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 Early Years, Children and Families (EYCF) Directorate sits in the Primary Care and Prevention Group within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The directorate aims to improve health and wellbeing outcomes while reducing health disparities, by effectively shaping and driving policies, programmes and services.

The divisions that make up the EYCF Directorate are the Start for Life Vision and Policy Division, the Start for Life Programme Division and the Children and Families Division. The divisions work to implement the Best Start for Life Vision, deliver the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme jointly with the Department for Education and lead policy development on violence and abuse, safeguarding and child health.

The EYCF Directorate is a welcoming, inclusive and supportive place of work, with culturally diverse and positive teams, with strong working relationships. We would actively welcome applications from black and minority ethnic colleagues, colleagues with a disability, and other groups who are currently underrepresented in the Civil Service. Please note that while the responsibilities of the Directorate will remain the same in the coming months, some of the structures within the Directorate and some role descriptions will adapt to respond to the changing demands.

Job description

Are you an organised, flexible, and proactive self-starter who enjoys working with senior colleagues to deliver high-profile work?

We are recruiting for an Executive Assistant (EA) to the Early Years, Children and Families Director.

This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with senior civil servants and external stakeholders to support cross-departmental collaboration and play an important role in delivering Ministerial priorities. You will need to work at pace, effectively manage competing priorities using good judgement and decision-making and appropriately tailor communication styles to suit your audience. The successful candidate will bring a proactive approach and will always strive for high standards of quality in their work.

The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the Director for Early Years, Children and Families to make efficient and effective use of their time, including through managing their diary and inbox and providing administrative support. They will work across a wide range of stakeholders and build effective working relationships and influence across government and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be motivated, enthusiastic and highly organised individuals who will help ensure the smooth running of the Directorate.

The successful candidate will coordinate and prioritise the Director's forward look and diary and will coordinate communications across the directorate. They will maintain strong knowledge management practices and provide corporate support. 

The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing a wide range of administrative, business support and corporate support duties. They will work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.

Person specification

• Providing high quality administrative support to the Director including diary and inbox management, ensuring efficient use of the senior management team's time in-line with their working styles.
• Proactively alerting the Director of urgent matters, flagging priority diary requests, correspondence and invites and taking the initiative to suggest delegations, respond or seek guidance where necessary.
• Logistical support including organising meetings and room/venue and travel bookings through clearly and confidently communicating with other EAs and colleagues.
• Liaising with others to prepare papers and briefings ready for the Director ahead of meetings, using initiative to source relevant information, spot issues and raise them early.
• Accompany the Director to meetings and visits. This may include chairing, minuting, collating, sending and following up on actions.
• Building strong communication networks with the wider Senior Leadership Team, wider teams and business management teams across DHSC.
• Liaising with officials and stakeholders (including Ministerial Private Office and external stakeholders), communicating clearly and concisely, both in writing and verbally.
• General admin support to the wider team where necessary including assistance with contacts, IT queries, wider business support, away days, workshops, social events, and business continuity.
• Delivery of ad-hoc projects and corporate commitments in support of the objectives of the wider team.
• Delivery of a range of business administration activities, ad-hoc projects and corporate commitments in support of the objectives of the wider team, including supporting with Directorate recruitment, risk and asset registers, orders for goods and/or stationery and maintaining logs of expenditure.
• Providing cover as directed by the post's line manager for other members of the team in their absence and assist with their workloads as necessary.

Key skills and experience required for the role

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to prioritise and complete their work independently.
• Ability to build strong relationships with people at all grades.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams and Outlook.
• Excellent judgement and ability to use own initiative to solve problems.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and confidentiality.
• Ability to follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation required to complete own work.
• Motivated and resilient, with an appetite and ability to work in a fast paced environment and handle a stretching workload.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience in an executive assistant or secretarial role with senior colleagues.
• Experience working in a large or complex organisation.

Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, London.  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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,923, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £8,349 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: W/C 06/05/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 20/05/2024

Interview location: By video. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift. 

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

Applications will be sifted on Statement of Suitability and Behaviours.

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. 

An initial sift based on your Lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, and your Statement of Suitability may be held if a large number of applications are received. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This role is full time only. 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.

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.