A2 Administrative Positions Corporate Services Centre Information for Candidates December 2012
Contents About the Foreign & Commonwealth Office 3 Job Description 4 Person Specification 5 Terms & Conditions 6 General Benefits for all staff 9 Benefits for staff in the UK 9 Recruitment Process 10 How to Apply 10 Equal Opportunities Data 11 Annex A: Civil Service Code 12 Page 2
About the Foreign & Commonwealth Office The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the government department responsible for promoting British interests overseas and supporting British citizens and business around the globe. The FCO works for UK interests in a safe, just and prosperous world. This is achieved with 14,400 staff based in the UK and overseas in a network covering over 170 countries. Around one third of our workforce is made up of British nationals with two thirds employed locally by our embassies and posts. We celebrate diversity and recruit our staff from a broad range of backgrounds so that we benefit from fresh experiences and perspectives. The FCO works towards three foreign policy priorities: Safeguard Britain s national security by countering terrorism and weapons proliferation and working to reduce conflict; Build Britain s prosperity by increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources, and promoting sustainable global growth; Support British nationals around the world through modern and efficient consular services. Further information about the FCO may be found on its website www.gov.uk/fco About the Corporate Services Centre (CSC) The Corporate Services Centre is part of the FCO s Corporate Services Directorate, including its Procurement Function, and Corporate Services Reform Programme. It is based in the centre of Milton Keynes. The CSC has a vision to become among one of the best providers of corporate services in central government. With this in mind it is part way through an ambitious programme of change to ensure that it can benchmark competitively against other service providers. The CSC is also in the process of consolidating transactional processing from across the FCO network of overseas offices into teams in the UK. These positions are based at the Corporate Services Centre, and successful applicants will not be eligible to transfer to other parts of the FCO. Page 3
Job Description Job Title: Grade: Location: Administrative roles A2 Northgate House, Milton Keynes All positions are permanent, roles are business critical and have been exempted from the civil service recruitment freeze. These positions are operational roles within the Corporate Service Centre based in Milton Keynes. You must be a British Citizen. The roles require Security Clearance which is a condition of appointment. Some of the roles may require a higher level of security clearance. Details of security clearance required will be discussed at selection panels. Essential criteria for all roles It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following minimum criteria below as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited to the assessment centre and interview. 5 GCSE s, with passes at Grade C or above, including English and mathematics, or equivalent; Good data entry skills; including at least basic Excel skills. Good communication skills. Some customer service experience. Attention to detail. Page 4
Person Specification It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following minimum criteria, as well as the essential criteria listed on the previous page, as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited to complete on line testing and interview. Minimum Criteria: Clear, concise written and oral communication Strong customer focus skills Well organised with a clear attention to detail and able to work to tight deadlines At least basic knowledge and experience of Excel Desirable Criteria: Knowledge of working with an Oracle based system Experience and knowledge of working in a finance role Helpdesk or service desk experience Competencies The competencies you will be assessed on are as follows: Customer Focus Delivering Results Problem Solving Communicating Page 5
Terms & Conditions Salary The salary for this role is c. 19,245 per annum; this sum will be consolidated and pensionable. Future salary progression is performance related. Terms of Appointment This is a permanent appointment. It is graded at FCO Pay band A2. You will only be eligible to work in Milton Keynes. The successful applicants will not be eligible to transfer to or apply for, on promotion or otherwise, any position in the Home Civil Service cadre or in the Diplomatic Service cadre of the FCO, or any of its agencies or other bodies, through the FCO s internal processes unless (s)he receives express, exceptional permission from the Director of Human Resources. You will eligible to work only in the FCO s Corporate Services Centre based in Central Milton Keynes. The successful candidate will be on probation for a period of 6 months. If they complete this period of probation successfully, their appointment will be confirmed. If they do not meet the standard required for confirmation of their appointment, the appointment may be terminated. Former members of the Home Civil Service / Diplomatic Service who are re instated or reemployed as substantive civil servants after a period of five years or more will be required to serve another period of probation. You will also be required to serve a period of probation if you are reemployed at a band higher than that at which you left the FCO. Hours You will normally work a 5 day week of 42 hours including meal breaks. Some roles are based in teams that provide coverage across working hours i.e. Monday Thursday 09:00 17:30 and Friday 09:00 17:00. The teams work flexi time to ensure opening hours are covered by rotation. Leave The paid leave allowance for this post will be pro rated against an annual allowance of 25 days (5 weeks). This goes up to 30 days after 5 years service. You will also receive 10.5 days public and privilege holidays per year.. Pension If you will be transferring between employers who offer the Civil Service pension arrangements you will continue to be covered by those arrangements for the duration of this appointment. You will remain in your chosen pension scheme. Appointees may choose to join the Nuvos or Partnership schemes offered by the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme: Further details of pension options will be provided on appointment. Appointees who are already members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme may have the option to remain within their existing scheme. For further information please see www.civilservice pensions.gov.uk. Page 6
