Administrative and Policy Support - Apprenticeship

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counterterrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration, and passports.
The Public Safety Group’s role is to keep the public safe by cutting crime, disrupting the highest harm criminals, protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that our police, fire, and rescue services are as efficient and effective as they can be in delivering front line public services. We work with our partners in other government departments, local government, and the voluntary sector to develop and implement policy, provide funding, and deliver legislation.
This is a busy and exciting time for the unit. It is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience in policy and executive support alongside completing a Policy Officer Level 4 Apprenticeship. The role will support your apprenticeship in giving you plenty of exposure to senior internal and external stakeholders (including senior policing partners and ministers), the opportunity to contribute towards the shaping and implementation of policy and to support in future legislative processes that the unit will be leading on and contributing to.
This role sits within the Police Strategy and Reform Unit (PSRU) which is part of the Public Safety Group. The Unit is responsible for:
Police Strategy and Mayoral Devolution: Setting the overall strategic direction for policing with the sector, ownership of the Home Secretary’s National Policing Board (NPB). Supporting delivery of the Government's devolution agenda by leading on the policing governance elements, as well as policy on police force structures. Supporting ministers and senior officials in the department’s engagement with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Police System Reform: Delivering the Government’s commitments on police reform, including engaging with the policing system to set out a comprehensive police reform programme, developing a new performance function for policing and legislating to implement new powers, structures, and functions.
Governance, Accountability and Scrutiny: Developing the role of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), policy responsibility for Police and Crime panels and inspection via the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The team also acts as a key interlocutor with chief constables, police and crime commissioners and other key policing stakeholders., We are seeking an organised, flexible, and proactive executive officer who can manage competing priorities. Effective communication and organisation skills and the ability to work at pace are important in this post.
You will be responsible for providing executive support to the Deputy Director (Head of Unit) and wider administrative and policy support to PSRU. This element of the role may flex according to business need and there is scope for you to take on further support functions in the future.
Key tasks and areas of responsibility include:
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
+ Executive support to the Head of Unit, including diary management, and prioritisation, the exercising of good judgement on managing conflicts, proactive administrative support to the Head of Unit, providing them with key papers, updates on incoming work or urgent appointments, and seeking advice or delegating appropriately in their absence.
+ Building effective relationships with teams and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to support the smooth flowing of work by the unit.
+ Providing wider executive support to the unit, such as the organisation of large meetings, including producing itineraries, proactively identifying opportunities to add value to visits and support to the NPB where required.
+ Actively taking forward work to support corporate activities.
+ Monitoring PSRU’s incoming correspondence, processing finance requisitions, work on knowledge management and unit communications.
+ Lead on the policy for making decisions on copyright cases, communicating decisions, and improving the decision-making framework.
+ Provide policy support to PSRU teams, which may include stakeholder engagement, research and policy development, contribution to the unit’s legislative work and the implementation of policy.
Eligibility:
It is important that you are able to confirm that you meet all of the following criteria to apply for these roles:
• Must be 18 years old
• Must live in the UK, and have done so for at least 5 years
• Must work a minimum of 30 hours per week
• Must not already hold a similar qualification
• Must demonstrate that the apprenticeship will provide them with a significantly new skill set/skills uplift
• Are happy to spend 20% of your time undertaking learning activities/study. Please note that all your training will be delivered during work time.
Working pattern
Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. Alternative working patterns can be considered on a case-by-case basis so we would encourage you to contact the vacancy holder to discuss further if you are successful., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Making Effective Decisions, For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.
Problems during the application process:
If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website. Home Office Careers
Reserve List:
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.
Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.
Security Checks:
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter Terrorist Check(CTC)
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Additional Security Checks
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.
Standards
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Further information

Who can start an apprenticeship
To start an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:
+ 16 or over
+ living in England
+ not in full-time education
You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school but you’ll need to be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. Please note if successful you must be 16 or over to undergo the relevant security checks.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.
If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
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
For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
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 undergo a criminal record check.
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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window)., If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment
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.

• Experience of business administration and diary management, preferably in Outlook.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Effective stakeholder engagement.
Desirable criteria:
• Knowledge and understanding of Home Affairs agenda and/or policing and fire & rescue services.
• Experience of policy or unit finance support., There are no minimum entry level qualification requirements for these positions, however if you do not hold Level 2 (GCSE 4 to 9 or A to C or equivalent) in English and Mathematics then you must be willing to undertake additional functional skills testing in English and/or Maths alongside your apprenticeship.
If you hold Level 2 (GCSE 4 to 9 or A to C or equivalent) in English and Maths then you will not have to complete the additional functional skills testing alongside your apprenticeship, providing you can produce evidence of your certificates.

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
+ In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
+ 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
+ Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
+ 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.