Border Force - National Operational Headquarters - Kennel Assistant United Kingdom
Job description
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Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Job description
This is a great opportunity to join a team that really makes a difference. You will be part of a team of kennel staff who provide the daily care, feed and exercise regime for Border Force detector dogs. These dogs provide a specialised service to frontline staff and are a highly visible demonstration to society of our work in addressing criminality. They are trained to detect Class A Drugs, Currency, Cigarettes, Tobacco, Firearms, People, Products of Animal Origin, CITIES and Passports and Identity Documents.
You will play a crucial role in supporting handlers by ensuring you monitor and record the welfare needs of each animal, as well as ensuring that all dogs receive the appropriate level of exercise and enrichment to meet their individual needs when the handler is off duty.
It is therefore essential that you have a natural affinity with animals and be prepared to provide the highest levels of care and welfare management to all dogs within the Border Force Detector Dog programme. You should be aware that the post is physically demanding and requires a high level of fitness with the potential to be exercising dogs for up to four hours a day as well as lifting and carrying the animals when required to do so. This will be assessed during the selection process. You will also be required to work outdoors in often hostile weather conditions.
You will be responsible for:
- Ensuring that all dogs receive sufficient daily care, including twice daily exercise, feeding, grooming, accurate interpretation of medication boards and dispensing medication as required. Kennel duties will involve occasional lone working with minimal support and supervision.
- Delivering kennel enrichment and stimulation to meet the individual needs of the animals in your care.
- Maintaining the high hygiene standards of the kennels with a daily cleaning regime of kennels and surrounding estate. This will include picking up dog faeces and working with chemicals and cleaning products.
- Working outdoors, often in hostile weather conditions, and coping with working in extremes of hot and cold.
- Maintaining the service records of detector dogs.
- Utilising training received to deal with dog fights and dog aggression, reporting and recording of these incidents in line with Border Force Policy.
- Daily driving of official vans to/from exercise areas, visits to veterinary providers and transportation of detector dogs across the UK when required.
- Weekly cleaning of the unit’s fleet of vehicles and maintenance and cleaning of other assets as instructed.
- Checking and maintaining kennel stores, food, medical and cleaning stocks.
- Providing some clerical support, although this is minimal, and the role is primarily an outdoor job.
Although based at Felixstowe, this role will involve regular travel and cover of kennel duties at other Border Force kennel sites across the UK, including deployments to cover care, feed and exercise of Border Force dogs at facilities owned by partner organisations where Border Force Dogs may be housed. Therefore, regular overnight stays away from Felixstowe are an integral part of the role. Frequency will be dependent on business need.
Our business operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is covered by a variety of different shift patterns. Applicants will be required to work both early and late shifts on a flexible pattern of attendance. This includes weekend and public holiday working.
This post is not suitable for part time or job share arrangements due to dog welfare.
Please note it is essential for the driving license to be manual as the vast majority of our fleet vehicles are manual transmission.
Training and Development
The successful applicant will be required to undertake a 2-week Kennel Assistant training course delivered by Border Force, which may be residential, as well as continuous developmental training delivered by external service providers.
Applicants who do not currently hold a valid PST level 2 certificate must be prepared to undertake and pass this training. Personal Safety Training (PST) is specialist training that develops skills in personal safety, arrest, control and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer cannot be made if you do not possess the required level of physical fitness to undertake and pass the training.
You will be allocated to one of our training hubs near Heathrow, Manchester, Folkestone, Stansted, Tilbury or Gatwick. If you do not live within a reasonable commutable distance to one of our training locations, there may be a requirement for some overnight stay to complete your training. Travel costs will be covered by the business.
All aspects of this training and mentoring programme are tested and failure to pass will be deemed as poor performance. New recruits to the Home Office, including transfers from other Government Departments, will not receive AHA during their initial training, or periods where they are being mentored but not working in a shift pattern or at weekends. Staff previously in receipt of AHA: Home Office staff on a level transfer or promotion will receive the rate of AHA applicable to the new role during initial training periods.
Candidates who successfully complete their probation will be managed through the Performance Management Policy. Failure in any aspects of training will trigger the use of the Managing Poor Performance policy and this may lead to a decision to dismiss on grounds of inefficiency.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
It is essential that all applicants are comfortable and confident around dogs as exercising, dealing with negative dog interactions, administering medication, first aid and grooming dogs is an essential part of the role.
