About the job

Job summary

The People Safety Planning Risk and Insight team is a high performing, friendly, supportive, and inclusive team operating in a demanding but rewarding environment. Reporting to the Head of Planning Risk and Insight you will support both the People Safety Deputy Director and the People and Capability Director.

Job description

Some of your duties will include the following:

• Leading a high performing, experienced, and geographically dispersed team of individuals. 

• Working collaboratively and communicating with a range of stakeholders across the People and Capability People Safety group, including senior leaders and Executive team when appropriate.

• Continuing the team’s drive to embed a planning, risk and insight culture in support of the DWP People and Capability Group, People Safety and wider DWP. Regularly reflect and use internal stakeholder feedback to implement performance improvements to team products, ensuring that our service offer is evidence focused, efficient and adds value. Sharing innovation and current best practice to ensure consistency in actions taken to support meeting the required objectives. 

• Building strong relationships and forming alliances with internal and external specialists, stakeholders, and communities to scan for emerging trends, innovation, and current best practice.

• Providing management support to the wider senior leadership team, developing, and preparing reports and dashboards providing a joined-up picture of the People Safety Plan on a Page (PoaP), priorities and risk. This PoaP informing decision-making by senior managers within PandC.

• Providing specific Project Management tasks such as undertaking Planning activities, conducting/chairing planning update meetings with stakeholders ensuring updates are made to local plans and risk registers. Additionally co-ordinating/chairing governance activities and working with your team to develop governance packs to ensure key milestones and risk updates are readily available, that support the delivery of the DWP strategic outcomes are current and accurate.
• Providing management support to wider SLT, developing/preparing reports re: People Safety work planning, risk and insight.

• Undertaking risk management activities conducting risk update meetings with stakeholders and update the risk logs and risk register to support the delivery of the strategic objectives.

• Develop and maintain the overarching People and Capability and People Safety strategy with key deliverables/milestones, dependencies, and measures for both groups, identifying, and monitoring any impact/risks.

Person specification

• Providing strong leadership to a small team and creating a culture in which colleagues can thrive.

• Have proven knowledge of risk management techniques with the practical ability to make connections across different work programmes, manage risks and issues and ability to gather and use information, data, and evidence to inform decisions on risks and issues.

• Excellent communication skills and be highly competent at engaging professionally with stakeholders at all levels with a strong ability to persuade and influence others.

• An ability to use analysis and insight to inform continuous improvement, gathering overarching intelligence from across the People and Capability People Safety group and the business, to provide in-depth oversight of the Plan on a Page, raising areas for critical decision making and prioritisation to the relevant People and Capability and Health and Safety governance boards.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability, resilience, and flexibility to work at pace, demonstrating personal leadership and working with others to deliver against multiple priorities.

• You will have a willingness to work towards a Level 3 in a Health and Safety qualification/discipline and become a member of a relevant professional body if not already held. This would be paid by DWP, subject to Line Management approval.

• A willingness to undertake Health and Safety related learning/accreditation, eg NVQ Level 3 in Health and Safety Management or NEBOSH General Certificate.

• For jobs based in Wales the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

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%

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Selection will be by a written sift, followed by a video interview.

Behaviour Application Form

The Civil Service uses a Behaviour Framework to assess candidates’, knowledge and skills.

You will be assessed against:

• Leadership:
• Communicating and Influencing.
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

It may help to use the WHO or STAR model to explain:

What the task/ work was, How you approached the task/work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? Or What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?

CV

The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.  Our CV element is short, and allows an initial check of eligibility, so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

Personal statement – 1250 words

When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria thoroughly as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria. You may not be able to meet all the key criteria, but please ensure you evidence: the key personal requirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.

Application

Written Sift

The written sift will be conducted using evidence from your CV and Personal Statement and will be assessed against the Key Criteria of the Person Specification within the advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria: Providing strong leadership to a small team and creating a culture in which colleagues can thrive. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will assess: Behaviours and Strengths.  The interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role.

You will be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation and to help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the presentation and behaviour questions in advance of the interview. These questions should be treated as confidential. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your strengths.

Candidates will be asked further probing questions to determine suitability for the role.

Selection and Feedback

We will notify all candidates as soon as possible. 

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. 

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

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

Security Information

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 /Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

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.