Immigration Enforcement - Civil Penalty Compliance Officer
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 2nd May 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Job description
Interventions, Sanctions and Compliance (ISC) is part of Immigration Enforcement and is responsible for implementing, overseeing, and operating some of the measures designed to restrict ineligible migrants from accessing benefits and services. Its aim is to encourage compliance with the immigration rules, a critical component of the overall enforcement effort is to tackle illegal migration through a series of legislative and non-legislative measures, built on a framework of compliance, deterrence and data-sharing, underpinned by safeguards, which strengthen eligibility checks on migrant access to work, benefits and services.
The Civil Penalty Compliance Team (CPCT) sits within ISC and issues civil penalties to employers found to be employing individuals without permission to work and landlords renting private sector accommodation to individuals without permission to rent in the UK. The team also manages appeal cases and has oversight of the subsequent debt recovery processes relating to unpaid civil penalties.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing team, which undertakes high-profile work against rogue employers and landlords and has links to wider action aimed at restricting access to benefits and services to those are not entitled.
You will work as part of a team, undertaking a range of interesting and varied activities linked to our aim of tackling illegal migration and reducing harm. Your day-to-day work is likely to include (but is not limited to) the following areas:
The casework team, where you will need strong analytical and decision-making skills to accurately interpret evidence and apply it to the decision-making process, when considering whether to issue civil penalties. You will need to be able to work at pace, have a good eye for detail and have excellent written skills to produce high quality decision paperwork explaining why decisions have been made.
The appeals team, where you will need excellent accuracy to ensure that all decisions reaching the appeal stage are sound and in accordance with the relevant legislation. You will also need highly developed written skills to prepare cases for hearings and strong verbal skills if you are required to attend court as an expert witness.
The debt recovery team, where you will be responsible for processing and managing outstanding penalty debt. You will require excellent record-keeping and stakeholder engagement skills, as you will be liaising with key contacts such as specialist debt recovery agencies.
Person specification
Responsibilities
- Analytical and decision-making responsibilities.
- Developing an effective knowledge of your area of work.
- Producing high quality decisions on cases.
- Providing clear explanations for decisions in writing to employers and landlords
- Processing and managing outstanding Civil Penalty debt.
- Working with Government legal officers and other legal representatives to deliver the best outcome possible in litigation cases.
Essential criteria
Candidates must be able to demonstrate:
- Be flexible, organised and able to deliver under pressure.
- Have good written and verbal communication skills.
- Have the ability to learn quickly and swiftly develop understanding of their area of work.
- Take pride in the quality of the work they produce.
- Have excellent analytical and decision-making skills.
- Be confident with IT and have the ability to quickly learn to use new or different IT platforms.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Making Effective Decisions
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 statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
- provide evidence of the behaviour Making Effective Decisions (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 behaviour Making Effective Decisions 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 Behaviour 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.
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
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 13th May 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 3rd June 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 in Manchester. 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.
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
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 349074 CLOSING DATE 29th April 2024.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details with reasonable adjustments section.
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.
There is no shift working requirement, and therefore no AHW/AHA allowance available for this role.
We encourage applications from candidates who wish to work part-time. Please note that not all work patterns can be supported within this role, successful candidates should discuss work patterns with the vacancy holder ahead of accepting any offer.
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).
During training it is expected that successful candidates will attend the office/other work location as specified in the advert at all times.
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
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.
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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
