HMICFRS HEO Editorial Officer
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 23rd October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
HMICFRS independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services – to make communities safer. Our recommendations are designed to bring about improvements in the service provided to the public.
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. 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 it’s 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.
Job description
The quality of our reports is vital: they lead to improvements in policing and fire and rescue services, which make communities safer. This is an opportunity to work with interesting subject matter and help produce high-profile reports that really make a difference. Child protection, domestic abuse, police efficiency and fire and rescue effectiveness are just some of the areas we have focused on in recent reports.
Our reputation and our ability to do good depend on the quality of our writing. Our voice must be clear, strong and authoritative to help achieve positive changes in policing and fire and rescue services. People must find our reports easy to understand and persuasive.
We are looking for an editorial officer who is passionate about high-quality writing and interested in the work HMICFRS does to improve policing and fire and rescue services.
You will join the communications team and work closely with the in-house editor and editor-in-chief.
You will allocate work to our pool of associate editors and proofreaders (these are freelancers who work remotely for us), review their work and support the editing and proofreading service more generally.
Due to the nature of this role the post is only suitable for a full time worker.
Responsibilities
As an editorial officer, you will work closely with our inspection teams to make sure our reports are edited and proofread in line with our publications schedule.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Project managing editing and proofreading requests.
- Allocating work to our associate editors and proofreaders.
- Reviewing our proofreaders’ work and providing feedback where appropriate.
- Helping to manage and update our glossary of online terms, style guide and in-house writing manual.
- Providing support to the editorial team.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Project management experience.
- Interest in editing and proofreading.
- Keen eye for detail.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines.
- Strong English language skills.
- Experience of relationship management and collaborating with others.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office tools (Word, PowerPoint and SharePoint).
Desirable Criteria
- A working knowledge of the policing or fire and rescue sectors, audit and/or inspection will be an advantage but isn’t essential. An interest in some or all of these areas most certainly is.
- Experience managing terminology databases.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Benefits
- A Civil Service Pension
See civil service pensions website for more information - www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
We are committed to investing in our staff and providing all staff with opportunities to maximise 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.
- 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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement (maximum word limit 500), A CV, and a number of behaviour examples.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please note your personal statement should be aligned to the essential criteria.
The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.
The first stage of the sift will be carried out on your personal statement. If you do not meet the essential criteria, your application will not progress further.
For those who do meet the essential criteria, their application will progress to the second stage of the sift process. The second stage of sift is based on the lead behaviour Managing a Quality Service.
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.
In addition, you will be asked to complete a written test where you will review a sample text that has been proofread. You will be given details of this before the interview.
Sift and Interview Dates
Sift - week commencing 28 October 2024.
Interview by Video Link (Teams) - week commencing 18 November 2024.
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.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Behavioural statements
You need to provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated particular skills or qualities for each of the four 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.
Further Information
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.
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.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
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 successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.
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.
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 candidate’s 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
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Helen Jordan
- Email : Recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HMICFRSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk
Further information
