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

Do you meet the key eligibility criteria?

In order to be eligible, you MUST meet the following criteria.

• I am a UK National.

• I will be able to provide all the ID documents required to complete my pre-employment screening and security clearance.

Interventions, Sanctions and Compliance (ISC) is part of Immigration Enforcement and is responsible for encouraging compliance with the immigration rules as part of the overall enforcement effort to tackle illegal migration and those who help facilitate it. To achieve this we have two key aims:   
 
•    The effective operation of the measures known collectively as the Compliant Environment comprising of a series of legislative and non-legislative measures, built upon a framework of compliance, deterrence and data-sharing, underpinned by safeguards, which strengthen eligibility checks on migrant access to work, benefits and services. 

•    Implementing a bespoke, flexible and resilient approach to reporting and tracing commensurate with the harm, risk and vulnerability of the individual, enabling us to prioritise and improve our contact and tracing methods, so we focus on more timely and meaningful interventions, developing and using levers to tackle non-compliance, supporting the delivery of outcomes and returns. 

Interventions Sanctions & Compliance (ISC) within Immigration Enforcement is implementing a wide range of measures to make it systematically harder for people to illegally enter or remain in the UK. Some of these measures derive from the Immigration Act 2014 & 2016 (‘the Act’) and are now becoming day-to-day business.

Measures derived from the Act are only part of the work that ISC is progressing. It is working with existing partners and establishing new partnerships in the public and private sector to increase the range of interventions and sanctions to make it harder for people to live in the UK illegally.

ISC is acting to ensure that partners have sufficient and robust systems and processes in place to protect benefits and services from immigration abuse and increase compliance with the rules. ISC has embedded systematic, reciprocal data sharing arrangements with partners in Government and the private sector. This has empowered these departments to make informed decisions on who should be granted benefits and services.

The No Recourse to Public Funds Team (NRPF) support Local Authorities through the NRPF Connect database. This service provides immigration status checks on individuals seeking or receiving local authority support or responses to more detailed enquiries. The system can also support local authorities to identify fraudulent applications.

As an NRPF Operational Team Lead within ISC, you will have direct line management responsibility for 2 Higher Executive Officers, with countersigning responsibility for 13 Executive Officers. 

Your role will be to:

• Set clear goals so staff are clear about anticipated levels of performance, and you will monitor efficiency and quality across the team.

• Carry out regular face to face performance reviews, giving clear constructive feedback.

• Ensure that all staff have consistent operating knowledge of the processes and identify training needs to ensure all officers can cover all aspects of the work.

• Support staff development within the team.

• Effectively examine under performance, sickness absence, flexitime and all other HR issues in accordance with policy.

• Coordinate the smooth running of the team and workflow. Streamline processes; and identify factors which will inhibit performance and impact on the ISA, ensuring that remedial action is taken.

• Identify problems with processes, streamlining where appropriate to give the most effective service.

• Utilise resources effectively to deliver performance in line with the Information Sharing Agreement (ISA).

Person specification

Whilst leading the NRPF Team you will ensure that a professional and timely service is given to Local Authorities. 

Responsibilities:

•    Supporting partner relationships (both within and outside the Home Office).

•    Ensuring that Local Authorities receive accurate and timely information. This includes attendance at NRPF meetings; and providing updates on NRPF, while managing expectations.

•    Ensuring accurate management statistical information is completed and dispatched by deadlines.

•    Engaging with other areas of the business to increase ISC’s profile including working closely with NRPF Policy colleagues.

•    Providing input into briefings and submissions as required to the appropriate standard and by the deadline set via the commissioning body.

•    Working reciprocally with internal partners to ensure referrals are progressed internally through Removals Casework, Asylum, UKVI and ICE teams.

•    Identifying older cases and liaising with the NRPF team and others to progress, expedite and prioritise these to resolution.

•    Working flexibly across ISC as priorities require.

Essential criteria:

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate:

•    Strong leadership and organisational skills.

•    Evidence an ability to be able to work strategically and collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders.

•    Have strong written and verbal communication skills.

•    Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external partners.

•    Good working knowledge of Immigration and legislation. 

Desirable criteria:

•    Working knowledge of Home Office systems/database.

•    Have good IT skills (e.g. Word, Excel).

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 statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 500 words).

•    Provide evidence of the lead 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 advertisement.

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 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 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 Lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.

However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) only.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be behaviour based questions on the behaviours listed within the advert.

Problems during the application process

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application (e.g. you have ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we may not be able to reopen your application.

Please note, we cannot make amendments to any part of the application.

Please use the following in the subject line in your email if you need to get in contact with us about your initial application “Please re-open my application – Vacancy Ref 362639 Closing Date 8 August 2024.

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details with reasonable adjustments section.

Tie break decisions

The strengths and/or behaviours being assessed will be ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores. Please note that the order in which behaviours are listed in the advert does not necessarily reflect the order of importance.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing the 12th August 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing the 2nd September 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
• 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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Reserve List

Where a competition identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list may be held for up to 12 months.

Whilst on a reserve list we may offer you an alternative similar role in the Home Office. Should you reject an alternative role, you will remain on the reserve list for the role you applied for. If you accept an alternative role, you will be withdrawn from the reserve list.

Please note there are no guarantees that further vacancies will arise in the locations you originally applied for before your time on the reserve list expires.

Candidates Please Note:

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.

Please note, due to business requirements this role is only available with full-time hours.

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).

If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.

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.