Assurance Advisor

**Assurance Advisor - Approvals & Compliance Team (Manchester) - 67356**
**£30,938 - £36,738**
**Manchester**:
This role sits within the Approvals and Compliance Team, part of the Risk and Capabilities Unit, Directorate of Security. This particular role will require regular weekly attendance at the Approvals and Compliance Team base in **Oakland House, Manchester** (not Newport as stated in the job description below).

This is a national post, with a requirement for regular attendance each week at the Approvals and Compliance Team base at **Oakland House, Manchester, **travel to the Manchester base will be at the employee’s own expense.

Hybrid working arrangements are in place. There are no opportunities to work from home on a permanent basis. Hybrid working arrangements will be agreed prior to appointment and in line with current rules of working for HQ staff.

**Overview of the job**:
This is a category 1 post reporting to the Head of the Approvals and Compliance team.

The post holder provides verbal and written advice to senior and recruitment managers in the central Ministry, as well as providing information which contributes to submissions, appeals and PQs.

The job role involves close, regular liaison and discussion with recruiting managers and Shared Services vetting teams to ensure any risk to HMPPS is effectively managed. It also involves partnership working with a number of internal and external stakeholders including the police and other criminal justice agencies.

The team is located in Newport at Shared Services in order to enable closer working and interaction with the Shared Services vetting teams, who undertake the transactional vetting procedures.

**Summary**:
The Assurance Adviser works as a member of the Approvals and Compliance team. This team is responsible for making evaluative decisions in a range of substantial work areas on the suitability of applicants to work within the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS; it contributes to the management of corporate risk in compliance with agreed policy and procedures.

To ensure all applicants are evaluated on a consistent basis and providing cover for colleagues to ensure business continuity in their absence, making decisions in consultation with the Head of Team where necessary.

Review and respond to appeals from applicants refused vetting for Ministry of Justice appointments within agreed timescales.

To maintain, review and update the record of staff dismissed and workers excluded held on the HMPPS Exclusion List as required in a timely manner.

Contribute to the overall operation of the Approvals and Compliance team, the post holder will establish and develop stakeholder partnerships, ensuring the organisation applies best practice in security vetting in the most cost effective manner.

Contribute to the analysis of data on vetting applicants and decisions, identifying trends and patterns which may require revision and change to existing protocols or deliver procedural improvements.

Ensure that all applicants are evaluated in compliance with agreed policy and procedural guidelines, consulting with the Head of Team in more complex cases with wider policy, legal or procedural implications.

Review and respond to appeals from applicants refused vetting for HMPPS and Ministry of Justice appointments within agreed timescales.

**Responsibilities, Activities and Duties**:
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

- Ensure the quality and consistency of decision making, retaining an evidentiary audit trail and knowledge bank for future referral for both the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS.
- Operate within the Ministry of Justice SLA constraints and turnaround work to contribute to those timeframes being met.
- Direct follow up work for clarification purposes with Shared Services Vetting teams as appropriate.
- Provide fair, consistent and defensible decisions on the suitability of applicants, maintaining the security and credibility of the service.
- Work collaboratively and liaise regularly with a number of key stakeholders including Disclosure Scotland, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Corporate Security Branch, National Security team in Shared Services, recruiting managers and HRBPs.
- Applications under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) should be progressed taking into account relevant policy and codes of practice.
- Consider any appeals/representations against a vetting decision whether from an applicant or third party, providing written notification of outcomes in a timely manner ensuring an appropriate audit trail.
- Monitor the storage of critical data and customer information to support decision making and conduct regular reviews to ensure it is stored accurately, confidentially and responsibly.
- Work closely liaising with Disclosure Scotland to ensure the efficient and accurate delivery of PNC reports. Ensure the integrity of data through quality checks, updating a l