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

The Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) team sits within the Immigration Enforcement Training and Skills Unit (TASU). TASU has responsibility for the delivery and co-ordination of operational enforcement along with other training nationally within Crime and Enforcement teams.

TASU is a national resource responsible for operational enforcement training and operating procedures. Work is high-profile and extremely varied which includes leading on the sharing of knowledge, skills, and best practices through training.

You will have initial functional responsibility for the management, delivery, evaluation, and quality assurance of all initial PPST up to and including PPST Level 3. However, there will be additional duties and as the role develops the role description may develop to adapt to meet the needs of the business.

You will be a strong manager who is able to manage a workflow which is both complex and dynamic dealing with regulatory and legislative requirements and inspections and ensuring that colleagues are operating safely and within legal frameworks while able to meet your operational business requirements.

These posts require weekend working, shift working and a significant amount of travel within the UK with overnight stays.

The terms and conditions of the post will be Annualised Hours Working, for which an allowance is payable and you will be expected to work shifts, normally early, mid, and late.

Person specification

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Leading the design, delivery and evaluation of Immigration Enforcement’s PPST refresher programme. This includes compliance with the legal, regulatory and contractual requirements of this training programme.
• Leading the design, delivery and evaluation of Immigration Enforcement’s specialist training programmes. This includes compliance with the legal, regulatory and contractual requirements of this training programme. 
• Line management of a team of Chief Immigration Officers, based across the United Kingdom, circa 6 – 8 direct reports.
• Representing and promoting the standing of Immigration Enforcement and TASU amongst internal and external partners.
• Providing support to the SMT within the PPST Team and wider Training and Skills Unit.
• Liaising with numerous internal and external stakeholders.
• Other actions in support of the wider activity of the TASU.
• Management and oversight of IE’s PPST refresher programme.

Whilst primary responsibilities will include refresher and specialist programme ownership, you would be required to provide support to their PST HMI colleagues when required, in a variety of roles (such as, initial, refresher, MoE, and charter flight training). This will require you to have strong relationship and collaboration skills.

Essential Criteria

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate:

• Will be a warranted Immigration Officer. Applicants applying externally will be required to undergo a period of training, comprising of 5 weeks classroom-based training, and 2 weeks arrest training. This must take place within the first 6 months of employment.
• Hold strong operational knowledge of operational arrest activity.
• Proven record of strong leadership.
• Strong drafting, research and reporting skills.
• Proven track record of engendering positive working relationships and building strong stake-holder relations including with senior leaders.

Desirable criteria

• Hold a Minimum Level 4 qualification in Learning and Development Design, Delivery and Evaluation. Any successful candidate does not hold such a qualification they will be required to successfully undertake within the first twelve months of commencing in the role.
• Hold a recognised Assessor qualification (TAQA/CAVA/A1). If the successful candidate does not hold such a qualification, they will be required to successfully undertake within the first 24 months of commencing in the role.
• PPST Level 3 Arrest trained and in ticket.
• Be qualified as a Public and Personal Safety Instructor – applicants who are not qualified must undergo the train the trainer course upon employment.

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: 

• CV detailing job history, qualifications and skills
• Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) (maximum 750 words)
• Provide evidence of the Behaviour - Leadership (250 words maximum)

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

Please note 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. The CV will not be scored.

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 'Leadership' and the Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement). 

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 candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Statement of Suitability, will progress to a further sift where the lead Behaviour 'Leadership' 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 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 will take place from 27th December 2023 onwards.
 
Interviews will take place from 17th January 2024.

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

Interviews will be carried out via video. 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

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

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.

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role or similar role become available within that period you may be offered this position. 

When completing your application, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred location(s). Please ensure you select all locations you are interested in. Candidates who are successful at Interview will be placed in order of merit per location and provisional job offers will be made in strict merit order per location preference. Provisional offers are made, as they are on condition that you successfully pass all pre-employment checks.

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 23.19% 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.

Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST)

These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Public and 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.

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.