Immigration Prison Team

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. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

The role is in the operational arm of the Foreign National Offender Returns Command (FNO RC), Immigration Prison Team.

Foreign National Offender Returns Command’s (FNO RC) objective is to protect the public by deporting or removing FNOs who commit criminal offences, and to actively monitor and manage FNOs released into the community. We manage each case through the legal process, negotiating barriers such as travel documents and ensuring that the use of immigration detention is appropriate.

Job description

The Immigration Prison Teams (IPT) make a real impact. As an IPT Officer, you’ll work at the heart of a fast-paced environment, engaging with Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders across the Prison and IRC estate. This is a role where no two days are the same, one moment you’ll be supporting an FNO through complex processes, the next you’ll be working with prison governors, immigration caseworkers, voluntary sector partners, law enforcement, and offender managers.

Your ability to build strong relationships and communicate with empathy will be key to progressing cases toward removal or release. IPT operates from 13 embedded hubs across the UK, with some teams taking on mobile roles to provide flexible, regional support, so you’ll be part of a network that thrives on collaboration and adaptability.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities will include (but not be limited to):

• Engaging with case owners, prison staff, and FNOs to progress and conclude cases through clear and empathetic communication.
• Promoting compliant returns, including supporting the Facilitated Removal Scheme (FRS).
• Conducting FNO inductions, screenings, and interviews (including Asylum and NRM) to establish identity and nationality.
• Serving deportation paperwork, explain processes to FNOs, and accurately update Home Office systems.
• Monitoring FNO health and vulnerabilities, escalate concerns, and attend Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) reviews when immigration impacts wellbeing.
• Acting as IPT point of contact for prison queries, manage imminent release cases, perform duty officer shifts, and travel to remote prison sites as required.

Working Pattern

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

Shift Working Roles

These are shift working roles and so you must be 18 years or over.

Your basic shift pattern will range from 07:00hrs – 19:00hrs to cover the duty desk and be available to work in the prison and detention estate. This may be extended to 20:00hrs from April 2026.

There will be occasions when early starts, and late finishes may be required, but they would not regularly exceed the hours above. You would be required to work every other weekend, and some public holidays.

Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts.

Training

You will need to undertake, and pass, Personal Safety Training at Level 2 and attend a full immigration course, expenses paid, which will be held in Croydon.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Ability to work under pressure with limited supervision in a prison setting.
• Sound interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills
• A resilient and flexible mindset
• The ability to work in a team and understand how your role fits into the wider operation
• Familiarity with computers and a basic knowledge of Word and Excel.
• Written skills.
• Confidence working collaboratively and empathically across teams and with external partners.

Licences

Due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area, driving is a key requirement for this role. Applicants must have a full valid UK manual driving licence. This role is based in HMP Highpoint with an expectation to travel to other HMP sites in the region where requested.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

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:

• 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.
• This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of 23.5% which equates to an additional £7261 to £7624 per annum.
• Further information can be found on our website.

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 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 these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application - by 02 February 2026.

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

• A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 500 words
• Provide evidence of the behaviour - Working Together (250 words maximum).

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.

2. Sift - Week commencing 02 February 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Behaviour Working Together.

The Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Behaviour Working Together will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements.

Should a high volume of applications be received, the sift will be conducted only on the Personal Statement only.

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their Behaviour scored and will only receive a sift score for the Personal Statement.

3. Interview - Week commencing 23 February 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviour and Strength based questions.

The interview will take place on MS Teams.

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.

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.

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.

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 a 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

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 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

Home Office Candidate_Information_v15_DECEMBER_2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)