About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.

Diversity and inclusion are two of our biggest priorities and we recognise they are a work in progress. We aim to establish a workforce which reflects the society we serve, and DHSC welcomes applications from all. We are especially interested to hear from gender diverse, disabled, LGBT+ candidates, and candidates from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds, including Black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic groups. We view flexible working and inclusive leadership as essential for all our employees.

These vacancies sit within the Social Care Policy Division of the Department’s Social Care Group. The Social Care Group is responsible for improving outcomes for people who interact with adult social care through a personalised, high quality and sustainable adult social care system. This is a very exciting time to role the Adult Social Care Group as we deliver a wide-ranging reform programme that will make an impact in people’s lives.

Putting social care on a sustainable footing, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, is one of the biggest challenges that our society faces. Delivery of Adult Social Care Reform is a top priority for government; high ambitions were recently set out in the ‘Next steps to put the people at the heart of care’ published in April 2023.

People with dementia form a large user group of the adult social care system. There are an estimated 750,000 people in England living with dementia and this is predicted to grow to more than 1.3 million by 2040 as our population ages. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people born in the UK today will develop dementia during their lifetime, and dementia the leading cause of death in England and Wales.

Job description

Housing vacancy

We have a vacancy for a HEO to join the housing team in the Adult Social Care Group.

Where you live makes a huge difference to your life. When it comes to care, we know that being supported to live independently has a huge impact on health outcomes.  Our Housing Policy Team develops and maintains a range of policies and partnerships to ensure there is a range of high-quality housing for people of all ages. This ranges from supporting people to live in mainstream housing to ensuring capacity for those who require specialised settings.

You will work within a friendly and supportive team to build relationships across the Department and with other government departments. The team has oversight for the delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH), and this role will support the operational delivery of both of these schemes, supporting both the financial and policy processes. You will also have the opportunity to influence policy as we shape our future plans.

The work is moving at pace, with high profile and significant cross government interest, and involves working with a wide range of national bodies. It is interesting, varied and challenging and will offer the post-holder experience and opportunities across a range of key civil service competencies.

You will play a vital role in supporting the team towards the next stage in delivering our policy priorities as well as providing project support to ensure efficient project delivery.

Dementia vacancy

The overall aim of the Dementia Policy Team is to improve the lives of people with dementia and families and carers – both those living with dementia today and those who may be diagnosed in future.

The Dementia Policy Team is responsible for co-ordinating partners across Government and the NHS, to deliver Government’s agreed priorities on dementia. Dementia policy attracts significant public and parliamentary interest on a range of interest and diverse topics. Our work spans many topics including risk reduction, diagnosis, emerging new treatments, urgent and emergency care, long term care, research and data.

This is an exciting time to join the team as we are developing Government’s next dementia strategy, as part of a wider Major Conditions Strategy, which will set out our plans for the future of dementia.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to develop policy, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, and to support Ministers through briefings and parliamentary business. You will be involved in interesting, varied and high-profile work that contributes to improving people’s lives.

You will develop a strong understanding of the issues affecting people with dementia and how existing challenges can be addressed. You will influence and engage effectively with colleagues across the Department and wider Government to deliver our policy aims and achieve better outcomes.

You will build productive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders including dementia charities, local government, academics, and people affected by dementia.

Role responsibilities

Housing vacancy

• Work with colleagues to provide briefings, respond to parliamentary questions and public/parliamentary/media queries
• Providing programme and project management support, including reviewing and updating action plans and risk registers
• Building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across the Department and the care sector
• Providing secretariat for certain key meetings, as well as support for workshops and events both across the system and internally within the Department
• Taking the lead on some of your own projects, including briefing Ministers and senior civil servants where appropriate
• Contribute, as needed, to work on other policy issues covered by the team

Dementia vacancy

• Contributing to the development of national dementia policy by working on the dementia element of the new Major Conditions Strategy – including writing elements of the Strategy, communicating strategy to key stakeholders, and working on the implementation
• Owning specific pieces of policy development for example to improve uptake of dementia training for the health and social care workforce, to improve discharge processes for people with dementia, or to improve housing options for people with dementia
• Managing relationships across the Department, ALBs and with key stakeholders, including through regular meetings of the Dementia Programme Board
• Building effective governance and assurance processes to oversee delivery of key priorities, holding delivery partners to account and reporting to the Senior Responsible Office for Dementia and Ministers
• Responding to Parliamentary business and producing briefing to support senior colleagues and Ministers

Person specification

We would love to hear from people who:

• Are passionate about helping people to live healthy independent lives
• Understand the role of government in leading national policies
• Have strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders towards a shared goal, and build and maintain strong professional relationships
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, including communicating in a straightforward, honest, and engaging manner
• Can take initiative, understand their own level of responsibility and work independently when required to meet policy objectives, but also enjoy working as part of a wider team
• Have strong delivery and organisational skills to ensure tasks are completed by deadlines
• Can respond flexibly to deliver competing priorities
• It would be beneficial, but not essential, if candidates could demonstrate the following:
  • Understanding of either the health, care or housing sectors or transferable experience in other sectors
  • Experience of working with ministers and of leading parliamentary activity

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,188, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £8,690 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Sift and Interview dates

Sift date: TBC

Interview date: TBC

Interview type: TBC

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores.

Applications will be sifted on Behaviours and CV.

Please complete statements on the specified Behaviours (250 word max per statement).

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

An initial sift may take place, this will be against your CV and the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC 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

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 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.

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 with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful. 

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above). 

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on either level transfer or promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Reasonable Adjustment

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 dhscrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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. 

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.