About the job

Job summary

DWP are looking to fill Administrative Officer roles in DWP, Work and Health, Disability Services

​These are key roles for people who have a positive attitude, a desire for public service and want to make a difference to people’s lives. ​

We welcome applications from candidates who can: Actively seek to resolve customer queries at the first point of contact where possible and use your brilliant communication skills to handle sometimes complex yet rewarding conversations.​

Working in a fast-paced environment. ​

In this role, you may also be required to undertake a work-based qualification

e.g., Apprenticeship, that will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role, and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time. ​

Posts are not finalised and therefore we will confirm posts available and location with candidates after the interviews have taken place. Future locations may become available.​

Successful candidates will be posted to a specific role and may have the opportunity to express an interest as part of the selection process, although final decisions may come down to business/skills and development needs of candidates.​

​The Welsh Language is a desirable skill for all vacancies in advertised Wales. 

Job description

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:-​

• To competently use the telephone as this is the primary means of customer contact through inbound and outbound calls.​
• To help and support our diverse group of customers by delivering a quality service, communicating clearly and effectively, providing accurate information, and influencing/negotiating to successfully resolve queries and/or action any changes to their personal circumstances in what can be difficult and sensitive situations.​
• Take personal accountability for every customer/stakeholder you have contact with. ​
• Consider each customer’s case as a whole, making the right decisions at the right time. ​
• Give clear and explainable reasons for your decisions. ​
• Be polite and professional, treating customers with respect. ​
• Adapting your behaviour to meet the needs of our diverse customers. ​ Maintaining clerical and electronic records
• To listen, be honest, be empathetic and compassionate and always remain composed and professional in what can sometimes be a challenging environment.​
• To protect Departmental and our customer’s personal information adhering to all security policies and procedures.​
• To ensure that all actions required to maintain the claimant’s digital account are completed promptly and accurately.​
• To work on your own and collaboratively, effectively, and flexibly within a team and contribute towards team expectations.​
• Take responsibility for your own development to improve competency and skills, supporting and coaching others to do the same.​
• Use a range of computer systems, telephony, and digital platforms.​at the same time.

Person specification

Key Criteria

To be successful you will need:​

•  A can-do attitude to deliver and do the right thing for the customer;​
• Able to use the telephone as this is how we communicate with customers.​
• An ability to communicate with colleagues and customers clearly and concisely verbally and in writing to achieve the right result.​
• An ability to identify problems; collate and interpret information - ask the right questions, problem solve.​
• A good listener that is able to express empathy at the right time.​
• Can demonstrate sound judgement and objective thinking.​
• Must be able to navigate a range of computer systems sometimes whilst on a customer call.​
• Must have the ability to handle difficult/sensitive situations.​
•  A consistent learner who is proactive about enhancing and expanding skillsets.​
• A team player that can collaborate with colleagues to solve problems or develop new ways of thinking.​

​Transferable Skills​

You gain these from school/university, previous jobs, projects, voluntary work, hobbies and interests.

Could you adapt these skills to become a Case worker? Some examples below:​

​Do you have previous experience of customer service ?​

Are you self-motivated and can motivate others?​

Can you develop relationships with a diverse range of people?​

Do you have good listening skills?​

​

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%

DWP is a family-friendly employer and part-time and flexible working patterns within these hours may be available but must meet business needs which must include Monday and Friday as working days. 
 
Successful part-time candidates will be required to work full-time for specific periods to complete and consolidate training. Training and consolidation will be 100% office based.

This role is not being offered as a permanent home working contract.  

The full-time working week for DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours 8am and 8pm on any day between Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday. You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule. 

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.   

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed 

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete two behaviour statements (250 words).

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The selection process will assess both what candidates are good at and what they enjoy to help us assess candidates’ behaviours, strengths and their potential.​

​Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a blended interview of Behaviours and Strengths.​

​Strong candidates will be able to present Level 1 evidence of:​

• ​Communicating & Influencing Level 1 (Lead Behaviour);​
• Making Effective Decisions Level 1​
• Managing A Quality Service Level 1
• ​For further details regarding Success Profiles can be found on our website here.

STAGE 1

You will be asked to complete two behaviour statements (250 words) on the following behaviours. ​

• Communicating and Influencing Level 1 (Lead behaviour) ​
• Making Effective Decisions Level 1​

The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences.  ​

​If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.

​​It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in, and use the WHO or STAR model to explain:  ​

What it was, How you approached the work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? That were the Tasks? What Action did you take? How/what did you learn through a Review?  ​

​Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.​

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.​

​If you are successful with the sift of the written evidence for your behaviour(s), the final stage of the process is to be invited to an interview.​

STAGE 2 – MS TEAMS LIVE INTERVIEW Blended Interview

Preparing for the interview:

You will need to provide photo ID prior to the interview.

If you are invited to interview, you will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs site.​
​
Once, you receive the invite to interview you will need to access the system and book yourself an interview slot. ​

You will also be asked for your preferences for up to 3 of the locations advertised, telling us where you would prefer to work if you are successful. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role and be based and work in that location.

The interviews will be conducted by MS Teams, and you will need to use your personal device to access the platform. We will provide instructions at the time as to how you do this. ​

​The interview will follow a blended approach and will last approximately 35 minutes. ​

PLEASE NOTE: Full details of the behavioural questions will be given to shortlisted candidates 7 days in advance of the Interview.​

You will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions.

​Behavioural questions will explore what you have done in previous jobs or experiences as well as what you have achieved and/or learned. ​

The interview will include a blend of:

• Behaviour and Strength based questions
• Civil Service key elements, of which you will be asked to provide examples of each of the 3 behaviours (Level 1) as detailed in this advert.​
• Communicating & Influencing​
• Making Effective Decisions​
• Managing a Quality Service​​
  

After the interview

Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role.

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business. Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer DWP may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held.

If you have any questions about applying for this role, please contact:

ds.recruitmentao@dwp.gov.uk

• Reserve List – You may be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:
• If you accept an offer of a post, you will be expected to withdraw from any other live campaigns you have applied for, with DWP, at this grade.
• If you are offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*. 
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Candidates are expected to stay in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other internal lateral move.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or 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-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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. 

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. 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. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract. 

Important 

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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 will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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.