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.

In DHSC’s Electives Directorate, we are proud to focus on one of the Government’s top delivery priorities. We are supportive, solutions-focused and our teams work hard to understand the challenges facing the electives system and how we can improve patient outcomes and experience. In particular, we work with NHS England and others to set direction for the elective system for the future and ensure timely delivery of targets set out in the elective recovery plan. 

We are looking for individuals who are keen to grip a stretching brief in a priority area, to shape projects and policy direction as part of a supportive and high performing team. 

Across two Deputy Director led teams where we are recruiting for new team members, we focus on the following:

• delivery of the priorities set out in the Elective Recovery Plan, using excellent understanding and analysis of data, impactful presentation of quantitative and qualitative evidence and generating insights and solutions.
• providing updates and advice to Ministers to assess progress on delivery, exploring variation and solutions and working closely with our excellent analytical team and colleagues in NHS England.
• gripping the different elements of the electives system to understand delivery and the challenges and opportunities that exist - including on theatre productivity, diagnostics, outpatients, referrals, funding, choice, patient experience and more.
• getting to grips with the big strategic questions in electives so we can ensure that future policy and spending decisions are grounded in evidence and credible insights.

The Directorate is a great place to work, with a fast-paced and challenging brief which would suit individuals who like getting to grips with broad, challenging issues to find solutions. The roles would suit individuals who might be looking to learn new skills and approaches to policy, delivery and performance in public services. 

The directorate is a friendly, supportive and welcoming place to work on an interesting and high-profile policy area.

Job description

We have 2 SEO roles in the Elective Policy and Delivery Teams which will work with senior officials and Ministers, departmental colleagues, NHS England, and a range of other stakeholders to understand, develop and delivery elective policy.

A key part of both policy and delivery roles will include leading high-quality responses to commissions, including briefings, PQs and correspondence and ensuring information for Ministers, senior leaders, and parliament is accurate and up to date in a fast-moving environment.

As a SEO delivery advisor, you will be drafting briefings to update Ministers and seniors on delivery, lead assurance of NHS England’s elective commitments and lead work with analysts to provide analysis for ministerial meetings. 

As a SEO policy advisor, with oversight of a Grade 7, you will lead projects to explore areas of ministerial priority. You will lead stakeholder engagement, quantitative and qualitative research, and co-ordinating fact-finding. This work will inform the team’s understanding of the elective system and implications of proposed policy changes.

These are fast-paced and stretching roles, which will allow you to develop a wide range of skills across policy development, project management, operational response/delivery, and stakeholder engagement.

Our teams work flexibly to ensure that individuals have stretching objectives and wide-ranging portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Coordinating project work including preparation for ministerial meetings and policy development
• Carrying out research on elective delivery and policy priority areas
• Organising insight work including site visits and external engagement
• Play a lead role in parliamentary activity related to the area of work, including producing briefings, drafting correspondence and lines to take for answering parliamentary questions and debates and official correspondence
• Lead on building and maintaining strong relationships with NHSE, other policy teams and key stakeholders
• Working with our excellent analytical team to identify evidence gaps and apply evidence and insight to delivery and policy questions.
• Showing resilience and adaptability, reprioritising tasks, often at pace and with little notice, to pivot to work that has been prioritised by the Secretary of State, other ministers, or senior civil servants
• Being actively involved in promoting a positive and inclusive culture across the directorate.
• Working with the team lead and others to help manage workloads and priorities and contributing to team activities and wider corporate engagement

Person specification

Key Skills and Experience required for the role:

Essential:

• Experience of evidence-based decision making and analysing complex and/or incomplete information to weigh up options and make recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including drafting advice and briefing for senior leaders.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work at pace in response to changing information and priorities.
• A strong team player, happy to support and work effectively alongside team members of all grades, experience, and backgrounds with a commitment to development of self and team.
• Strong strategic thinking and critical thinking skills are essential to effectively analyse complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and make informed decisions.

Desirable:

• Project management and delivery skills: project management experience and qualifications are desirable but not essential.

We are proud of our team’s diversity and inclusiveness and would encourage all candidates who might be uncertain that they fit all the criterion to reach out to the hiring manager for a discussion.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,025, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,806 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.

Applications will be sifted on Behaviours and Statement of suitability. 

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 500 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift date: W/C 1/04/2024 

Interview date: expected W/C 15/04/2024.

Interview location: By video. 

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

Further Information

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on 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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.

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.

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

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.

Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds.  Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support. 

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need. 

There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.

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.

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

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

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).

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.