About the job

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, nationality, and immigration policy.

The Illegal Migration Operations Command (IMOC) is prioritising the operationalisation of the new Illegal Migration Act (IMA). This is a top priority, which is being led through twice weekly PM committee and will fundamentally alter the way in which the Government tackles illegal migration.

The Illegal Migration Act has been introduced in response to the Prime Minister’s commitment to respond to the pressure of small boat arrivals. One of its aims is to introduce a duty to remove anyone arriving illegally in the UK.

The newly formed Illegal Migration Operations Command looks to implement the Illegal Migration Act through processing and screening irregular migrants that fall under the new duties, as well as the creation of a new case working directorate.

The Illegal Migration Intake Unit (IMIU) is responsible for the registration and screening of those arriving in the UK illegally.

The Illegal Migration Intake Unit consists of the Kent Intake Unit (KIU); Midlands Intake Unit (MIU) within Yarl’s Wood IRC; Belfast Intake Unit, Manston Reception Centre, the Remote Operations Hub, the Intake Response Team which is a national function providing critical support to all of IMIU, and the People and Planning Function providing corporate enablement to the operation. The unit is made up of over 700 officers.

Job description

The Belfast Intake Unit is responsible primarily for the registration and screening of those who have already entered the country.
During each appointment the team conduct identity checks and registration with the claimant present in a non-detained environment. They also provide a walk-in service for those who are destitute ensuring accommodation and support is provided to vulnerable claimants. 

Is the role of a Belfast Intake Unit Immigration Officer the right one for you?

There are key personal attributes that we are looking for in our Immigration Officers. If you answer yes to the below questions, then this role could be perfect for you:

• Are you a natural team player? You will need to work well as part of a team and strive to ensure the team pulls together and is effective

• Are you adaptable? You will need to adapt to variations in work and be flexible in your approach across different workstreams

• Can you process information and work at pace? Do you enjoy a fast-paced environment whilst maintaining high-quality work?

• Are you a strong communicator? You will regularly come in to contact with a range of people. You will need to communicate clearly, adapting your style to the audience, treating others with respect, compassion and valuing inclusion and diversity

• Can you remain empathetic and professional whilst dealing with potentially traumatised individuals on a daily basis?

• Are you a confident decision-maker? You will need to gather and review a variety of evidence alongside policy and guidance to ensure you make the right decision, every time

• Are you IT literate and able to multi-task? You will be undertaking a range of time sensitive tasks daily. You will need to prioritise and importantly accurately record all tasks, actions and decisions on Home Office systems

The work you will undertake is fast-paced and challenging - yet varied and rewarding. In order to achieve your best, you will be supported, coached and mentored by an experienced team and given full training enabling you to be confident in your role.

The majority of screening interviews are conducted ‘in-person’ so there will be limited opportunity to work from home. You should therefore be available to attend the office in person for every shift.

Training and Development:

You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the ‘classroom’ (a mixture of in-person and remotely) and then continues ‘on the job’ with a mentoring team who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone: you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

Personal Safety Training (PST)

Training for frontline Immigration Officers within the Belfast Intake Unit will include teaching skills in personal safety techniques to keep you and your team colleagues safe. This training is refreshed annually. 

These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) 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 PST 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.

Completing this training is a mandatory requirement for the role. By submitting an application for this role you are confirming that you understand this requirement. 

Initial training lasts three weeks. If you are required to attend in-person, and do not live within a reasonable commutable distance to one of our training locations, there may be a requirement for some overnight stays. Travel and accommodation costs will be paid by the Home Office in line with policy.

Person specification

The Belfast Intake Unit has a strong team ethic and colleagues regularly display the capacity to flex to different workstreams, which clearly demonstrates the adaptability of the team and assists wider stakeholders of the Illegal Migration Intake Unit. This is an exciting and evolving role with the potential for new workstreams in line with the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

Post holders will be expected to conduct a wide range of customer facing Immigration functions within the remit of the Belfast Intake Unit, or other duties that may be required to support the work of the wider Illegal Migration Intake Unit. Such duties will include but are not limited to:

•    Examining those who enter the UK illegally; including those who have arrived by clandestine means and are subject to the Illegal Migration Act 2023

•    Capturing biometric data of those who have entered the UK illegally

•    Conducting interviews for those who have entered the UK illegally

•    Serving relevant immigration decisions

•    Other tasks relevant to grade

The successful candidates will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

As part of this role, you will be required to wear a uniform (which will be provided) during every shift. You must ensure that your uniform is worn correctly, in line with 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.

Please note that due to the very nature of the Illegal Migration Intake Unit’s work, there could, on occasion, be periods where you will be asked to undertake alternative tasks during periods of quieter intake. These may be tasks that do not traditionally sit within the Illegal Migration Intake Unit’s remit. If this were to occur then full training and mentoring would be provided.

Annual Hours Working Allowance

The Illegal Migration Intake Unit operate a shift working pattern, where Annualised Hours Working (AHW) is paid in accordance with the operational needs of the business. This allowance is paid in addition to the monthly salary to compensate for out of office hours working and flexibility.  

A review of AHW takes place annually. The Belfast Intake Unit work Monday to Friday, utilising early and late shifts, with occasional weekend and public holiday working. Shift lengths can vary and be up to 9 hours.  Rosters are published in advance but shifts can change or extend according to business need.

The average allowance for the Belfast Intake Unit is currently 15.01% (and can change subject to an annual review). Post holders would be deployed to a range of different duties and shifts.

Due to the operational nature of these roles, these are full-time positions with limited options to work part time or flexibly. Shift start and end times are fixed and you will be expected to be rostered with your team and managers, meaning it’s not possible to swap shifts unless there are exceptional circumstances, and these would still have to be considered in line with business needs.

All post holders are expected to work the full range of shifts across all 7 days of the week as required. It is therefore unlikely that fixed days off could be agreed.

Despite the limited options for flexibility, should such a working pattern be agreed then you should be aware that this would affect the rate of Annualised Hours Working allowance paid. Candidates should contact us to discuss any flexibility required prior to accepting an offer.

Essential Criteria

You will need: 

• Can work at pace and respond flexibly to emerging priorities or urgent tasks

• Ability to communicate clearly with a range of stakeholders treating others with respect, compassion and valuing inclusion and diversity

• Ability to make effective and difficult decisions under pressure

• A good level of computer literacy, including Microsoft applications

Desirable Criteria

• Customer Service experience

• Previous experience of the UK Immigration systems

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:

•    Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) (maximum 500 words)

•    Provide evidence of the behaviour Making Effective Decisions (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 completed initially on the Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement).

The Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) will be marked first for all candidates. Candidates who meet the minimum pass score for the suitability of statement, will then go on to have their lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions scored and will therefore receive sift scores for both of these elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Suitability of Statement will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for their Suitability of Statement.

Candidates who progress to interview will be assessed using a blended approach of strength-based and behaviour-based questions on all listed Behaviours.

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

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 25th March 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 15th April 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however these may change due to business needs. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Interviews will be carried out via MS Teams.

Candidates will be required to have access to:

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

It is advisable to access your interview from a windows operating system laptop, desktop, phone or tablet as there is no guarantee that Microsoft Teams will work without issue on an Apple laptop, tablet or desktop.

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

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Access NI 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.

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

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. 

Please note: 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.

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 birth right 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.

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 undergo a criminal record check. 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.