will be formatively assessed throughout the entire programme, using online knowledge checks, group exercises and scenario based practical exercises.

Please note candidates will be expected to be available between 5-8 weeks (Mon-Fri - possibly weekends) for a classroom-based course on selected courses when a start date is agreed. This may involve travel to a specific training location, cost of travel and accommodation will be met by the business.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of working in a changing, fast-paced environment, with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively under pressure, to meet multiple, challenging deadlines and deliver on a range of key outcomes.

• Ability to dynamically manage and allocate limited resources to a demanding and often pressurised frontline customer service environment.

• Ability to provide inspirational, inclusive, and engaging leadership in a fast-paced environment. Valuing diverse views, eliminating discrimination, harassment and bullying and actively promoting health and well-being.

• Excellent ability to communicate to a wide range of people verbally and in writing, including stakeholders, customers, senior leaders and staff within own teams.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to lead and influence senior leaders, as well as internal/external colleagues.

• Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively with other teams to ensure delivery of the required outcome.

Desirable Criteria:

• Immigration Enforcement PST level 3 arrest and Pathway training, and be in ticket, or ticket must not have expired more than 2 years ago.
• Operational experience of working within a Reporting Centre/ICE team Environment. 
• Silver Commander Critical Incident certificate.

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 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 Skills and Experience  
•    A statement of suitability (personal statement) (750 words maximum) 
•    Provide evidence of the behaviour, ‘Managing a Quality Service’ (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.

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 

The sift will be held on the behaviour Managing a quality service and the statement of suitability (personal statement). CV will not be scored.

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

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a full sift where the lead behaviour will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions and behaviour-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 

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 348188 CLOSING DATE 22nd April 2024’

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

Tie break decisions

The strengths and 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 from week commencing 22nd April 2024 onwards. 
Interviews are expected to take place from week commencing13th May 2024 onwards.
 
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.

Interviews will be carried out face to face in Solihull, Sandford House. 

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

Reserve List

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

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 location 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.

Annual Hours Working Allowance

We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance of up to 17%. 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)

Please note this role is only available with full-time hours.

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

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 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.

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 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.