Caseworkers

Details Reference number 351687 Salary £34,350 - £36,755 National: £34,350 min - £36,755 max Job grade Higher Executive Officer Contract type Permanent Business area HO - Homeland Security Type of role Operational Delivery Working pattern Full-time, Part-time, Compressed hours Number of jobs available 3

Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits

Things you need to know

Apply and further information

Location

Liverpool: The Capital

About the job

Job summary

The Homeland Security Group (HSG) unites capabilities and expertise to deliver better outcomes from the UK’s response to the most serious domestic threats – Terrorism, Cyber, State Threats and Economic Crime.

The group will strengthen coordination and collective focus across a range of growing and overlapping threats, whilst remaining consistent with existing strategies. Working with partners, HSG will foster more transparent and sustainable collaboration between national security, law enforcement and other relevant communities to enhance capabilities and leverage our response to threats.

As part of the Home Office, the role of the Homeland Security Group is to:

• Support the Home Secretary to develop and implement strategies to keep our people and interests safe and secure.
• Build HMG capabilities to reduce national security risk.
• Reduce volume of, and harm from, economic crime, particularly for the most vulnerable.
• Work in partnership with public and private sectors in the UK and overseas to deliver better outcomes.
• Ensure legitimate economic growth and prosperity.

Job description

A Case Management Team (CMT) is being set up to operationalise the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) which was introduced in July last year, via the National Security Act 2023.

FIRS is designed to strengthen the resilience of the UK political system against covert foreign influence and, secondly, to provide greater assurance around the activities of designated foreign powers or entities in the UK. Under the primary tier of the Scheme, all persons undertaking political influence activity at the direction of a foreign power must register that activity and under an enhanced tier, people undertaking registerable activities at the direction of a specified country or entity must do the same.

The CMT is currently expected to consist of:

• 1 x G6 Head of Team
• 1 - 2 x G7 Deputy Heads
• 2 - 4 x SEO (Senior Executive Officer) Senior Caseworkers
• 8 - 12 x HEO (Higher Executive Officer) Caseworkers and
• 2 - 4 x EO (Executive Officer) Casework Support Officers.

Caseworkers will be responsible for managing registrations submitted under the scheme, making assessments as to the validity of registrations, making assessment as to whether certain individuals are required to register, and as to whether individuals should be exempt from the public register. They will carry out an investigation and enforcement function, conducting research and analysis to determine whether individuals are required to register in order to inform decisions around issuing of information notices.

This role is available on a Full-Time basis as well as Compressed hours. Requests for part-time working will be considered on an individual basis.

Person specification

The role responsibilities will include:

• Processing registrations submitted by members of the public in line with the National Security Act 2023 and casework processes.
• Using various sources, including information provided by other departments and open-source information to verify the information submitted by registrants prior to making a decision.
• Working with legal advisors to ensure that cases are being processed in a way which is compliant with the National Security Act.
• Conducting investigations when issues of non-compliance arise.
• Responding to queries from other government departments (both general and on specific cases).
• Using various sources, including information provided by other departments and open-source information to support assessments on issuing information notices.
• Supporting litigation cases.
• Line management responsibilities of EO casework support officer (please note that not all caseworkers will have line management responsibilities).
• Overseeing and countersigning the work of the EO casework support officer/making decisions as to whether this may need to be escalated to the senior caseworker for review/sign off; and
• Responding to queries from members of the public on their duties under FIRS.

Essential Criteria:

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for delivery with the following skills or strong experience in:

• Ability to work in a fast paced and changing environment and effectively prioritise tasks to meet deadlines on multiple pieces of work.
• Strong analytical skills and good judgement to inform assessments and when providing opinions or advice to others.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Desirable Criteria:

For this role, the below experience would be beneficial, but is not essential:

• Casework experience

Behaviours

Well assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• 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 vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process, candidates will be required to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability (of no more than 750 words) that is aligned to the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

In addition, candidates will be required to provide evidence of the lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

CVs will not be scored.

In an event where a high volume of applications is received, an initial sift will take place using the lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be either progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be tested on all behaviours outlined in the job advertisement and Strength-based questions.

Sift and Interview Dates:

The sift will take place week commencing 20th May 2024.
Interviews will take place week commencing 17th June 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Interviews will take place remotely. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

It is advisable to access your interview from a windows operating system laptop, desktop, phone or tablet as there is no guarantee that Microsoft Teams will work without issue on an Apple laptop, tablet or desktop.

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 details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Please note: DV (Developed Vetting) clearance or a willingness to undergo DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role. The successful candidate will be permitted to start with SC whilst they undergo the DV clearance processes.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need for them to go through a further selection process.

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 would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

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, subject to local estates capacity. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder.

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 applicants 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 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 youre 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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security 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 Open to UK nationals only. 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 Commissions 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.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Home Office Resourcing Centre - BICS, HSG, PSG Email : horccampaignteamcpfgosctandsocg@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information 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.