Learning and Development You will have access to FCO s extensive learning and development opportunities, including sponsored study). Nationality and Residency You will be eligible for appointment only if: 1. You are a British citizen; and 2. You have been resident in the UK for at least two of the previous ten years, at least one year of which must have been a consecutive twelve month period. Furthermore, to enable the appropriate security checks to be carried out, you must have resided for at least three consecutive years in one country. You should be aware that a lack of sufficient background information may preclude you from being granted developed vetting clearance. Security Clearance and Other Checks The roles will all require the basic level of security clearance, some positions will require higher level of security clearance. If you are successful at the assessment centre and interview you will be asked to complete a number of security questionnaires. Employment references will also be obtained. There will be checks on your nationality, and other matters, before a formal offer of appointment can be made. It can take up to six months for all checks to be completed, before your security clearance is authorised. Conflict of Interest If you or your spouse has any business interest or conflict of interest with the activities of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or UK Trade and Investment, you will be expected to declare this at a later stage. You will also be asked to inform us if you have any indirect association of this through any other family member or partnerships. Confidentiality You will be subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act. Equal Opportunity The FCO is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity for employment, career development and promotion to all who are eligible, on the basis of ability, qualifications and suitability for the work. The FCO aims to reflect the diversity of British society. Applications from all suitably qualified persons, including women, members of minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities are therefore welcome. Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Disabled Persons The FCO is an accredited user of the government's "two ticks" disability symbol, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria in the job specification at the short listing stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview. Selection will be on merit. If you wish to claim a guaranteed interview under the Disability Symbol commitment, you should attach a statement to this effect to your application. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability. Page 7
Data Protection The FCO takes its obligations under the Data Protection Act seriously. Any data about you will be held in secure conditions with access restricted to those who need it in connection with dealing with your application and the selection process. Data may also be used for the purposes of monitoring the effectiveness of the recruitment process, but in these circumstances, all data will be kept anonymous. The ethnic monitoring form is used for monitoring the selection process only. If you do not wish to have these details recorded please return the form uncompleted. If you are unsuccessful, your personal data relating to your application will be destroyed after 12 months. If you are successful, data will be passed to the FCO personnel team. Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles The FCO s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles Code which can be found at www.civilservicecommission.org.uk. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance, contact HR Recruitment, Corporate Services Centre, PO Box 6108, Milton Keynes MK10 1PX. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCO you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. Page 8
General Benefits for all staff Devolved Bonus Scheme All staff are also eligible to receive a bonus as an individual or as a member of a team. Awards under the scheme vary from non cash awards of 25 and 50 and cash awards of up to 500. Special Paid Leave Can be taken when getting married, paternity or compassionate reasons and in some circumstances study and exams. Career Breaks and Special Unpaid Leave These may be granted for a variety of circumstances such as voluntary work, study, nursing a relative etc. Time of in Lieu (TOIL) and Official Travel Time These can be taken if you work in excess of your conditioned hours, with prior agreement of your line manger. Free Annual Eye Test These are available up to 25 and possibly a contribution of up to 100 for frames/prescriptions. Extra Staff discounts and savings (including cash back options) are available at retailers such as Sainsbury s, Comet, Marks & Spencer etc. Give as You Earn You can make a donation to charities that are tax/ni free through Payroll. This is particularly attractive to higher tax earners as this cannot be done through direct donations. Employee Assistance Programme Provides a 24/7 confidential counselling service on such matters such as financial problems, childcare, social security benefits, elder residential care etc. Pre Retirement Help This is through PROSPER who offer free outplacement advice, training for job hunting and career counselling services, both in house and with specialised agencies. Also on offer is free financial planning and pre retirement courses. Benefits for staff in the UK Interest Free Loans These can be for a season travel ticket or bicycle purchase to travel to work. Childcare Support This is through onsite subsidised nurseries in London and Hanslope Park. Page 9
