Job Introduction
Would you like the opportunity to build your confidence around workplace skills?
Are you looking for the opportunity to gain paid work experience?
Do you feel under-represented in the police complaints system?
Perhaps you’re a care leaver looking for that first step into work, or a carer wanting to refresh your work skills before returning to work? It may be that for a combination of reasons and personal circumstances, including your ethnicity, disability, or gender, you feel that your voice has not been heard. We want to help make sure it is and to provide you with the confidence to pursue your chosen career.
We’re running a 4 week, paid work placement for those who are either looking to begin their journey into work, or return to work following a career break and would love to receive your application.
Main Responsibility
The IOPC Aspiring Professionals Programme is offered as a development opportunity for passionate individuals interested in working in the public sector. Successful candidates will be offered the chance to work together to deliver on projects, develop workplace skills and gain professional experience.
The Aspiring Professionals Programme is a four-week work placement. Although it will not offer permanent employment at the end of the programme, it will help enhance your skills and confidence to apply for job opportunities, including those at the IOPC.
You will gain experience of working in a high-profile, public sector organisation, and be given lots of opportunity to work with colleagues across the organisation, allowing you to flourish in a supportive environment.
The programme will be delivered in line with the IOPC’s hybrid working model. This means you will spend some of your time on site in one of our offices and some of your time working at home. All successful applicants will be provided with the ICT equipment needed. The IOPC will also cover travel costs if, as part of the programme, you are required to travel to an office different from your designated IOPC office base.
Core Duties
- Attend the IOPC Aspiring Professional induction
- Attend weekly work-skills sessions and workshops
- Contribute to the completion of an allocated group project
The Ideal Candidate
Things to consider before applying
To take part in the IOPC Aspiring Professional Programme you should ideally be able to:
- Work full time; Monday – Friday
- Work 37 hours each week
- Work during core Aspiring Professional hours; 10am – 3pm each day
- Be available between 18 September – 13 October
- You must be aged 18 or over by 18 September 2023
We do not want any of the above requirements to prevent passionate and talented people from applying for a position on the programme, so if you feel that you may not be able to meet any of the above requirements, please contact us at campaigns@policeconduct.gov.uk and we can discuss your specific needs.
What you will need
Person Specification
Essential
- Able to work as part of a team
- Able to work with people from backgrounds different from your own
- An understanding of the IOPC values
- Good communication skills
- Willing to share ideas
- Able to use a computer
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, to find out more, please click here. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete three sift questions One of these will be based on the Level 1 Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, whilst the other 2 are based on the IOPC Values (contained in the Job Description).
** If we receive a high number of applications for this role, we will mark Question 1 as the lead question. You will need to score well on Question 1 for the remainder of your application to be assessed.
If you are invited for interview for this role, we will send you many of the interview questions in advance.
At the IOPC, we are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the communities in which we serve. A more inclusive workforce enables us to be a more effective and efficient organisation, better understand and respond to the needs of our communities.
Positive action as detailed in the Equality Act 2010, allows us to use measures designed to help improve equality in the workplace, and create a level playing field for all, whilst still employing everyone based on merit. Our workforce profile data shows that people who identify as black, Asian and minority ethnic are under-represented at the IOPC.
For this role – should we have a situation where multiple candidates have achieved the highest score and one identifies as black, Asian and minority ethnic, by using positive action, we can select that candidate for the role, therefore improving this area of under-representation at the IOPC. We will only use positive action in this way where the highest scoring candidates have all scored equally, at the final assessment stage, and above our required threshold.
If you would like any further guidance or support on our recruitment processes, or would like to speak to an IOPC colleague about the work that we do, please contact us at campaigns@policeconduct.gov.uk
Reasonable Adjustments
The IOPC is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. We are open to providing you with the tools you need to succeed, from extra time to formatting changes, to name a mere few. If you require any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process, please email humanresources@policeconduct.gov.uk
Package Description
- 27.5 days paid annual leave per annum (increasing with service to 32.5 days)
- Options to carry over, buy or sell annual leave
- Civil Service pension
- Confidential employee assistance programme
- Access to Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) membership
- Staff networks focused on each of the protected characteristics – run for staff, by staff
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity behaviours
Additional Information:
The IOPC is not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process, therefore successful candidates will not be able to transfer to the IOPC on their existing terms and conditions.
The IOPC does not participate in the UK Visa Sponsorship Scheme therefore, candidates will have to provide evidence of their Right to Work in the UK if offered a role with us.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, therefore a standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out for the successful candidate during the pre-employment process.
Any move to the Independent Office for Police Conduct 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
About the Company
As a completely independent organisation, the IOPC seeks to uphold the rights of the public and investigate the most serious matters, including deaths following police contact, to promote learning and influence change in policing. The IOPC is an organisation steeped in history, influenced by significant figures such as Stephen Lawrence and Sir William Macpherson. We are looking for people to uphold our core values, and in return we will give you a supportive and inclusive work environment to flourish in.
Be yourself
The IOPC is committed to promoting equality and valuing diversity in everything we do. Our vision is to be, and to be seen as, a leader in inclusive employment and services, demonstrating this ethos in everything that we do.
- As a silver standard Stonewall employer, we continue to commit to being a LGBTQ+ employer through the work of our Pride LGBTQ+ Staff Network, creating welcoming environments for lesbian, gay, bi and queer people.
- We are pleased to share that we are a signatory of the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. The Charter is composed of five calls to action for leaders and organisations across all sectors.
- Being a Disability Confident employer, the IOPC is dedicated to removing the barriers for disabled people to thrive in the workplace.
- Our Staff Networks are constantly working to make the IOPC the leaders of inclusive employment, from our Allyship Programme to Operation Hotton, to Welsh Language Standards and our Know the Line Policy, we are constantly seeking new ways to create an environment for all to develop and thrive.
