Job Description
Details Reference number 314522 Salary £24,800 - £28,800 National: £24,800 / London: £28,800. Plus Annualised Hours Allowance of between 21.66% and 43.66% of salary depending on location, which equates to an additional £5,371 to £10,827 per annum based on ‘national’ minimum salary Job grade Administrative Officer Contract type Permanent Apprenticeship Business area HO - Border Force Type of role Operational Delivery Working pattern Full-time, Part-time, Shift Working Number of jobs available 5 Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Langley, Stansted, Felixstowe, Tilbury, Dover About the job Job summary Please note - You must be over 18, entitled to UK citizenship and hold GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade 9-3 (A-D) in Maths and English to be eligible for these roles. The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counterterrorism, policing, fire, crime, nationality, and immigration policy. As part of the Home Office, Border Force is responsible for securing the UK border 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Around 10,000 people work for us, with the majority working in frontline roles in airports and seaports across the UK and overseas. This is a great opportunity to join a team that really makes a difference. You will receive comprehensive law enforcement training and depending on the location and team you join, will work at an airport or seaport in a frontline role processing passengers, searching baggage, people, and vehicles. The job is varied and rewarding and as part of the Home Office and wider Civil Service there are plenty of opportunities to develop your career with us. You can find out more about Home Office careers here. For further information about the role and how to apply, please visit the Home Office Campaign microsite: https://www.homeofficejobs-sscl.co.uk/bf-vacancies.html Job description Border Force check all passengers and freight arriving in the UK by air and sea and conduct intelligence-led searches for prohibited, counterfeit or restricted goods such as drugs, firearms, weapons, cash, tobacco, and alcohol. We also support the department’s wider agenda in high-profile areas such as counter terrorism, tackling organised crime, modern slavery, and human trafficking. This is some of the most important and challenging work in Government and its impact can be felt in communities across the UK. You may be involved in the following types of activity: Undertaking checks and research on IT systems to identify people or vehicles of interest at the border. Conducting searches on people, goods and vehicles to establish if a customs offence has been committed. Using law enforcement powers to assist in the arrest and detention of people involved in border offences, preserving evidence and liaising with law enforcement partners. International Trade work including processing and recording documentation, investigating errors and responding to complaints. Using and gathering intelligence to inform border activity. Identifying vulnerable adults and children, prioritising their safety and welfare and referring to the appropriate agencies. Supporting wider frontline Border Force activity in its operational and corporate functions including recruitment, training and finance. The roles we have available are located in Border Force Central and South-East Regions: Border Force Central Region Border Force Central Region covers a large geographical area of central and eastern England, stretching from the Thames Estuary in the south and as far north as East Midlands Airport, near Derby. In the region there are around 1,250 colleagues and activity includes aviation, maritime and postal operations. Border Force South-East Region Border Force South-East Region teams are based across Folkestone and Dover locations and cover a range of customs, immigration, and international trade activity. You will only be able to select a single location preference so please ensure this is a location that you are prepared to travel to. Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts (from 0500 hours), late night finishes and overnight shifts. These shifts may be outside of public transport operating hours. If you are offered a role at your preferred location and you decline, your application will be withdrawn. What is an Apprenticeship? Apprenticeships are designed to strengthen capability in the Civil Service by developing skilled professionals in priority areas. They provide a unique opportunity to combine formal learning and development with on-the-job experience. The apprenticeship qualification is transferable across the Home Office and is not just specific to Border Force. Why apply for an Apprenticeship with Border Force? This apprenticeship offers you a fantastic opportunity to learn, earn and develop your skills. If successful, you will be joining over 280,000 people in the Operational Delivery Profession across Government who have the vital job of keeping the UK running and make a real difference to people's lives. This role gives you an opportunity to: Be able to positively affect some of the challenges facing the UK today. Gain nationally recognised qualifications including Level 3 Award in Operational Delivery. Develop a wide range of skills and experience that will prepare you for a career both inside and outside the Civil Service. Length of Apprenticeship Apprenticeships take up to 18 months to complete and include a period of probation. You will join the Home Office on a permanent contract. Working for the Home Office There’s no one type of person working at the Home Office. Just like in wider society, everyone here is different. We believe that different backgrounds, perspectives, and voices add up to richer, fuller thinking that helps us deliver fairer, better outcomes. We’re committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people can bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We are particularly keen to welcome applications from women and those from an ethnic minority background who are currently underrepresented in Border Force. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Person specification Essential Criteria What are we looking for in an Apprentice? Because of the work we do and where we do it, Border Force teams can operate in sometimes difficult and dynamic environments. These are public facing law enforcement roles where the work is often fast-paced and changeable - our apprentices need to be able to respond to challenges in a calm and professional manner. You will receive full role-specific and personal safety training and you will have the support of a team. Successful candidates will need to have: The professional behaviours and personal integrity associated with a law enforcement organisation. This means acting ethically and with integrity, always doing the right thing, being impartial and honest. Demonstrable interpersonal skills and you enjoy interacting with colleagues, members of the public and external stakeholders. A genuine interest in people, an inquisitive, open mind and empathetic manner. The ability to work as part of a team, be flexible and adaptable to changing priorities. The ability to deal with potentially difficult and challenging situations in a professional manner. An objective, analytical and methodical approach to tasks. Desirable Criteria For these roles it is desirable to have a full valid UK driving licence, either manual or automatic (not provisional). Eligibility You must be at least 18 years of age by 22 September 2023. 