Hi, my name is Andy and I’m an Operational Caseworker Line Manager at the Home Office. I’m part of the Work, Family, Study and Ukraine team.
I joined as an Administrative Officer (AO) Caseworker via an agency in 2021 and became a substantive member of the team in 2022. Then in 2023, I was promoted to the Executive Officer grade. In my time with the Home Office, I have worked across three different immigration routes related to Marriage and Family, which has been really interesting.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do after school but went on to achieve a degree in IT Operations as a part-time adult learner, whilst working prior to joining the Home Office.
I’ve worked in many administrative and support roles during my career across retail, healthcare, construction, telecoms, and IT industries.
I believe that my career journey and experience have given me an advantage and provided me with unique insights. I’m always looking to apply what I have learned in my current role and my ideas have been tried, tested, and successful.
Role and Responsibilities
My role involves:
- Allocations – assigning work to our decision makers
- Correspondence mailbox – responding to MPs and litigation enquiries
- Senior Caseworking – providing advice on complex cases, applying discretion and escalating where appropriate
- Follow-up – returning further actions to our decision makers to ensure all cases are dealt with and are progressed.
There are also ad-hoc tasks and HR issues that I’m responsible for as a line manager, requiring me to prioritise my workload.
What I enjoy most
No two days are the same at work. When I deliver training or mentoring, I coach and remind decision makers always to assess applications on their individual merits, and the same is true for my own approach. I enjoy exploring all considerations of an application before reaching a decision, and there is often more than meets the eye initially.
I enjoy the feeling of satisfaction that comes with making a positive difference to people’s lives, no matter how small. It’s not just the final decision that matters, it’s the entire process. I quite often receive a ‘thank you’ from customers expressing how much they appreciated a response to their query, even if it isn’t the response they expected.
Work-life balance
I have a seven-year-old daughter, and often do the school runs. My line manager has been understanding about my responsibilities outside of work and we’ve agreed a working pattern and approach that allows me the time to collect my daughter after school and be involved in her everyday routine.
Why join the Home Office
I have friends and family that have worked for the Home Office and they describe the department as a reputable employer, and I agree with that. Here, I am given opportunities and encouraged to progress and develop myself more than I’ve experienced with previous employers.
I would say that the biggest benefits of working at the Home Office is the career progression opportunities and job satisfaction I get. My team and manager are supportive and offer reward and recognition frequently for a job well done.
Regardless of prior experience, the Home Office is keen for you to succeed and develop. If you’re looking for an employer who will support you to grow in your career, I’d say there’s few other opportunities that come close.