Recruitment Process The FCO has appointed Capita to manage the process. Please see the timetable below for indicative dates: Closing Date for Applications Thursday 22 nd November Online Tests 28 th November to 5 th December Panel Interviews Week commencing 17 th December If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to take online tests starting the week commencing 26 th November. If you are successful at this stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview in Milton Keynes. Panel interviews have been provisionally booked to be held the week commencing 17 th December. Existing Civil Servants For existing Civil Servants, the expectation is that the usual Civil Service rules on starting pay on level transfer or promotion will apply; on promotion, a 10% increase in salary if you are not already exceeding the progression target rate. Pay awards will be performance related and will include eligibility each year for a non consolidated bonus. How to Apply To apply for this position, please complete the online application form. It is imperative that your application form provides evidence and examples against each of the minimum criteria of the Person Specification. In so far as you are able, you should address the desirable criteria in a similar manner. Current FCO staff members are advised this is an external campaign and, as such, you will be required to go through the same process as all other candidates. The closing date for applications is midnight on Thursday 22 nd November 2012. If you have any queries regarding either the role or the application process please contact Verity Holloway at Capita Resourcing 01256 383729 / verity.holloway@capita.co.uk Page 10
Equal Opportunities Data The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to equal opportunities. Our officers are recruited on merit through fair and open competition. We seek our strength through diversity and appoint suitably qualified individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, social backgrounds, age or disability. All of our recruitment activity is governed by the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners; you can view the appropriate guidelines at www.civilservicecommission.org.uk To help us ensure that our recruitment activity reflects the diversity of British society, we should be grateful if you could complete the equal opportunities questionnaire that is included as part of the online application form. You are under no obligation to provide these details. The Recruitment Section of the FCO, those administering testing processes and the interview panel will not have access to the information you provide at any point during the recruitment process, nor will it be used as a selection tool. May we thank you in advance for your co operation. Page 11
ANNEX A: CIVIL SERVICE CODE Civil Service Values 1. The Civil Service is an integral and key part of the government of the United Kingdom 1. It supports the Government of the day in developing and implementing its policies, and in delivering public services. Civil servants are accountable to Ministers 2, who in turn are accountable to Parliament 3. 2. As a civil servant, you are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. In this Code: integrity is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests; honesty is being truthful and open; objectivity is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence; and impartiality is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well Governments of different political persuasions. 3. These core values support good government and ensure the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does. This in turn helps the Civil Service to gain and retain the respect of Ministers, Parliament, the public and its customers. 4. This Code 4 sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. Individual departments may also have their own separate mission and values statements based on the core values, including the standards of behaviour expected of you when you deal with your colleagues. 1 Civil servants working for the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government, and their Agencies, have their own versions of the Code. Similar Codes apply to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service. Civil servants working in Non Ministerial Departments in England, Scotland and Wales are covered by this Code. 2 Some civil servants are accountable to the office holder in charge of their organisation. This is made clear in terms and conditions of employment. 3 Civil servants advising Ministers should be aware of the constitutional significance of Parliament, and of the conventions governing the relationship between Parliament and the Government. 4 The respective responsibilities placed on Ministers and special advisers in relation to the Civil Service are set out in their Codes of Conduct: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics. Special advisers are also covered by this Civil Service Code except, in recognition of their specific role, the requirements for objectivity and impartiality (paras 10 15 below). Page 12
