Border Force - South East - Business Management Unit - Apprenticeship Folkestone, England
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Location
About the job
Job summary
Job description
The Business Management Unit (BMU) is a busy operational support team based in Martello house in Folkestone. It covers the areas of transport, staffing and recruitment, finance, risk/assurance/integrity/data protection management, management information and estates (including messenger services).
Whilst the work is based out of Martello House there may be the requirement for staff to travel and work to locations both within and outside the region.
The Administrative Officer (AO) roles in the Business Management Unit (BMU) involve working as part of a team to provide a wide range of support services to operational frontline Border Force staff across regions.
All work within this directorate is customer focused. As an Administrative Officer you will need to be flexible as you will be required to work in one of the many areas within the BMU.
You will need good communication skills as you will have regular contact with Border Force senior managers and external stakeholders.
You will also need good literacy as you will have regular contact with Border Force operational staff across regions as well as external stakeholders.
This is an evolving and hugely rewarding role where you will be trained to work across diverse areas of the unit with excellent opportunities for developing skills whilst, supporting customers, staff and senior managers.
Liaising with Stakeholders at all levels and developing relationships across grades and departments to facilitate and improve delivery.
AO Apprenticeship
As part of our commitment to your development, following successful recruitment and onboarding, you will be offered the chance to enrol onto our Operational Delivery apprenticeship programme.
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.
Commitment; Discipline; Respect and Moral Courage are the values that drive Border Force staff forward to help us achieve our vision and this role gives you an opportunity to:
Be in a position to positively affect some of the challenges facing the UK today and gain a nationally recognised qualifications including a Level 3 Award in Operational Delivery.
About the Apprenticeship
You must hold GCSEs at Grade 9-3 (A-D) in Maths and English to be eligible for this role. If you hold GCSE Grade D or equivalent in Maths and / or English, as part of your apprenticeship and to bring you up to Grade C standard, you must also be willing to complete Functional Skills Level 2 qualifications in either or both of these subjects.
The Operational Delivery Apprenticeship programme takes approximately 12 - 18 months to complete.
This is a Level 3 apprenticeship – equivalent to an A Level qualification.
You will spend approximately 20% of your time undertaking off-the-job learning activities, including face-to-face workshops, digital courses, mentoring and job shadowing.
You will undertake an End-Point Assessment (EPA) at the end of the scheme, which you will need to pass in order to complete your apprenticeship
Person specification
Duties include:
- Handling and dealing with queries relating to your work area from the business (including more complex issues if they arise) and the public.
- Managing and responding to the team email in-boxes.
- Creation and/or maintenance of spreadsheets and databases to provide information to senior leaders.
- Assisting within the wider Regional Corporate Service area in Martello House as required, organising and/or coordinating arrangements for face to face or virtual meetings, including provision of facilities and equipment. If required taking notes/minutes at meetings.
- Engaging and contributing to the team/commands forward planning to ensure the longer-term priorities, commitments and responsibilities are monitored and captured.
Essential criteria
Excellent written communication skills, collating and analysing data and strong interpersonal skills.
- Working knowledge of MS products (including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Skype/Teams).
- Demonstrate ability to work with others to complete tasks across various teams and regions.
- Team player who can when required, work on your own initiative.
- The ability to organise and prioritise your workload together with a flexible and proactive approach to your work.
Desirable criteria
- Full Valid Manual/ Automatic Driving Licence - However, if you do not hold a licence this is not a barrier to applying. If you are successful, we would expect employees to obtain this licence at their own expense within a 12-month period.
Where a licence is held or once you obtain a licence you will be required to drive official vehicles as part of your role.
Qualifications
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) prior to interview.
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.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Work Strengths Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 27/04/2023. If you fail to complete the online test 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 Tests on a mobile phone or tablet.
Following successful completion of the test, you will then be asked to complete:
- Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement) (maximum 500 words)
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 Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement).
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be Strength-based.
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
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.
A location-based reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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.
