ICE North Operational Strategic Support - Immigration Enforcement
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 6th May 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Job description
The North Immigration Compliance Enforcement (ICE) & Reporting Offender Management (ROM) is a directorate within Enforcement, Compliance & Crime (ECC) covering Scotland, Northern Ireland , Wales and the North and West of England. Our mission, using intelligence and in accordance with our control strategy, is to utilise our skilled and professional workforce to tackle immigration abuse and protect the vulnerable.
Our purpose and focus will always be to play our part in contributing to Government’s top priorities that include tackling illegal migration, removing those with no right to be here, protecting the vulnerable, reducing the size of the illegal population and the harm it causes and to protect the integrity of the immigration system.
Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality, Objectivity, and our wider regional values will always be at the heart of everything we do. We will always deliver our core business as efficiently and effectively as we can to achieve the very best outcomes.
ICE & ROM North: Four Nations, one Region, Enforcing Immigration Law and driving compliance to protect and deliver for the communities we serve.
The successful candidate will join the Operational Strategic Support Team, who’s remit is to work alongside the ICE/ROM North Senior Management Team (SMT) to co-ordinate and improve performance, professionalism and efficiency across the Region.
- The key focus of this role is to support ICE North and Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to deliver effective performance against changing key priorities; ensuring the operation has the correct knowledge, skills, time, equipment and professionalism to deliver what is required
- Driving performance improvements and increasing professionalism and accountability
- Ensuring work briefings and statistics are provided in a timely manner, to analyse and narrate ICE/ROM North performance to senior managers
- Coordination of activity for new and high profile workstreams
Your responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):
- Analysing, reviewing and improving output from Regional Tasking & Co-ordination Group to help shape future operational tasking opportunities
- To work with G6s and G7 ICE leads to ensure NTCG tasking priorities are delivered
- Provide technical advice/support and co-ordinate activity and provide statistics and narrative around new workstreams
- Deliver more efficient AHW spend – working with G7s to maintain regular overview of AHW spend, providing team updates on overspend/underspend for G6. Also, to co-ordinate discussions for the new financial year, providing advice, support and assurance to maximise efficiency and productivity
- Liaise closely with the operational assurance team. To review assurance reports, share best practice to improve DQ and limit business risks
- Deliver the CIO/HEO best practice forum, sharing ideas and initiatives to improve performance outcomes across all ICE/ROM teams. Ensuring best practice is identified and shared
- Analysing performance reports, helping to provide a relevant and detailed narrative for command performance, highlight successes, but also areas to develop
- Liaise with Training and Skills Unit (TASU) re training and mentoring opportunities, working closely with G6s and G7 ICE leads to identify/create courses to be delivered locally by Business Embedded Trainers (BETs) where TASU are unable/unprepared to deliver
- Work closely with Finance Business Partners, Work Force Planning and Recruitment leads ensuring budgets and FTE are closely monitored throughout the year
- Budget setting for ICE North
- Support G6 with administrative tasks when necessary
- Representing ICE in various forums, ensuring IE interests are represented effectively
Due to business needs, this vacancy is available on a full time basis only.
Person specification
The successful candidates duties will include - although are not limited to the following:
- A drive to improve efficiency, productivity and professionalism
- Experience of prioritising and delivering at pace, capable of juggling multiple competing priorities under pressure and in a fast-paced environment, ensuring that outputs are consistent
- Confident in decision-making, exercising sound judgement, and the ability to challenge others in a constructive manner appropriate to the situation
- Experienced in identifying, escalating, and mitigating risks and resolving issues with demonstrable ability to find innovative ways to resolve problems
- Committed to continuous improvement, in an environment where performance matters
- Can effectively organise and plan
- Able to communicate effectively and confidently with senior leaders
- Form part of the HMI on-call rota taking referrals and acting as Gold commander for teams
- Willingness to travel across the region
When you join us as, you do not need to have any previous experience or prior knowledge about the role, as you will be given full and thorough training to enable you to be competent in the job. Not long after starting with us, you will commence training on the ICE Pathway Programme. The ICE Pathway Programme is the mandatory training all newly recruited ICE/ROM officers receive upon joining the HOME Office. The full programme has been designed to be progressive in its approach to delivery.
Delegates start with the ICE Pathway which is delivered over 8 weeks including two weeks of Initial Arrest Training (PPST Level 3). Upon successful completion, delegates will return to their team to commence the mentoring phase of the programme.
The ICE Pathway initial 5 weeks is classroom-based learning with a mixture of theory and practical exercises combined. The material taught covers topics such as History of Immigration, Pre and on entry functions, why people come to the U.K, Forgery skills including an assessment which is pass or fail. Illegal Entry, breach of conditions, EEA in country, Powers which govern the work we do (Schedule 2 and part 3), warrants, in country examination, visits & operational briefings, Baseline Vulnerability, Digital Pocket Notebooks, Statement writing, Community Engagement, file creation, Illegal working, Interview skills. During your entire programme from day 1 to the end of your 5 weeks you will be under observation, and assessment. All delegates will be formatively assessed throughout the entire programme, using online knowledge checks, group exercises and scenario based practical exercises.
Please note candidates will be expected to be available between 5-8 weeks (Mon-Fri - possibly weekends) for a classroom-based course on selected courses when a start date is agreed. This may involve travel to a specific training location, cost of travel and accommodation will be met by the business.
Essential criteria
- Strategic planning and problem-solving skills with an ability to work under pressure and prioritise important tasks over others
- Ability to analyse and compile a large amount of data and come up with conclusive results
- Ability to coordinate and ensure maximum efficiency and productivity
- Strong management, engagement and interpersonal skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong IT skills including Microsoft products
Desirable criteria
- Operational experience in ICE/ROM
- Gold command trained
- Knowledge of working with budgets/workforce planning
- Knowledge of IE IT systems
Licences
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
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 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/skills
- A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
- Provide evidence of the Lead behaviour Delivering at Pace (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 Delivering at Pace 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.
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.
Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here.
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 350519 CLOSING DATE 6th May 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 6th May 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 27th May 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
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
Selecting your locations
Please note only list locations where you are prepared to work and can travel to (as you could be offered any of your noted preferences).
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 on the understanding that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role. Please note, only advertised locations can be offered.
Reserve List
Where a campaign identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list may be held for up to 12 months.
Reserve lists will be managed by locational merit lists, appointing in merit order per location. You may be offered a post at any of your preferred locations.
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.
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
We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance of 27% of salary, depending on location. This is to compensate for working shift patterns including night shifts, early morning starts, late night finishes, weekends, and public holidays. Shifts can vary in length and can be up to 12 hours. Shifts can be changed or extended according to business need. The rate payable is dependent on location and role and is indicative of the shift pattern you will be required to work.
The higher the AHA, the more flexible you will be required to be. Please note that the allowance is subject to regular review and can go down as well as up.
Age: These are shift working roles and so you must be at least 18 years or over to apply for this role. You will be required to work between 22.00 and 06.00, so this is a legal requirement. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/night-working-hours and Child employment: Restrictions on child employment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Please note this role is only available with full-time hours.
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.
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) – Level 3
These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including 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.
You must be prepared to undertake regular refreshers of this.
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).
Travel expectation
Some roles may require candidates to travel around the country. This applies particularly if the role could be based anywhere, or if there is a requirement to travel to other official sites, which may include overnight stays.
You will be on probation for 12 months which will ensure that candidates have sufficient time to demonstrate their capability after their training and mentoring. Your probation period will usually be for no longer than 12 months.
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
Medical
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Home Office Resourcing Centre
- Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
