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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Contract type
Type of role
Policing
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Number of jobs available
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Location
About the job
Job summary
HMICFRS independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services in the public interest. We promote improvements in policing and fire and rescue services to make everyone safer.
We are independent of the Government, police and fire and rescue services. We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered and produce major reports that shine a light on issues at the very heart of policing and fire and rescue services.
Our reports are widely covered by the media and help inform the public of the performance of their local police forces and fire and rescue services. You can find out more about HMICFRS on our website and see some of our recent reports.
Working at HMICFRS gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to the quality of local police and fire and rescue services and the lives of the public.
HMICFRS is a unique organisation with staff seconded or loaned from across the Civil Service, police forces and fire and rescue services. As short-term, contracted staff, our Associates work alongside these staff and play an important part in contributing to the success of our inspection programme.
We set ourselves high standards, taking great pride in the quality of work we achieve and the opportunities we create for our staff.
Find out more
If you would like to talk to someone about this role and what its like working for HMICFRS we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk and we can arrange for someone to contact you.
Also please see link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ommN1issEKQ. from a staff member sharing what they like about working within HMICFRS as an Inspection Officer.
We will be holding information sessions for anyone who is interested in learning more about working at HMICFRS and about the role advertised. If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please register using the links below.
The dates of the virtual sessions are:
Thursday 6 July 2023, 9:30am-10:30am July 6 Registration Form
Wednesday 12 July 2023, 1:30pm-2:30pm July 12 Registration form
The sessions will be recorded and accessible afterwards. Please contact Recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk if you would like to request access to the recording.
Job description
We are seeking Inspection Officers who have the skills, experience, insight, and enthusiasm necessary to improve policing. Candidates will have a broad range of current skills and relevant operational experience in policing or an equivalent law enforcement environment.
Inspection Officers rely on a detailed understanding both of a range of inspection processes and, more broadly, of policing to scrutinise the efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy of police forces.
Inspection officers are essential to the delivery of our inspection programmes. They are responsible for supporting inspections by thorough preparation, undertaking detailed fieldwork, and assessing evidence to the highest standards.
Candidates should have a comprehensive understanding of practices and policies as they apply to policing in England and Wales. In addition, they will have proven communication and leadership skills, together with the ability to develop successful working relationships with a wide range of internal and external partners.
We are seeking self-motivated people who can plan and prioritise their work, and who consistently achieve high standards with minimum supervision. Highly organised people, successful candidates meet deadlines and make effective decisions, operate calmly under pressure and exhibit resilience. In exchange, they will enjoy a role that combines professional challenge with job satisfaction, bespoke training, and unique opportunities for development.
Responsibilities
The Inspection Officers key responsibilities are to plan, prepare and conduct inspection activities in accordance with our proven processes and methodologies. They act as ambassadors for HMICFRS and demonstrate the highest standards of professional conduct.
Regular activities include:
- Gathering evidence via focus groups, interviews and reality testing
- Conducting other insight activities, including desk-based evidence collection, such as file and document reviews
- The objective assessment of data and performance
- Identifying examples of promising or innovative practice, and areas for improvement
- Supporting our Force Liaison Leads to design inspections and write inspection reports
Inspection Officers are required to undertake a wide variety of activities in support of (and including deputising for) HMICFRSs cadre of Force Liaison Leads who are the main link between HMICFRS and police forces. This includes representing HMICFRS at strategic meetings, maintaining and building relationships with police forces and providing briefings for senior colleagues.
Inspection Officers also have the opportunity to contribute to the wider work of HMICFRS.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- Recent experience of working within a police force or equivalent law enforcement environment
- An understanding of policing and the challenges the service faces
- Experience of presenting to, and managing relationships with, senior level stakeholders
- Effective oral and written communication skills, with experience of preparing structured reports or papers of a high standard
- Experience managing and using a range of information to aid understanding and make informed judgements
- Ability to meet deadlines and maintain standards whilst working independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to work effectively as part of a small team
Desirable criteria
- Experience of applying inspection principles
- Experience of using analytical skills to assess information and apply it to performance improvements
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
Benefits
£14,580 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
We are committed to investing in our staff and providing all staff with opportunities to maximize their skills and achieve their potential. We offer a range of work-based training, learning and development opportunities including access to coaching and mentoring, and five days volunteering per year. HMICFRS has an Inspection Development Programme and linked accreditation process that all inspection staff undertake in our organisation. The scheme is approved by Skills for Justice and is based on you demonstrating competencies against a framework of role-specific tasks. The expectation is that all new inspection staff will complete a portfolio of evidence within agreed timescales (normally 12 months) and once this is complete it will be assessed by a trained assessor
- An environment with flexible working options
We promote flexible working that balances professional and personal commitments. We support virtual and smart working, making best use of our technology and building collaborative working models to help all staff to work from home and/or in the office in a hybrid way.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
The diversity of our people is a real asset to HMICFRS. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented within this grade level
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
See civil service pension’s website for more information www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement (Max Word Limit 500).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
In your personal statement please give details of any qualifications and knowledge or experience you have and address how you meet the essential criteria set out in the job description
The first stage of the sift will be carried out on your personal statement which should be aligned to the essential criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, your application will not progress further.
The second stage of sift will be based on the lead behaviour Communicating and Influencing. If your application progresses to a full sift, all behaviours will then be considered.
If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview where you will be tested against the Success Profiles behaviours and experience based on the essential criteria stated in the advert.
Behavioural statements
You need to provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated particular skills or qualities for each of the five Civil Service behaviours listed. Your examples must also show how you meet the Essential criteria and skills listed in the job description.
We recommend that you use the Situation, Task, Action and Result (STAR) method to help make sure your examples are clear and highlight your skills and qualities. Each example should set out what you have done, how you completed the task and the results of this action to allow the panel to assess how you meet the required behaviours.
Please make sure you have provided sufficient information it is not enough to submit a list of bullet points. Please refer to the Success Profiles (opens in a new window) to make sure you are familiar with what is required for each behaviour. You will not be expected to meet every single aspect of every behaviour but must show a good range or depth for each behaviour to be successful at the sift stage.
Sift & interview dates
Sift weeks commencing 31st July and 7th August 2023.
Interviews by Video link weeks commencing 28th August, 4th September and 11th September 2023.
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.
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
If you are a serving police officers or police staff equivalent and would like to apply on secondment for this vacancy please apply via vacancy ref number 296988
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. Should candidates be placed on a reserve list we may be able to offer a similar role or a lower grade role without the need for you to go through a further selection process.
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 candidates 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 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
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
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Deborah Yeates
- Email : recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HMICFRSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk
Further information
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