You must not have been disqualified from:
- Keeping or owning a dog under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; or
- Having custody of a dog under the terms of both the Animal Welfare Act 2006 & the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Successful applicants will also need to have:
- The ability to take personal responsibility for animals in your care, adhering to all Border Force Policy and Animal Welfare Legislation.
- A high level of physical fitness as this post is physically demanding. It is essential applicants can lift and carry dogs as well as provide twice daily exercise and high intensity interval training to a number of dogs who may have to be exercised individually.
- Be prepared to work outdoors, often in hostile weather conditions, and cope with working in extremes of hot and cold.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the confidence to engage with colleagues, members of the public, Veterinary providers and other external stakeholders.
- Be a team player but have the confidence and resilience to work alone with minimal supervision when required.
- The ability to work shifts and be flexible and adaptable to meet unexpected demands. This may mean rescheduling days off and changing attendance times at short notice to ensure animal welfare needs are met.
- Be able to multi-task, work to tight deadlines and take responsibility for your work.
- Hold a full manual driving licence and be willing to become an official driver.
- You must be comfortable driving vans/larger vehicles as this role involves daily driving to and from exercise areas and visits to veterinary providers.
- Be prepared to stay away from home overnight when providing cover away from the home station, delivering dogs and attending training courses.
Desirable criteria:
- Previous experience of working with or looking after animals in a professional capacity.
Licences
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Working Together
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, qualifications and skills
- A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
- Provide evidence of the behaviour Working Together (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 Statement of Suitability will be marked first for all candidates. Candidates who meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will then go on to have the Lead behaviour (Working Together) scored and will therefore receive sift scores for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the suitability of statement will not have their Lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive one sift score. The CV will be reviewed but not 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 a one-day assessment that will involve practical tasks to determine suitability for the role. The assessment will take place at Felixstowe and will include assessment of candidates’ level of confidence around dogs in the kennel environment, handling of dogs for bathing and grooming and lead control on exercise. Candidates will also be asked to prepare food and interpret feeding and medication boards.
During the assessment candidates will be given a full explanation of the role, duties involved and have the opportunity to address any questions or concerns they may have.
Candidates who pass the kennel assessment will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview in Felixstowe, which will be a blended approach of strength-based and behaviour-based questions on all listed behaviours.
Sift, assessment and Interview dates
Sift is expected to take place week commencing 12th June 2023.
The assessment is expected to take place week commencing 3rd July 2023
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 24th July 2023.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.
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 or need to better understand the role and/or assessment process to understand whether a change is required, please contact the Vacancy Holder as soon as soon as possible (contact details below) and complete the ‘Assistance Required’ section in the ‘Additional Requirements’ page of the application form. Further information is provided below.
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.
Note for Candidates:
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.
Annual Hours Working Allowance
We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and you would be required to work flexibly and operate over a 24/7 shift rota, this can include: Night shifts; Early morning starts, sometimes before 6am; Late night finishes, sometimes after midnight; Weekend and Public Holidays; Shifts can vary in length and can be up to 12 hours; Shifts that change or extend according to business need.
These posts include shift allowances which varies by flexibility and shifts, however, the average allowance is between 20% and 26%. You would be deployed to a range of different duties and shifts and should expect to have a variance in the AHW dependent on the varying duties and shifts. The actual % of AHW paid will be for each region/port to decide, as these will be different depending in which port you may work.
Age: These are shift working roles and so you must be 18 years or over.
Additional Security Checks
Additional Security Checks: As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine their suitability to work for the organisation.
Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks.
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.
Tattoos, including henna
A non-offensive visible tattoo is permissible, as long as it is not on the face or on the front or side of the neck (above the collar line). Tattoos behind the ear lobe on the back of the neck are also acceptable within these policy guidelines. You will be required to cover tattoos, when it is seen as appropriate for certain official events, e.g. State Funerals, Opening of Parliament, Remembrance Parades and other Ceremonial events. Under no circumstances should tattoos which could be considered offensive be visible. Examples of these include discriminatory; offensive; undermine political neutrality i.e. rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, sectarian, homophobic or violent tattoos.
Personal Safety Training (PST)
These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) 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 PST 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.
Hybrid working is not an option:
The flexible working arrangement of Hybrid working (working partly in their workplace(s) and partly at home) is not available for this role due to the requirements of the role. Successful candidates will be required to attend the office/other work location as specified in the advert at all times to carry out this role.
Reserve list
A reserve list will be held for 12 months from which further appointments 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 [email protected] 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
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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 :
Recruitment team
Further information
[email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
