About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting role for a motivated individual within the newly created Illegal Migrations Operations Command (IMOC) working under Director General Stuart Skeates, Strategic Operations for Irregular Migration.

The IMOC will work across the Migration and Borders system and the Home Office to implement and then operate the processes within the new Illegal Migration Act.

This role is within the new end-to-end caseworking function called Illegal Migration, Relocation & Returns Service which is currently being established.

The Illegal Migration Relocation & Returns Service (IMRRS) casework command will be responsible for managing the cases of individuals who fall under the duty to remove, from point of claim to their relocation to a safe third country, the country of which they are a national, or one for which they hold a passport / identity document. It involves ensuring that we have the most effective systems to progress both cases in detention and those released into the community awaiting relocation or removal; removing legal barriers; that we continue to evolve our response to ensure it is digitised, efficient and continue to drive innovation.

This is an exciting time to join the unit which will be operational in line with the anticipated commencement of the Act.

Job description

You will be working within a fast-paced department within the new Illegal Migration Relocations and Returns Services command, working to tightly defined timescales.

As a Team Leader, you will be responsible for leading by example, providing support to caseworkers in your unit to help them deliver on shared goals and targets, whilst enabling them to achieve sustainable outcomes.

The ability to adapt to changing priorities is essential, so flexibility is vital. You will provide visible and reliable leadership, supporting colleagues in your unit in adapting to change.

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is important to us, and you will play a pivotal role in creating an environment where your people can excel and continuously develop.

Your precise responsibilities will vary according to changing business priorities but will include:

• Leading and managing an operational team to deliver case working outcomes including associated achievement of performance, quality and service standards.
• Prioritising workloads in accordance with operational procedures to achieve performance, quality, and service standards.
• Having responsibility for effective personal and team delivery.
• Continuously improving efficiency and effectiveness of teams and processes.
• Ensuring the team collaborates effectively with operational partners and stakeholders.
• Effectively identifying and escalating business risks and trends specific to your teams.
• Supporting Higher Executive Officers and Senior Operations managers with the delivery of change across the organisation.
• Effectively leading, driving, and coaching teams through the change process.
• Managing individuals in line with Home Office policies linked to attendance, conduct and performance.
• Manage the workflow of an operational team.
• Ensure timely and accurate performance reporting.
• Building staff/business capability for the future.
• Ensuring individuals and teams adhere to Data Protection, Security, Health & Safety policies.

To meet the needs of this evolving team you will be expected to work flexibly across the unit’s priorities to deliver high-quality and timely outcomes.

Current plans are for caseworkers to work 09:00am to 17:00pm, Monday to Friday working pattern.

Person specification

We are looking for candidates who are:

• Able to demonstrate excellent verbal and written skills.
• Able to analyse a wide range of data sources to make considered, effective decisions.
• Committed to continuous improvement and thrive in an environment where performance matters.
• Committed to inclusion, fostering employee engagement and well-being.
• Role model Home Office values and behaviours.
• Able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders and wider teams.
• Flexible, adaptive, and positive in solving problems and dealing with change.
• Effective organisers who can plan with attention to detail.
• Able to work under pressure.
• Able to demonstrate sound interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills and thrive working as part of a team.
• Committed to meeting the high standards of conduct and behaviour that is expected of a civil servant.

Essential Criteria

• Experience of leading and managing operational staff.
• Demonstrate excellent skills in verbal and written communication, as well as interpersonal relations, to build productive relationships across teams.
• Ability to manage own workload effectively, with proven experience of working in a fast-paced environment, delivering on targets and deadlines.
• Ability to analyse a wide range of data sources to make considered, sustainable decisions on operational matters.
• Proficient in using various IT systems

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of using continuous improvement techniques to improve performance and engagement.
• Experience of working in an immigration or asylum capacity would be advantageous.

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 Leadership (maximum 250 words)

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

The 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.

The sift will be completed initially on the Personal Statement.

The Personal Statement will be marked first for all candidates. Candidates who meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement, will then go on to have their lead Behaviour 'Leadership' scored and will therefore receive sift scores for both of these elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their lead Behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for their Personal Statement.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of Strength-based questions, Behaviour-based questions on all the Behaviours listed in the advert, and Experience questions which will assess you on the following: 

• Line managing
• Adapting to change

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 25/03/2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 15/04/2024.

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

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 created for other similar roles for a period of 12 months. Selection will be in Merit Order to fill the same role or similar roles with closely matching “Essential Criteria” and Success Profile elements without further assessment.

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.

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.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.  Applicants can discuss any specific questions with the Vacancy Holder.

If you are an external candidate and not a Civil Servant, please note that you will start on the minimum pay that is being advertised.

For more information about working for the Home Office, please visit Home Office Careers website.

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.