About the job

Job summary

HMICFRS independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services – in the public interest. We promote improvements in policing and fire and rescue services to make everyone safer. 

We are independent of the Government, police and fire and rescue services. We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered and produce major reports that shine a light on issues at the very heart of policing and fire and rescue services.  

Our reports are widely covered by the media and help inform the public of the performance of their local police forces and fire and rescue services. You can find out more about HMICFRS on our website and see some of our recent reports.

Working at HMICFRS gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to the quality of local police and fire and rescue services and the lives of the public.  

HMICFRS is a unique organisation with staff seconded or loaned from across the Civil Service, police forces and fire and rescue services.  We set ourselves high standards, taking great pride in the quality of work we achieve and the opportunities we create for our staff. 

Find out more

If you would like to talk to someone about this role and what it’s like working for HMICFRS we would be pleased to hear from you.  Please contact recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk  and we can arrange for someone to contact you. 

Job description

We are seeking Inspection Officers (IOs) who have the skills, experience, insight and enthusiasm necessary  to improve policing.

IOs play a key role in delivering our programme of inspections of police forces. They form an integral part of the teams responsible for conducting and supporting a variety of different inspection activities.

IOs rely on a detailed understanding both of a range of inspection processes and, more broadly, of policing to scrutinise the efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy of police forces.

We are seeking candidates who have a broad range of current skills and relevant operational experience in policing or an equivalent law enforcement environment.

The IO’s key responsibility is to plan, prepare and conduct inspection activities in accordance with HMICFRS’s proven processes and methodologies. These include:

• Gathering evidence via focus groups, interviews and reality testing
• Conducting other insight activities, including desk-based evidence collection, such as file and document reviews
• The objective assessment of data and performance
• Identifying examples of notable practice and areas for improvement
• Supporting our Force Liaison Leads to design inspections and write inspection reports

Inspection Officers also have the opportunity to contribute to the wider work of HMICFRS. They act as ambassadors for HMICFRS and demonstrate the highest standards of professional conduct.

Candidates should have a comprehensive understanding of practices and policies as they apply to policing in England and Wales. In addition, they will have proven communication and leadership skills, together with the ability to develop successful working relationships with a wide range of internal and external partners.

We are seeking self-motivated people who can plan and prioritise their work, and who consistently achieve high standard with minimum supervision. Highly organised people, successful candidates meet deadlines and make effective decisions, operate calmly under pressure and exhibit resilience. In exchange, they will enjoy a role that combines professional challenge with job satisfaction, bespoke training, and unique opportunities for development.

IOs will often operate independently from their home offices. They are also required to conduct inspection fieldwork in different police forces. Sometimes they have to attend one of our hubs in London, Birmingham, Leeds, or Salford. HMICFRS has adopted a hybrid approach to inspection activity but there will be regular occasions and opportunities to travel to different forces and stay away from home.  

IOs are required to undertake a wide variety of activities in support of (and including deputising for) HMICFRS’s cadre of Force Liaison Leads who are the main link between HMICFRS and police forces. This includes representing HMICFRS at strategic meetings, maintaining and building relationships with police forces and providing briefings for senior colleagues. 

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Person specification

Inspection Officers are expected to actively promote HMICFRS’s objectives and to demonstrate our values and behaviours.

Our objectives are to:

• Demonstrate our values in everything we do
• Conduct informed, independent and evidence-based inspections
• Provide value for money
• Work with others to promote improvements in policing and fire and rescue services
• Report our inspection findings and analysis in a clear and compelling way
• Ensure that our staff have the skills, knowledge and support to do their job

Our values are:

• Respect: we respect and value all who we work with, and the contribution that they make
• Honesty: we are always truthful
• Independence: we are objective in all that we do, operating without bias towards or against anyone. We are independent of the police service, fire and rescue authorities and government, and act only in the public interest
• Integrity: we act ethically and openly in all that we do
• Fairness: we treat people fairly

