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 (DHSC) and NHS England (NHS E), 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 our systems for data to be safely shared to improve health and social care outcomes – 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 NHS Transformation Directorate of NHS E. 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 organisations responsible for delivering system change.

The Unit is currently made up of two 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: artificial intelligence (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

The successful candidate will lead departmental communications within the Transformation Directorate, providing a critical, senior link for DHSC comms into NHS E and supporting the early integration of communications with a broad range of work across innovation and technology carried out by the directorate’s Digital Policy Unit. They will also work alongside NHS E communicators to lead the communications across a range of priority work including AI, GP data, life sciences and research and digitising social care as well as major national consumer platforms such as the NHS App.

Role responsibilities:

Overall accountability for examining ministerial priorities across transformation, identifying the role for communications and translating those priorities into measurable communication objectives; providing robust and integrated communications advice to ministers, senior civil servants and NHS E directors; being an integral part of a blended senior communications leadership team within the Transformation Directorate, leading a team of communications professionals and ensuring departmental and NHS communications objectives are aligned for excellent outcomes to be achieved; overall accountability for the development and delivery of integrated communications strategies and campaigns across areas of digital, data, innovation, research and life sciences across health and social care; owning relationships with a range of senior stakeholders to ensure support in the development and implementation of communications work including reach to a broad range of audiences ranging from industry, health and social care sectors and general public.

Person specification

• Advanced understanding of economic, social, political and technological developments to ensure transformation communications is relevant and targeted.
• Ability to identify implications of departmental and political priorities and strategy to ensure plans and activities reflect these.
• Ability to confidently engage and present to ministers and senior stakeholders to generate commitment to communication goals.
• Experience of leading the development and implementation of innovative communication strategies across complex programme areas that meet clearly defined and measurable objectives.
• A robust knowledge of the current media landscape with the skills to influence the media agenda through proactive forward planning, developing strategies to protect and improve corporate and government reputation.
• Ability to assess the impact of communications activity across a range of measures including output, outtake, outcome and return on investment, comparing with industry best practice and reporting back to ministers and policy teams with recommendations for future communication activity.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,832, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £18,045 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.  

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

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 (500 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 500 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert. 

Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability and Behaviours. 

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours (Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)), Strengths (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and Technical skills (Competency Framework - technical specifications - GCS (civilservice.gov.uk))

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. 

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.

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.

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.