Border Force - Operational Logistics - National Frontier Approvals Unit - Caseworker Birmingham, England
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About the job
Job summary
Job description
The pillars are:
- Delivery and Support – Health & Safety, Op Lo Spokes, Transformation, and the Secretariat.
- Infrastructure – Estates, National Frontier Approvals Unit (NFAU), Cyclamen Port Reconfiguration Team, the Queen’s Warehouse and Criminal Justice Unit (CJU).
- Services – Procurement, Contract Monitoring and Assets and Fleet.
Op Lo operates on a Hub & Spoke model. The Hub (pillars) provides centralised logistical expertise whilst directing out and fielding in requirements to BF frontline via the Op Lo Spokes. Op Lo Spokes are the Op Lo face to the frontline customers and field all customer requirements and enquiries.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at the Home Office. We are committed to crafting a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
The NFAU is responsible for the issue and maintenance of legally required approvals for custom points of entry. Customs' approvals are one of the tools used by Border Force to deliver border security by helping it implement customs laws, protect revenue at the border, regulate imports and exports of goods and control the arrival and departure of passengers.
As an EO within the NFAU, you will form part of a small team of technical caseworkers undertaking effective, accurate and timely processing of approval casework within clearly defined rules, regulations, and policies. This will involve helping businesses to obtain, retain or relinquish a customs approval by processing applications, responding to queries, and providing technical support throughout the processing of an application.
You are well organised with a proactive approach to your work and can integrate into a small team. You have good interpersonal and team working skills and will be able to engage with and communicate effectively with others and demonstrate good planning and organisational skills. You will be required to follow detailed processes and complete tasks quickly and accurately and have the passion to do the job to a high standard, taking pride in your work.
Once trained, you will be able to exercise judgement when making decisions, work with minimal direction, display a methodical approach to your work and deliver competing priorities. As the role of the NFAU is evolving, you will need to be able to deal with change without it affecting your efficiency.
This is an office based role and NFAU staff are not deployed on frontline Border Force activities.
NFAU staff are not currently required to work antisocial hours, weekends, or public holidays.
Due to business requirements, this is a full-time post, but flexi time and hybrid working are in operation.
Hybrid working is voluntary and subject to local business area needs and specific role requirements. There is a requirement for staff utilising hybrid working to attend their workplace for a minimum of 40% of their contracted hours. Business need may require a higher percentage of attendance on an occasional basis and staff may also choose to attend for more than 40% of their contracted hours.
During your initial training period, you will be required to attend the office for a higher percentage of your hours as you will require hands on training and access to your training mentor and Line Manager.
Person specification
Duties include:
- Reviewing, processing and monitoring applications for customs approvals within legal time frames.
- Making accurate decisions on approval applications.
- Creation of complete and accurate case files for HEO authorisation.
- Responding to queries from the public and other external partners.
- Collaborating closely with Border Force front line colleagues on approval related matters.
- Accurate completion of internal records.
- Provision of support to HEO/SEO.
Note: You may be required to carry out other duties within the scope of your grade and within the limits of your skill, competence and training.
Essential criteria
- Recent experience of dealing with casework.
- Recent experience of decision making.
- Recent experience of managing competing priorities and completing time sensitive tasks.
- Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate effectively and professionally.
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- Competent in the use of Microsoft Office programmes.
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience or knowledge of Customs International Trade related activities.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
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 first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.
After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass this test, you will then be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test and full application form is 23:55 on 27th April 2023. If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.
Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.
You CANNOT complete the Test on a mobile phone or tablet.
Following successful completion of the test, you will then be asked to complete:
- CV detailing job history
- Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) (maximum 500 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 (250 words maximum) and the Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement). The CV will not be scored.
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 lead Behaviour (Making Effective Decisions) 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.
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 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
Sift and Interview dates
Sift is expected to take place week commencing 1st May 2023.
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 22nd May 2023.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.
Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:
- A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
- Good internet connection
- Skype for Business/Microsoft Teams
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.
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.
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 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.
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.
Hybrid working
Hybrid working enables employees to work partly in their workplace(s) and partly at home. A hybrid working pattern may be available, where business needs allow. Applicants can discuss what this means with the vacancy holder if they have specific questions.
A reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
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.
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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).
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