Location: Kent Intake Unit 5 (KIU 5) – Dover
Border Force – Illegal Migration Intake Unit – Social Worker
Salary: £41,600 - £44,512
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Border Force is a Law Enforcement arm of the Home Office. We are responsible for handling the UK border control by implementing immigration and customs regulations and working with the wider Home Office on counter terrorism, organised crime, modern slavery and trafficking.
The Illegal Migration Intake Unit (IMIU) is responsible for the timely processing of illegal migrants, consisting of the registration and screening of those arriving in the UK illegally, locking the identity of asylum claimants from small boat arrivals, lorry drops and other clandestine arrivals.
These roles will work alongside our Kent Intake Unit (KIU) who primarily deal with new arrivals detected either near the port, in the surrounding area in Kent, and small boat arrivals. The unit operates 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Those arriving at the Kent Intake Unit will already be detained, so the Kent Intake Unit includes a holding room facility. The Kent Intake Unit has a particular focus around processing unaccompanied children, so the work of the unit involves the identification of those children and working closely with Kent Children’s Services to ensure they are processed and placed into appropriate care as quickly as possible.
We are looking for candidates who are qualified social workers, with extensive post-qualification experience in a local authority setting. Alongside proven expertise and experience in complex assessments, you will thrive in a fast-paced environment with the accountability for a high-profile area of work.
Annualised Hours Working (AHW)
The Illegal Migration Intake Unit operate a shift working pattern, where Annualised Hours Working (AHW) is paid in accordance with the operational needs of the business. This allowance is paid in addition to the monthly salary to compensate for out of office hours working and flexibility.
A review of AHW takes place annually and there is an anticipation that the shift working pattern will include working some unsocial hours. It is envisaged that in future the roster may include some night work. If this were to occur this would be discussed with post-holders in advance.
We are a 365-day operation and utilise a range of shifts including earlies, late, weekend and public holiday working. Shift lengths can vary and be up to 12 hours. Rosters are published in advance, but shifts can change or extend according to business need.
Training
Training for all frontline Illegal Migration Intake Unit colleagues will include teaching skills in personal safety techniques to keep you and your team colleagues safe. This Personal Safety Training (PST) requires physical activity and physical contact with the other delegates. This training is refreshed annually.
Essential Criteria
· Qualified and registered Social Worker with Social Work England, or the equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
· A successful track record with extensive post-qualification experience in a local authority setting, including experience of working in children’s services
· Culturally sensitive with experience of working with service users from diverse backgrounds
· Proven ability to conduct complex social worker assessments and complete high quality written assessment reports, robust enough to withstand legal challenge, within agreed timescales
· Capable of maintaining up-to-date knowledge of research findings, legislation, statutory guidance, policy developments and case law relevant to age assessments and child safeguarding practice
· Strong planning and organisational skills, including proven ability to work independently and balance competing demands
Qualifications
To apply for this role you must be a qualified Social Worker - you will need to provide details of your qualification along with the date it was obtained within your CV. Failure to hold such qualification or to provide proof when requested will mean your application will be withdrawn from this campaign.
The successful candidates will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
We are a 365-day operation and utilise a range of shifts including earlies, lates, weekend and public holiday working. Shift lengths can vary and be up to 12 hours. Rosters are published in advance, but shifts can change or extend according to business need.
The average allowance is currently 18% (and can change subject to an annual review). You would be deployed to a range of different duties, shifts and locations. Occasionally this may include travel to other UK based locations.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £41,600.00-£44,512.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Company pension
- Employee mentoring programme
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Paid volunteer time
- Sick pay
Schedule:
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: 364998
