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

Successful candidates will be working as part of one of the Immigration Enforcement Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) Teams within ICE Returns Offender Management (ROM) North command. The ICE ROM North command covers Wales & West England, West Midlands, East Midlands, North East Yorkshire & Humber, Belfast, Scotland and the North West. There is a greater operational emphasis, responsibility, and contribution to Immigration Enforcement’s priorities. If you are an individual who is adaptable to change, flexible and thrives on challenge then you are encouraged to apply. 

The Operational Support team provides professional operational and administrative support to the management team and Immigration Officers within Immigration Enforcement.
 
As an Operational Support Officer, you will have the chance to build your skills by taking on a variety of responsibilities. You will be expected to build strong and effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, for example, police, social services, probation, internal partners and our customers. The roles require you to have good people and customer service skills as well as working well as part of a team. 

We are looking for candidates with the ability to meet deadlines and who have excellent attention to detail, along with organisational skills and a willingness to learn.

This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidates to develop and embed a wide range of people and engagement skills within a high performing team, delivering what is required to continue to make the team a great place to work and to support staff and senior managers in delivery. 

The role will work collaboratively with other Operational and Business Support functions across differing locations within the ICE Teams. 

You will form part of the Immigration Enforcement team where you will be supporting Immigration officers with their day to day operational work and the management team by providing updated information. 

The Operational Support Officer role is a fast-moving, reactive environment, requiring strong organisational and management skills, as well as being able to make quick well-judged decisions. 

You will be required to work across all immigration streams including:

• Providing operational support to Immigration Officers.
• Business support; point of contact for accommodations, business vehicles, uniform, stationery.
• Providing administrative support to the Reporting Teams.  
• Interaction with customers and internal stakeholders (this will also include the detention management processes). 

Person specification

We are looking for people to join us who have the following skills: 

• Flexible and adapt quickly to change. 
• Organised and able to deliver work on time and to a high standard. 
• Focused on delivery under pressure. 
• Ability to confidently manage potentially difficult and challenging situations. 
• Are able to build and maintain excellent stakeholder relationships internal/external. 
• Can actively seek information from customers to understand their needs.
• Show commitment to continuous improvement. 
• Have a strong sense of personal ethics and honesty. 

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Providing operational support to Immigration Officers (this will involve supporting with administrative functions, visit checks, creating and authorising service of papers). 
• You will be required to use all Home Office systems, CID, ATLAS, MRA (Manage Reporting appointments), RMS (Record Management System), CRS (visas to conduct checks) in order to complete tasks.
• Information Asset owner – maintaining an update record log of Home office equipment and registering faults.
• Personal Protective Equipment –audit to be completed and ordered for Immigration Officers.
• Assisting with Tasking functions.
• Assisting Operational staff in the preparation of visits.
• CRS Supervisor Role.

This list is not exhaustive, and you will be required to complete other activities as part of your daily routines.

Essential criteria

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate:

• Good team player with proven administrative support experience. 
• Flexible and can adapt to new demands in a fast-moving environment.
• Organised approach to work: methodical, accurate and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to confidently deliver messaging clearly and with conviction, creating a shared vision and clearly setting direction.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information in line with data protection policies 
• Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
• Understanding of basic Microsoft tools including Word/Excel and systems Management.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of customer interaction.
• Experience of engaging with external law enforcement partners. 

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 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 lead behaviour 'Managing a Quality Service' and the statement of suitability (personal statement). The 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 'Managing a Quality Service' 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 consist of behaviour-based questions. 

Sift and Interview dates.

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 5th January 2024.

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

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

Interviews will be face to face at Drumkeen House - Belfast. Further details will be provided ahead of interview.

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.

Note for Candidates

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.

Northern Ireland

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 birthright 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.

Annual Hours Working Allowance

Annualised Hours Working (AHW) is an attendance system where staff work an agreed number of hours for the year rather than weekly conditioned hours.

You will be required to work flexibly on any day of the week, including weekends, nights, Public Holidays and the Privilege Day, and the hours may vary each week. Attendance may also be subject to change at short notice.

The rate payable under the AHW scheme is driven by business requirements and may vary depending on location. Your initial rate will be confirmed when you have started in post and will be paid as a percentage of your basic salary. If a member of staff has agreed an annualised hours arrangement, this does not become a permanent or guaranteed right. Annualised hours working is subject to changes in operational needs and managers can adjust, cease or suspend it, for operational or performance reasons. Annualised hours agreements are reviewed at least annually.

The annualised hours year runs from 1 April to 31 March. If an individual begins working on an annualised hours basis part way through the year, they will receive a part-year agreement and the Annualised Hours Allowance will be pro-rated for the remainder of the year to reflect that agreement.

If you transfer to a non-AHW post the requirement to work in accordance with the terms of the AHW policy will also end, and you will move to standard Home Office Terms and Conditions.

The initial rate payable is 25% depending on location.

Age: These are shift working roles and so you must be 18 years or over.

Part Time

If you are considering applying for part time hours, please contact HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk to discuss your request as not all working patterns may be accommodated.

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.

Personal Safety Training (PST)

These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 2 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.

Flexible working

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).

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.