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

The Digital Policy Unit is a joint unit between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, working to drive forward digital and data transformation of health and social care for patients, staff and clinicians in the NHS.

Our mission is to digitise, connect and transform the health and social care system. This means ensuring core digital capabilities are rolled out across the system – including digitised patient records and cyber security standards; connecting up our systems so that data can be safely shared to improve health and social care out comes – for example, developing a Federated Data Platform and Secure Data Environments; and transforming models of care for patients, service users and the public – for example, developing the NHS App to act as the front door for the NHS, using technology to support care in the home; and creating the right environment for the adoption of innovation. This agenda is set out in the Digital Health & Social Care Plan and Data Saves Lives: the data strategy for health and social care.

The Digital Policy Unit sits within both DHSC Finance & Group Operations and NHSE’s Transformation Directorate of NHS England. It brings together 220 staff from both DHSC and NHSE in order to deliver on the Government’s objectives, while crucially being embedded within the organisation responsible for delivering system change.

The unit is currently made up of 2 directorates reporting to the Head of Unit. The directorates consist of:

• Cyber Security Policy, Compliance and Programme: responsible for setting strategy, standards and policy on cyber across health and social care
• Digital Policy & Programmes: responsible for priority digital policy, strategy and programmes including: AI, data and digital technology policy, social care digitisation, and the DHSC Digital, Data & Technology central team

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares the directorate's and wider department's commitment to diversity and inclusion, while ensuring candidates who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme requiring adjustments will be supported during our recruitment process.

Job description

This role will support communications across the directorate while being a trusted advisor and comms lead for the Digital Policy Unit and its work within the Transformation Directorate. The role is important for ensuring Transformation Directorate communications are aligned to DHSC and its priorities. The role leads on comms planning functions (including integrating with grid planners), ministerial commissions and is responsible for communications across priority areas for government and the NHS including artificial intelligence, data, cyber security, life sciences and research and the roll out of national platforms and technology such as the NHS App.

Your responsibilities:

• Leading, developing, implementing and evaluating innovative strategic communications campaigns around sometimes complex subject matter that are grounded by insight and draw together media and PR, events, digital and social, and internal communications to deliver exceptional results.
• Providing trusted advice to senior directors and ministers – identifying the role of communications in delivering ministerial priorities and business objectives.
• Working as part of a blended team of NHS staff and civil servants to ensure co-ordinated communications that align across both organisations.
• Fostering close working relationships with a range of senior stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of communications.
• Planning, management and overall responsibility for content across a range of internal and external channels, maintaining quality standards and consistency across communications along with a drive to continuously improve.

Person specification

Good understanding of economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to ensure comms activity is relevant and targeted. Ability to build and maintain a wide network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on objectives and shared interests. Ensure communication objectives complement and support policy/ business objectives and present communications advice to ministers and policy colleagues. Experience of building ongoing relationships with key stakeholders/ advocates/partners to build awareness of the overall context for communication. Experience of development and implementation of innovative communication strategies across complex programme areas that meet robust objectives. Experience of leading on the use of digital and social media to engage and involve citizens, staff and all other partners to encourage community participation. Excellent written skills to provide overall editorial control to ensure appropriate content, messaging, tone and consistency in all communication. Ability to review and provide quality assurance for communication and media campaigns across the Transformation Directorate portfolio

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,116, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £14,341 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Sift date: TBC

Interview date: 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, Statement of Suitability and Behaviours.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths and Technical skills.

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.

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

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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). 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.

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

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).

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.