Details
Reference number
421112
Salary
£38,500
Milton Keynes based – The total package for this role at HEO is £40,250 per annum (non-negotiable). This figure includes a non-pensionable, non-consolidated Location Allowance of £1,750.
East Kilbride based – The total package for this role at HEO is £38,500 per annum (non-negotiable).
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Type of role
Other
Working pattern
Full-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Milton Keynes or East Kilbride – You will be required to work from this location in line with FCDO policies on Hybrid Working (minimum 60% in the office).
About the job
Job summary
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK's role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK's security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.
Job description
We are recruiting a Safeguarding Investigations Specialist to work in the Safeguarding Investigations Team (SIT) in response to reported cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) in its programmes and within FCDO. The successful candidate will be required to undertake investigations into allegations of SEAH. The SIT responds to all reported safeguarding concerns and allegations to FCDO and ensures the appropriate investigatory response.
You will need to be comfortable working independently and forming judgements in the complex operating environment presented by FCDO's work and demonstrate skills and experience of investigating allegations of SEAH.
Increasingly, FCDO's key risks lie within its operations in fragile and hostile environments, and it is vital that the Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate (IAID) has the reach to influence good risk management practice within these countries. The successful candidate must therefore be willing and able to travel to and within such environments as dictated by the evolving requirements of the role. Appropriate training and support will be given to enable you to operate in insecure environments. You will be required to complete an online medical clearance questionnaire in order to conduct work in various locations. In this role you will be expected to complete a safeguarding investigation qualification.
Roles and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
* Lead safeguarding investigations, including planning the investigation, allocating resources, interviewing witnesses, survivors and alleged perpetrators, and writing investigation reports.
* Manage allocated safeguarding caseload, ensuring resources are assigned to the most significant cases.
* Work with partner organisations to ensure appropriate investigatory response.
* Provide advice to FCDO colleagues and partners on reporting safeguarding concerns, on case management and investigations.
* Ensure the reporting and communication of findings is effective and escalate concerns as required.
* Deliver safeguarding capability work and raise awareness of sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment.
* Contribute to the wider work of the IAID through active participation in the achievement of the department's goals, departmental meetings and working groups and the development of technical knowledge and resources.
The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.
Person specification
You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.
This role requires you to attainDeveloped Vetting (DV) security clearance.
For more information about this process, click here. Attaining DV will require you to have been resident in the UK for five of the last ten years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty's Government or having lived overseas as a result of your parents' or partner's Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.
It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following Minimum Criteria, the Behaviours and the Technical question as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.
Minimum Criteria
* A relevant degree / professional qualification or relevant experience of leading investigations relating to safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment.
* An understanding of the fundamentals of protection of individuals from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment and of the principles of survivor centred investigations into these areas.
* Experience of applying judgement to support sensitive decisions to ensure the right outcome is reached from investigations.
* A track record in delivering to tight deadlines, often at short notice and the ability to self-start and participate in multiskilled teams.
* A passion for working in international development and the aid sector.
Qualifications
A relevant degree / professional qualification or relevant experience of leading investigations relating to safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Communicating and Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £38,500, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £11,153 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
* A Civil Service Pension.
* 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
* 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
* Learning and Development tailored to your role.
See the attached candidate pack.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Please see the attached candidate pack for the selection process details.
This vacancy uses the Success Profiles Framework and will assess your Experience, Strengths and Behaviours.
Application Stage
You will be required to complete an online application form and submit a CV and Personal Statement of 500 words. Your Personal Statement should explain how your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with specific reference to the Minimum Criteria. It is essential that you provide clear evidence and proven examples addressing each of the Minimum Criteria and Behaviours below. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.
The Behaviours you will be assessed on at the application stage are as follows:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Communicating & Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
You will also be required to answer two role specific questions on Safeguarding.
In the event of a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift by a lead criteria. For this campaign we will be prioritising the CV. Only candidates who meet the minimum standard in this area will have the rest of their application fully assessed.
Interview Stage
The Behaviours you will be assessed on during the interview are as follows:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Communicating & Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
At the start of your interview, you will be asked a non-assessed warm-up question about your motivation for applying for the role.
Candidates will be required to give a Presentation at the Interview and the topic will be sent to you in advance. The Presentation will test the following Safeguarding role specific skills:
* The principles of survivor-centred investigations
Reasonable Adjustment
IMPORTANT: If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and require Reasonable Adjustments in order to complete your application, please ensure Government Recruitment Service (GRS) are aware of this on the date of application and certainly by the closing date.
If a person with disabilities is put 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 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.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to FCDO 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
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.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems reading the Candidate Pack, such as through screen reader software, please contact our Team via and we will share a Word version of this.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Applications must be factually accurate and should be your own work. If there is any evidence of plagiarism, including presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own, your application will be withdrawn. The candidate's guide to artificial intelligence in recruitment provides guidance on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in the application process.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland 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- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting .
See our vetting charter .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name : FCDO Recruitment Team
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
The FCDO'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. 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 If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.