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. Home Office applicants with a live attendance management warning are not eligible to apply for vacancies during the initial 3-month improvement (live warning) period; however, they can apply for posts during the following 9 month sustained improvement period. Qualifications You must hold GCSEs at Grade 9-3 (A-D) in Maths and English to be eligible for this role. Please note that we will also accept equivalent qualifications at the same level achieved from a wide range of formal academic and vocational training providers as determined by Ofqual, including, for example, qualifications obtained in Scotland or some BTEC and higher level NVQs. You must have already been awarded the qualification(s) and must be able to provide your certificate(s) at interview. If you hold GCSE Grade 3 (D) or equivalent in Maths and/or English, as part of your apprenticeship and to bring you up to Grade 4 (C) standard, you must also be willing to complete Functional Skills Level 2 qualifications in either or both subjects. To successfully complete these required elements, you will be provided with support from both your line management chain and the apprenticeship provider. To find out more about qualification levels, please visit www.gov.uk Benefits As well as offering the opportunity to make a real difference to people's lives, a career with the Home Office comes with a range of amazing benefits, including: A career salary average, defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%. Annualised Hours Allowance of between 21.66% and 43.66% of salary depending on location, which equates to an additional £5,371 to £10,827 per annum based on ‘national’ minimum salary. This is to compensate for working shift patterns including night shifts, early morning starts, late night finishes, weekends, and public holidays. Please note that this allowance is subject to review. See the Candidate Pack for a full list of the AHA rates per location. For more information on our wide range of benefits, please see the Candidate Pack and the Benefits page of our website. Training and Development You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the ‘classroom’ and then continues ‘on the job’ with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone: you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found in the Candidate Pack. Things you need to know Selection process details Your application will be assessed using the Civil Service Success Profiles recruitment framework. A summary of the process is below. Full details can be found in the Candidate Pack. Stage 1: Application form that captures some basic personal information. This is split into two sections. The first section can be completed in 5 minutes and the second usually takes around 15-20 minutes. You will not be able to progress to the next stage until both parts are completed. Stage 2: Online Behavioural Based Assessment (BBA) consisting of a series of game-based assessments that look at your natural, work-relevant behaviour in action. As an example, you may be asked to quickly sort tickets according to the number or shape displayed. This assessment will evaluate your potential fit against the most crucial behaviours required to be a successful Border Force Officer. It will need to be completed within 48 hours of completing your full application and should take around 45 minutes. Stage 3: Video interview, which will consist of strength-based questions and will take around 15 minutes to complete. Interview Dates A draft timeline for this campaign can be found in the Candidate Pack. Further Information Things you need to know Nationality Requirements This role is open to UK nationals only. This includes UK nationals who hold dual nationality. Please see the Candidate Pack for details of what documentation you will be required to provide to evidence this. Additional Security Check: As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting (UKSV) clearance and passing right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force is also subject to an additional Border Force specific security check to determine their suitability to work for the organisation. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information. UK residency requirements As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting (UKSV) clearance to SC level and passing right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force is also subject to an additional Border Force specific security check to determine their suitability to work for the organisation. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information. UK residency requirements For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period to provide the required level of assurance. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information. Reserve lists If you are successful but there are not enough vacancies at your preferred location to offer a role, you will remain on a reserve list for up to 12 months. Reserve lists will be held for each location and candidates will be appointed in merit order by location. Further information can be found in the attached Candidate Pack. Public servants and NDPB’s Please note: If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or member of the Border Force Seasonal Workforce you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e., outside the civil service. Other worker types operating within the public sector (e.g. Public Servants (such as council workers, police, military, NHS) are also recruited as external hires. If you are one of the above worker types, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal or OGD (other Government Departments) when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you be made an offer of employment after the interview stage. Employees of Non-Departmental Public Bodies Please check if you are a Civil Servant or Accredited NDPB Public Servant. Public servants will be recruited as external hires rather than civil servant transfers. Also see section on NDPBs within the Candidate Information Notes. Appearance These are uniformed posts and as such requires the highest standards. For those candidates who have tattoos, please refer to the Candidate Pack. Part time working All our roles are available for part time working and we encourage applications from those who wish to do so. However, we encourage you to contact the Vacancy Holder at the earliest opportunity to discuss your preferred working pattern because part-time opportunities cannot be guaranteed due to the 24/7 operational nature of the business. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 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. 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 here. For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application. 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, please see the Candidate Pack for further instructions on how to proceed. 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. Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : HO-Recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com or visit the microsite for a live chat option on https://www.homeofficejobs-sscl.co.uk/bf-vacancies.html Email : HO-Recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Recruitment team Email : HO-Recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
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