** Administrative Officer

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. We also aim to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

Immigration Enforcement’s Foreign National Offender Returns Command (FNORC) has overarching responsibility for the removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs). FNORC works in close partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

Immigration Prison Teams (IPT) is the operational arm of Foreign National Offenders Removals Command (FNORC) and comprises of 14 teams based nationwide.

This includes embedded teams in prisons and mobile teams nationwide. You will be working in the operational arm of the Home Office's Foreign National Offender Returns Command, Immigration Prison Team.

This is a challenging and rewarding role with opportunities for career progression. It plays an important part in supporting the removal of eligible Foreign National Offenders or the structured reintegration of those for whom deportation is not appropriate.

Job description

The Administrative Officer role within the Immigration Prisons Team offers the opportunity to work in a fast-paced and unique operational environment.

You will provide administrative support to operational officers by ensuring urgent cases are identified and that the necessary paperwork is available from caseworking colleagues for service. This may involve managing potentially difficult and challenging situations with confidence and professionalism.

The role includes maintaining and updating a range of internal spreadsheets and SharePoint records to support the production of management information for senior managers. You should be confident using Excel and SharePoint to manage data accurately and efficiently.

Working in a pressurised operational environment, you will need to be adaptable, organised and responsive to changing priorities. You will monitor shared inboxes and telephone calls, ensuring important issues are escalated to Immigration Officers or Chief Immigration Officers when required.

You will also engage with a range of internal and external stakeholders, building effective working relationships to support the delivery of key performance indicators. The role requires a professional approach to service delivery, balancing competing priorities and business needs across multiple deliverables.

This role is based at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams, where possible at your base location or within reasonable travel distance, depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden your experience and skill set.

Key responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Respond to enquiries received by email, letter and telephone, referring matters to an Immigration Officer (IO) or Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) where appropriate.
• Create induction sheets from reception lists to ensure all new receptions are inducted.
• Maintain and update Excel spreadsheets, ensuring data is accurate, complete and up to date at all times.
• Support Immigration Officers by providing the information and documentation required to deliver immigration surgeries and serve paperwork effectively.
• Conduct DVA checks for potential British nationals and provide details of potential matches for Immigration Officers to review.
• Monitor and book asylum and screening interviews in line with policy requirements.
• Assist with the management of administrative processes to support the efficient running of the team.
• Prioritise and organise workload effectively to meet deadlines in a fast-paced operational environment.

Working pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Due to the operational nature of the role, you will be required to work on-site at the prison on a full-time basis.

Training

You will be required to complete and pass specialist training - Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) Level 2. You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the classroom and then continues on the job with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Travel

Occasional travel to other prisons and sites across the region will be required.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of providing effective administrative or customer-focused support, handling enquiries professionally through a range of channels and ensuring issues are resolved or escalated appropriately.
• Ability to organise and prioritise a varied workload, responding to changing demands and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build positive working relationships and work collaboratively with a range of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Experience of maintaining accurate records, updating information systems or spreadsheets, and checking data to ensure it is complete, reliable and up to date.
• Ability to follow guidance, use initiative and make informed decisions within agreed processes, identifying problems and taking appropriate action to support business objectives.

Licences

Due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area, driving is an essential requirement for this role. You will be required to drive on official business. You must have a full valid UK manual driving licence.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

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 the followingCivil Service Verbal test.

1. Online Test – by 19th August 2026

If you successfully pass the Civil Service Verbal test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online test(s) or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The online tests are accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the tests on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your test, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

2. Application – by 19th August 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• Personal Statement (maximum 500 words)
• Evidence of the Behaviour ‘Working Together’ (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour)

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – from 21st August 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and lead Behaviour Working Together, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining element submitted (Lead Behaviour). Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4. Interview – from 14th September 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will be held in person in HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Appearance

This is a uniformed post and as such requires the highest standards. Further information on this and policies regarding tattoos can be found on our website.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional security checks

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Criminal Record Check

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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

Successful candidates must undergo an enhanced (or equivalent) criminal record check.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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 Commission's 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@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 Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

candidate_information_v18_July_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 8MB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)