Essential Criteria

• Recent experience of working within a police force or equivalent law enforcement environment
• Experience of presenting to, and managing relationships with, senior level stakeholders.
• Experience of using a range of data to make informed judgements
• Excellent drafting skills and experience of producing high-quality products within challenging time frames
  

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of applying inspection principles
• Experience of using analytical skills to assess information and apply it to performance improvements
  

Benefits

Learning and Development tailored to your role

We are committed to investing in our staff and providing all staff with opportunities to maximise their skills and achieve their potential. We offer a range of work-based training and development opportunities  including access to coaching and mentoring, and five days volunteering per year.

HMICFRS has an Inspection Development Programme and linked accreditation process that all inspection staff undertake in our organisation. The scheme is approved by Skills for Justice and is based on you demonstrating competencies against a framework of role-specific tasks. The expectation is that all new inspection staff will complete a portfolio of evidence within agreed timescales (normally 12 months) and once this is complete it will be assessed by a trained assessor.

An environment with flexible working options

We promote flexible working that balances professional and personal commitments. We support virtual and smart working, making best use of our technology and building collaborative working models to help all staff to work from home and/or in the office in a ‘hybrid’ way. 

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

The diversity of our people is a real asset to HMICFRS. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented within this grade level.  

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement of 500 words.

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

The first stage of the sift will be carried out on your personal statement which should be aligned to the essential criteria. If you do not meet the essential criteria, your application will not progress further. For those who do meet the essential criteria, their application may progress to the second stage of the sift process.

The CV will be for information only and not scored.

The second stage of sift is based on the lead behaviour 'Communicating & Influencing'

If your application progresses to a full sift, all behaviours listed in the advert will then be considered.  

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview where you will be tested against the Success Profiles behaviours and experience based on the essential criteria stated in the advert.

Sift and interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 20th May 2024

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 10th June 2024 and 17th June 2024 by Video link.

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

Behavioural statements

You need to provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated particular skills or qualities for each of the five Civil Service behaviours listed. Your examples must also show how you meet the Essential criteria and skills listed in the job description.

We recommend that you use the Situation, Task, Action and Result (STAR) method to help make sure your examples are clear and highlight your skills and qualities. Each example should set out what you have done, how you completed the task and the results of this action to allow the panel to assess how you meet the required behaviours.

Please make sure you have provided sufficient information – it is not enough to submit a list of bullet points. Please refer to the Success Profiles (opens in a new window) to make sure you are familiar with what is required for each behaviour. You will not be expected to meet every single aspect of every behaviour, but must show a good range or depth for each behaviour to be successful at the sift stage.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. Should candidates be placed on a reserve list we may be able to offer a similar role or a lower grade role without the need for them to go through a further selection process.

Please note there are 2 posts available. These roles are only open to serving police officers or police staff equivalent on secondment.

Important information please read before applying on secondment:

These are Remote Access worker posts. These posts will be attached to one of the office locations. Remote Access workers, as part of the secondment will not be entitled to London Weighting Allowance. You will be required to attend HMICFRS offices or other locations on a regular basis and your travel, accommodation and subsistence costs will be reimbursed according to HMICFRS policy.

These roles are only open only to serving police officers or staff equivalent.

The role will involve regular travel and overnight stays.

Secondees can be appointed to HMICFRS for a maximum of 4 years – this includes new and previous postings.

Candidates who have served for the maximum tenure length, cannot be reappointed for 12 months from the date their previous secondment ended.

Candidates will need their Force to complete the Approval Form (see attachment), This should be uploaded with your online application form. Without this form supporting your application and confirming release for secondment we cannot proceed with your application.

Allowances

Your full-time employer will continue to pay your salary as well as any allowances including compensatory grants and pension contributions to which you are entitled. Your force will then invoice HMICFRS for the amount. While on secondment, you will be entitled to a central service allowance of £1,260 per annum (non-pensionable).

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

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.