About the job

Job summary

This government has committed to bringing mental health waiting times down and intervene earlier to prevent mental illness developing. You will work closely with NHS England, stakeholders in the voluntary sector and colleagues across government to develop strategies and policies that implement the government’s commitments to reduce waiting times, provide access to mental health professionals in schools and ensure every community has an open access hub for children and young people with drop-in mental health support.

Good mental health, and support when people develop mental illness, are critical to improving the life chances of children and young people (opportunity mission and take back our streets mission), enabling people to get and stay in work (growth mission), and supporting people to live well in the community and minimise hospital stays (NHS mission).

Collaborative working, flexibility and the ability to build strong, supportive relationships with stakeholders and peers in and out of government will be key to this role. You will also be an inclusive leader, supporting your Division and the wider Directorate in their own development and modelling departmental and civil service behaviours.

The successful candidate will lead a diverse team across our two main sites, London and Leeds, and would be expected to work out of one of those sites. Applications from candidates looking to work in Leeds would be particularly welcome.

The role is available on a full-time / jobshare basis. Jobshare applications are encouraged.

Job description

The Mental Health Strategy and Delivery team is responsible for developing government strategy and policy to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions in England, as well as providing insight and shaping cross-government policy on what can prevent the onset of poor mental health. It works closely with NHS England to monitor and assure progress against the delivery targets for improving NHS mental health services and support the reporting against these to Ministers. Particular high profile areas include programmes to support poor mental health in children and young people, delivering the expansion of Talking Therapies and the Independent Placement and Support programme to keep people in work and reduce inactivity, and improving the use of data across the mental health system. 

DHSC are recruiting for a Deputy Director who can provide thought leadership in this field, interrogate the data and research available, and work collaboratively with stakeholders in and outside of government to continue work to achieve parity of esteem between physical and mental health, and a robust response to predicted future demand.

As Deputy Director of Mental Health Strategy and Delivery you will work closely with the Deputy Director for Analysis in the Directorate, and also the Jobshare Directors for Serious Mental Illness and Offender Health, sharing resources between policy teams as priorities dictate, including a major focus on patient safety.

Key Responsibilities

As Deputy Director Mental Health Strategy and Delivery your key responsibilities will be to lead on prevention and oversight of treatment of mild to moderate mental health conditions, including:  

• Oversight of the delivery of the mental health targets in NHS planning guidance, supporting Ministerial engagement where necessary, and working across DHSC and government to scope, design and deliver the ambitions of new Ministers on mental health for both children and young people, and adults
• Leading on relevant Spending Review bids and coordination across mental health policy 
• Providing advice where appropriate on manifesto and mission commitments across government that relate to mental health
• Overseeing the delivery of the Shared Outcomes Fund on Children and Young People’s mental health hubs.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

•     Ability to lead diverse team in an inclusive way to deliver a quality service in a complex, fast-moving environment and the ability to formulate, lead,  communicate and implement strategies and policies
•     Strong evidence of excellent policy and analysis skills, including being able to use data and research to inform decisions 
•     Ability to rapidly understand and get up to speed with new concepts, ideas and Ministerial priorities, bringing together the right people to understand and make sound decisions on the issues, the level of ambition and set the direction 
•     Proven experience of advising, engaging and influencing and working collaboratively with senior stakeholders (including Ministers or equivalent) to deliver the departments agenda and priorities effectively.
•   Evidence of how you contribute in a corporate way to the work of DHSC or current employer, and have a strong demonstrable commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. 

Desirable:

•     Experience of mental health strategy or delivery/experience within the NHS/Health/Social Care setting.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £20,250 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 and Experience.

To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Monday 19th August 2024.

1. A CV (which is for information purposes only) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Applications will be sifted against personal statements. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. 

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025.

Candidate Engagement Drop-in Session - If you would like the opportunity or to attend a drop-in session on Teams (expected in the week commencing 12th August 2024 to hear more about the role, and ask any questions you may have about it before applying, please contact tracy.beedle@dhsc.gov.uk to secure a place.

Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for an interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend the interview.

If you are unable to apply online please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Selection Process

A panel chaired by Fiona Walshe, Director for Mental Health, Disabilities, Women's Health and Maternity, DHSC will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Fiona Walshe will be supported by a selection panel made up of other senior stakeholders for the role, full details of this panel will be shared with shortlisted candidates. 

Alongside other departments, DHSC is committed to making the Civil Service more inclusive and recognises the value of diverse interview panels. Helping candidates, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process, to reduce bias and increase the objectiveness of decisions. In line with the Civil Service’s Inclusive Board initiative we aim to ensure that, as well as being gender diverse, DHSC’s interview panels for Senior Civil Service will include at least one panellist who is from an ethnic minority background and/or who has a physical or non-physical disability (which may not be visible).

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process. 

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include an alternative leadership assessment with numerical and verbal reasoning and a staff engagement exercise. 

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Discussion with the Vacancy Holder

Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Fiona Walshe, Director for Mental Health, Disabilities, Women's Health and Maternity, DHSC prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview on a scenario issued to them 30 minutes ahead of their panel interview. This presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience with briefing Ministers.  Full details will be provided prior to the interview. 

Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

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.