Operations Officer

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
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 our careers pages.
What is an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC)?
An IRC is a secure building that holds detained individuals who are held prior to their removal from the United Kingdom or for nationality and identification purposes.
There are currently six IRCs in England and one in Scotland, with two more planned to open in England soon, Haslar IRC and Campsfield House IRC.
All IRCs are overseen by the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement Detention Services and are contracted out to private companies who ensure all aspects of the IRC are run safely and securely, adhering to relevant policy, standards, and legislation.
These posts sit within The Detention Services Compliance Team within the IRCs, ensuring that our IRC Suppliers provide the required levels of service and care for the residents detained there, as well as oversight of all the operational activity., This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast paced and varied role.
As an Operations Officer, you will be one of a team who monitor the standards within both IRCs at Gatwick and the performance of the IRC Supplier, ensuring effective delivery of contracted services. This is achieved by regularly walking throughout the IRC, interacting with IRC supplier staff and the detained residents as well as developing a good understanding of the Contractual requirements of both the IRC Supplier and the Home Office.
You will attend reviews completed by the IRC Supplier with residents to ensure that residents are appropriately managed and looked after.
You will attend regular meetings with the IRC Supplier and stakeholders, to ensure that residents are treated with dignity and respect and that the needs of vulnerable residents are met.
You will complete checks to ensure that documentation is completed accurately and appropriately by the IRC Supplier and will understand how to apply appropriate Key Performance Indicators when required.
You will ensure that the IRC Supplier provides a range of activities for the residents and that these are appropriately staffed. You will monitor the IRC Supplier activities and management of residents on scheduled re-patriation flights and on occasion be available for a weeks on-call for out of hours notification and management of incidents.
We are looking for excellent communicators who can engage with colleagues of various grades and key partners (internally and externally).
You must be able to effectively manage and progress your own work, and have the ability to work to targets independently., Duties of the role will include (list is not exhaustive):
• Monitoring contractual compliance, providing regular performance summaries and feedback to the Home Office Compliance Manager.
• Managing the team’s shared inbox, responding to enquiries in a timely fashion.
• Monitoring and reporting on the transfer of residents from the IRC onto their chartered removal flight.
• Assisting in giving advice about the policies and procedures of the IRC to managers, including responses to parliamentary questions and other official correspondence.
• Being available for an out of hours on-call service for Detention Operations rotated between team.
• Assisting the Senior Operations Officer with the production of monthly reports that provide essential data and statistics relating to the IRC.
• Ensuring Residents within the centre are provided with an effective service in line with Detention Services Performance Standards & Framework.
• Monitoring the IRC Supplier’s compliance with the contract, ensuring that the site is run in a healthy, safe, and secure manner in accordance with relevant legislation. Providing regular updates to your manager.
• Carrying out Immigration Enforcement’s statutory duties around the IRC, including authorising the use of temporary confinement or removal from association for residents as necessary. Collecting, processing, and auditing complaints in line with the policy, working collaboratively with the complaints department.
• Representing the Home Office at a range of meetings that include, planning in the difficult removals of residents, daily operational meetings, resident consultative committees, Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), security, healthcare, and safer community meetings. Providing high-quality thematic reviews into contract delivery and dip sample reports on a range of areas enabling requisite assurance of contract delivery and adherence to policy.
Training
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 on our website.
Working Pattern
We encourage applications from candidates who wish to work part-time; however, part-time opportunities cannot be guaranteed and are subject to the requirements of the role and business. Candidates wishing to work part-time should notify the vacancy holder as soon as a provisional offer of employment is made, to explore whether this can be accommodated at your selected location.
Please note that full shifts, of up to 8.5 hours, will be required even if a part time contract is sought., For guidance and information on how to construct your application (Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
2. Sift – week commencing 18th November 2024
The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Lead Behaviour 'Working Together'.
Should a high volume of applications be received, the sift will be conducted only on the Personal Statement.
The Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Lead Behaviour 'Working Together' will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their Behaviour(s) scored and will only receive a sift score for the Personal Statement.
3. Interview - week commencing 2nd December 2024
o Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.
The interview will take place via MS Teams.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
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.
Appearance
This is a uniformed post and as such requires the highest standards.
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Additional Security Checks
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up.
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
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
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.
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas
Further Information
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.
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:
o Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
o 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:
o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o 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)
o 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)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o 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.

o Able to work collaboratively with both internal and external partners to deliver work in a timely manner.
o Good written and verbal communication skills.
o Good organisational and interpersonal skills to manage your time to deliver a quality service.
Desirable Criteria
o Experience of working in a detention or prison environment.
o Experience of contract monitoring/audit and assurance.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
o Working Together
o Delivering at Pace
o Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
o Working Together, o 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.
o This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of between 15% and 20% of salary [depending on location], which equates to an additional ££4567 - £6090 per annum (maximum rate) based on salary minimum. Further information can be found on our website.
o See more of our benefits on our careers website.