His Majesty's Passport Office - Customer Contact Centre - Administrative Officer Job at Home Office
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About the job
Job summary
Passports, Citizenship and Civil Registration (PCCR) is a directorate of the Home Office, which incorporates His Majesty’s Passport Office (HM Passport Office), Citizenship services and the General Register Office for England and Wales. It is a directorate of the Customer Services function in the Home Office. It is a customer focused organisation providing passports for British citizens, passport verification services, citizenship services and overseeing the delivery of civil registration in England and Wales. PCCR employs around 4,000 people across the UK. We aim to deliver uncompromising public protection whilst providing world class customer service via a modern digital business.
The General Register Office (GRO), based in Southport, as part of PCCR, oversees the system of civil registration, including births, stillbirths, adoptions, civil partnerships, marriages and deaths, in England and Wales. It does this in partnership with a range of government departments and the 173 local authorities who provide the service directly to their local community.
The Customer Service Management Team (CSMT) are responsible for all customer enquiries, complaints and correspondence received via multiple routes (telephone, email or post) from customers both within the UK and overseas. CSMT process c.600k customer contacts per year.
HM Passport Office and GRO are undergoing a period of transformation with an aspiration of further improving our customer service by becoming a modern digital business. It is an exciting time to work in a part of government that touches the lives of the vast majority of citizens.
Further information about HM Passport Office is available on GOV.UK.
Job description
As a Customer Contact Officer, you will be responsible for delivering a variety of customer focused activities within a customer service environment, to support the wider HM Passport Office operational network.
The roles will be based in our Contact Centre with activities primarily carried out via telephone, however, this could also be via e-mail, written correspondence or social media platforms.
Our Customer Service Management Team is located in Southport and operates 8:00am – 08:00pm Monday – Friday; 8:45am – 5:30pm on Saturdays.
The full-time working week in CSMT is 37 hours with a 36-minute daily lunch break.
Working patterns will include 1 in 3 Saturdays. When a Saturday is worked you will be allocated a day off in lieu the preceding week.
All posts are open to part-time staff but working pattern requests will be considered against business need and operational core hours.
Person specification
This role is suitable for someone who has a passion for delivering excellent customer service; working in a team to deliver tangible, timely results and wanting to make a difference to meet the needs of the public.
Key Responsibilities to include (but not limited to):
- Providing outstanding customer service in resolving all telephone queries and e-mail/twitter enquiries relating to Passport application and Certificate orders, within the established service timescales
- Providing advice and guidance on a range of, complex nationality, eligibility and procedural enquiries to customers of HM Passport Office, to safeguard the customer experience through the effective implementation of standards, policies and processes, or to provide advice and guidance on enquiries relating to Civil Registration
- Providing comprehensive responses to customer complaints ensuring identification of lessons learned
- Developing and maintaining knowledge of legislation, policy, procedure and security guidelines
- Providing timely and excellent customer service, remaining authentic, compassionate and professional to ensure the best possible interaction with our customers
- Investigating and following up queries using all information, systems or work tools available
- Working effectively within a fast-paced, multi-tasking, team-based environment to achieve team goals and targets
- Contributing to the development and improvement of team processes
- Taking responsibility for one’s own personal attendance, performance and development
- Demonstrating and promoting HMPO Values in all areas of work
- Adhering to and complying with HMPO policies and procedures
- Working flexibly and providing support to other operational colleagues / areas as required
- Resolving customer problems fairly and effectively seeking to improve the customer experience through continuous improvement
Note: An employee may be required to carry out other duties within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence and training.
Essential Criteria:
We are looking for candidates who:
- Have experience in providing excellent customer service, with a focus on resolving queries first time through effective use of appropriate communication channels
- Can gain a clear understanding of customers’ needs and expectations by listening and asking questions to deliver a high-quality service
- Can place the customer at the centre of operations and work to resolve customer queries at the first point of contact
- Have excellent written and oral communication skills
- Are able to confidently manage potentially difficult and challenging situations
- Are flexible in their approach to work, and successfully perform a range of multi-skilled duties
Desirable Criteria:
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement (Max Limit: 500 words).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please note that your Personal Statement should demonstrate how you meet the Key Responsibilities as set out in the job description and essential criteria.
Sift:
The sift for this campaign will be completed on the Personal Statement only.
Interview:
Please note that if you are successful at sift stage you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions (no preparation necessary) and all behaviours as stated on the job advert.
Sift and Interview dates:
Sift will take place week commencing 16th January 2023.
Interviews will take place week commencing 13th February 2023. This may change subject to business needs.
Please note - due to the current COVID-19 pandemic interviews will be carried out via Skype for business/MS Teams where you will be required to have access to:
- A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
- Good Internet access
- Skype for business/MS Teams
Further Information
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.
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.
Hybrid working enables employees to work partly in their workplace(s) and partly at home. As Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, a hybrid working pattern may be available, where business needs allow. Applicants can discuss what this means with the vacancy holder if they have specific questions.
A reserve list may be created for other similar roles for a period of 12 months. Selection will be in Merit Order to fill the same role or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria and Success Profile elements without further assessment.
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.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
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
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
See our vetting charter.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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.
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
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