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.

Health and social care issues affect us all. From mental health to patient care, to supporting the National Health Service and its workforce to helping people live healthy lives - the work of the department is always at the forefront of the public’s mind. If you want to be part of a team shaping the debate around health through audience-focused communications, we want to hear from you.

The Department of Health and Social Care communications team is an award-winning operation, recognised for its work on evaluation, insight and partnership working.

The Communications Directorate leads the conversation about health and care by engaging people through innovative communications, supporting improvements to the health of the nation and the running of the NHS.

To meet this challenge, the directorate has set up three new multi-disciplinary integrated teams which will be responsible for driving the communications for the Government’s health ambitions and priorities.

These teams will be the driving force on everything from developing multi-channel strategies for the key health topics, ensuring our audiences and insight is at the heart of our activity, to shaping the narrative and message on our departmental priorities.

The teams consist of media and strategic communications professionals working together, to develop and execute sustained communications activity which align to our core teams, including social media to incorporate all digital channels and external affairs to maximise stakeholder engagement.

Team members will be integral in shaping the new teams and will help to develop the culture and values around their ways of working and collaborative approach. 

Job description

We are looking for a communications campaign officer to play an integral role in one of our new multi-discipline comms teams, working with media and other campaign experts, focusing on planning, designing and delivering communications activity to support the health issues that matter to people.

Each day will bring new challenges and different opportunities to develop your skills with a career at the heart of government.

You’ll help create new and innovative audience-focused communications plans, making the most of all the channels at your disposal including media, social and low cost/ no cost approaches.

Your role will include generating proactive communications announcements, helping to create innovative campaigns to land our messaging with key audiences and will have the opportunity to work with ministers, major stakeholders and influencers.

You will also learn the most up-to-date approaches to using audience insight to understand what matters to the public to help mould our communications, the latest social media approaches to use digital channels to engage with the public and how evaluation is used to show genuine behaviour change.

Applicants are required to have substantial and demonstrative experience working in either media, public relations or other communications roles.

You will be supported to develop your career as part of a friendly, welcoming team where learning and development and wellbeing are integral parts of the offer.

Once you become a member of our team, we are not only interested in what you can bring to communications, but also our culture and values, including commitments to staff health and wellbeing and our Diversity & Inclusion working group.

Role responsibilities:

• Working as a member of one of the busiest comms divisions in Whitehall, as part of a multi-discipline comms team, comprised of media and campaign experts
• Supporting the planning, designing and delivery of communications activity to support departmental priorities, across a range of channels and platforms, to key audiences
• Developing fresh and forward-looking approaches to communications including low-cost/no cost activity, ensuring we are talking to our audience in the right place at the right time
• Advise senior officials and ministers on a range of communications issues on behalf of the department, including identifying potential reputational risks and proactive opportunities
• Supporting a professional, responsive 24/7 media service
• Building close-working relationships with counterparts in external organisations, arms-length bodies and partner organisations, ensuring communications activity and messaging is coordinated and supports shared objectives
• Working as part of a team to ensure all activity is planned and evaluated in line with GCS (Government Communications Service) standards, including the use of audience insight
• Be given the chance to learn and enhance basic social media skills, including video content and photography, to support ministerial activity

Person specification

• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Experience of delivering proactive and reactive communications
• Ability to develop and deliver creative campaigns to tackle issues and promote topics using audience insight
• An interest in how communications works and how it works to engage with the general public
• Knowledge of different communication channels including online, broadcast and social media
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritise workload and deal with competing priorities
• An interest in the news and how people obtain their news through different channels
• Evidence of learning lessons to improve communications

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,188, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £8,691 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 date: expected TBC

Interview date: expected TBC

Interview location: The interview will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift. 

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Statement of Suitability (750 word max).

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

Please use your Statement of Suitability to (in no more than 750 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

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

Applications will be sifted on CV and Statement of Suitability.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.

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.

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.

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 (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.