Standards of behaviour Integrity 5. You must: fulfil your duties and obligations responsibly; always act in a way that is professional 5 and that deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom you have dealings 6 ; carry out your fiduciary obligations responsibly (that is make sure public money and other resources are used properly and efficiently); deal with the public and their affairs fairly, efficiently, promptly, effectively and sensitively, to the best of your ability; keep accurate official records and handle information as openly as possible within the legal framework; and comply with the law and uphold the administration of justice. 6. You must not: misuse your official position, for example by using information acquired in the course of your official duties to further your private interests or those of others; accept gifts or hospitality or receive other benefits from anyone which might reasonably be seen to compromise your personal judgment or integrity; or disclose official information without authority. This duty continues to apply after you leave the Civil Service. Honesty 7. You must: set out the facts and relevant issues truthfully, and correct any errors as soon as possible; and use resources only for the authorised public purposes for which they are provided. 8. You must not: deceive or knowingly mislead Ministers, Parliament or others; or be influenced by improper pressures from others or the prospect of personal gain. 5 Including taking account of ethical standards governing particular professions. 6 Including a particular recognition of the importance of cooperation and mutual respect between civil servants working for the UK Government and the devolved administrations and vice versa. Page 13
Objectivity 9. You must: provide information and advice, including advice to Ministers, on the basis of the evidence, and accurately present the options and facts; take decisions on the merits of the case; and take due account of expert and professional advice. 10. You must not: ignore inconvenient facts or relevant considerations when providing advice or making decisions; or frustrate the implementation of policies once decisions are taken by declining to take, or abstaining from, action which flows from those decisions. Impartiality 11. You must: carry out your responsibilities in a way that is fair, just and equitable and reflects the Civil Service commitment to equality and diversity. 12. You must not: act in a way that unjustifiably favours or discriminates against particular individuals or interests. Political Impartiality 13. You must: serve the Government 7, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of your ability in a way which maintains political impartiality and is in line with the requirements of this Code, no matter what your own political beliefs are; act in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of Ministers, while at the same time ensuring that you will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom you may be required to serve in some future Government; and comply with any restrictions that have been laid down on your political activities. 14. You must not: act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official resources for party political purposes; or allow your personal political views to determine any advice you give or your actions. 7 Some civil servants are accountable to the office holder in charge of their organisation. This is made clear in terms and conditions of employment. Page 14
Rights and responsibilities 15. Your department or agency has a duty to make you aware of this Code and its values. If you believe that you are being required to act in a way which conflicts with this Code, your department or agency must consider your concern, and make sure that you are not penalised for raising it. 16. If you have a concern, you should start by talking to your line manager or someone else in your line management chain. If for any reason you would find this difficult, you should raise the matter with your department s nominated officers who have been appointed to advise staff on the Code. 17. If you become aware of actions by others which you believe conflict with this Code you should report this to your line manager or someone else in your line management chain; alternatively you may wish to seek advice from your nominated officer. You should report evidence of criminal or unlawful activity to the police or other appropriate regulatory authorities. This Code does not cover HR management issues. 18. If you have raised a matter covered in paragraphs 16 to 18, in accordance with the relevant procedures 8, and do not receive what you consider to be a reasonable response, you may report the matter to the Civil Service Commission 9. The Commission will also consider taking a complaint direct. Its address is: 3rd Floor, 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ. Tel: 020 7276 2613 Email: info@civilservicecommission.org.uk If the matter cannot be resolved using the procedures set out above, and you feel you cannot carry out the instructions you have been given, you will have to resign from the Civil Service. 19. This Code is part of the contractual relationship between you and your employer. It sets out the high standards of behaviour expected of you which follow from your position in public and national life as a civil servant. You can take pride in living up to these values. November 2010 8 The whistleblowing legislation (the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998) may also apply in some circumstances. The Directory of Civil Service Guidance and the Civil Service Management Code give more information: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/conduct ethics/civil service.aspx. 9 The Civil Service Commission s Guide to Bringing a Complaint gives more information, available on the Commission s website: www.civilservicecommission.org.uk. Page 15