About the job

Job summary

Strategy, Policy and Programmes Group sets the strategic direction for UKHSA, supports the organisation to deliver the business plan and evaluates performance of delivery.

Positioned in the Strategy Directorate, the Parliamentary and Public Accountability team provides a centralised service working directly with requesters, regulators, OGDs, Ministers’/CEO offices, Parliament and members of the public in the delivery of UKHSA’s obligations with respect to Parliament and the public. The team works collaboratively across the whole of UKHSA to provide a high-quality service to all of our customers in line with UKHSA’s values and our key performance indicators.

You will be responsible for leading the Enquiries & Complaints Team within the Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team, ensuring that UKHSA manages enquiries and complaints effectively and in line with the relevant standards.  In doing so, you will play a key role in ensuring UKHSA is an organisation which is responsive to stakeholders and members of the public.

You will be working with a highly motivated and passionate group of people and will be working alongside them in an exciting and fast-paced environment with the opportunity to make your mark. In line with the UKHSA values, we are inclusive, insightful and impactful in our work.

The post holder will lead the Enquiries & Complaints Team within the Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team, in its delivery of correspondence and complaints services and associated projects. The role includes:

• Leading, supporting and developing the team and processes to maintain UKHSA’s responsiveness to enquiries and complaints received by UKHSA, commissioning information from other parts of UKHSA and preparing responses, ensuring appropriate clearances are received prior to issue; and
• Ensuring the Enquiries & Complaints Team’s responses remain aligned with up to date guidance and policy positions through constant engagement and collaboration with teams across UKHSA
• Ensuring a high quality service is delivered in a sustained way which consistently meets organisational key performance indicators (KPIs)

In line with our work to increase cross-team working within the Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team, and to role model a one team ethos, the post holder will also be asked to undertake projects outside their immediate area of responsibility to support Information Rights and parliamentary work. 

This is an excellent opportunity to lead a high performing team to deliver UKHSA’s complains and enquiries service and make a real impact.

Job description

Location

Role available at all core and scientific locations with hybrid working available

Birmingham, Chilton, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Porton Down

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working.

Responsibilities section:

UKHSA’s Public Accountability team works to secure the trust and confidence of the public and ensure that the services we provide are consistent and seamless. The role is pivotal in managing reputational risk through maintaining up to date and consistent messaging across all types of correspondence and ensuring we respond in a helpful and positive way to complaints.

As Enquiries & Complaints Lead your main responsibilities will include:

• Manage the delivery of UKHSA’s response to enquiries and complaints with clear, consistent and timely responses and act as liaison point for any further clarification or queries.
• Using their knowledge of complaints resolution practice, to lead the resolution of complaints within the processes and time frames set out in UKHSA’s Complaint Procedure.
• Engagement with a culture of co-operation with all Groups within UKHSA and external agencies such as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and complaints advocacy services.
• Provide expert guidance which adheres to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s PHSO’s Principles of Good Complaint Handing, a particular requirement is for organisations to provide fair and proportionate remedies to complaints. For example, briefing senior leadership on UKHSA’s responsibilities in relation to handling complaints involving claims of financial compensation for financial loss or distress.
• Drive continuous improvement, through developing governance mechanisms to monitor complaints and capture and disseminate learning from complaints across UKHSA.
• Develop UKHSA’s complaints processes in tandem with the National Operations complaints service to ensure a consistent approach for complaints across UKHSA.
• Oversee the routine production of performance management data and support the team to meet its key performance indicators, identify themes and provide management briefing.
• Maintain the centralised correspondence services directly with members of the public and stakeholders, managing internal contributions and providing expert handling advice to internal staff.
• Maintain knowledge of the Cabinet Office requirements for responding to correspondence and propose service developments to meet them.
• Manage the delivery of routine correspondence alongside leading a reactive enquiries service to events such as major public health incidents. The postholder will work with colleagues in the communications team and Health Protection Group to ensure that UKHSA’s responses in these situations are authoritative, clear, and consistent with our messaging at both national and local levels.

 The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Please review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• Experience of managing complaints services in a public sector organisation, or a similar complex setting;
• Experience of driving team performance and positive outcomes, including a commitment to reflecting on what works and promoting continuous improvement
• Ability to assess user/customer/stakeholder needs and translate these into a product or service that meets those requirements;
• Ability to communicate complex legal, scientific and technical information to a non-scientific audience;
• An understanding of and commitment to diversity and inclusion and good working relationships;
• Excellent IT skills – Microsoft, Excel, Adobe.

Desirable

• Experience in a public sector organisation with complex stakeholder interactions and exposure to a broad range of the organisation’s functions and activities;
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience);

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This post will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

At interview may be asked to prepare and deliver a 5-10 minute presentation to the panel.  This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment.  The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role.  Full details will be provided at the shortlisting stage.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and influencing
• Leadership

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 8th May 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: w/c 20th May 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

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.