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 Start for Life Unit is part of the Early Years, Children and Families Directorate within DHSC. In March 2021, the Early Years Healthy Development Review – chaired by Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, formerly the Government’s Early Years Advisor, now Minister for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care – published an ambitious Vision to ensure every baby in England is given the best start for life: The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days. The Start for Life Unit is charged with implementing this ambitious vision by putting words into action.

Following on from the Review, the Chancellor announced approximately £300 million, across three years up to March 2025, for the transformation of Family Hubs and improvement of Start for Life services in 75 local authorities – including funding for parent-infant mental health and breastfeeding services, the publication of Start for Life offers, and the establishment of Parent and Carer Panels. The Unit has been working closely with officials in the Department for Education (responsible for the family hubs element of the package) and DHSC ministers to deliver the funding package.

We published a progress report in February 2023 detailing progress to date in developing and implementing the commitments in the Vision: The best start for life: a progress report on delivering the vision. This is a high-profile area of work which receives interest from senior officials, DHSC ministers and No.10.

The Start for Life Unit is a friendly, supportive and positive place to work. We are open to discussions about how flexible working patterns could support you as well as the business. 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 .

Job description

We are advertising an exciting policy role working on a core element of the Start for Life Vision, as outlined below:

This role focuses on working collaboratively across Government to meet the Government’s commitment to review the regulatory framework for Start for Life services in order to improve support for families.

The Start for Life Unit has worked closely with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission on a thematic review of Start for Life services delivered through family hubs which was completed during summer 2023. The postholder will be supported by their line manager to assess the findings from the review and develop a proposal for what a future inspection regime for Start for Life services could look like. This will require careful consideration of the funding and resource implications of any new regime.

The post holder will develop advice to inform relevant policy decisions and build effective working relationships with colleagues from finance, legal and parliamentary teams in the process. You will lead the development of written and verbal briefing for senior officials and Ministers.

This is a fast-paced, reactive role in a high-profile policy area with Ministerial and No.10 interest. The work will be a mix of strategic and responsive, and there are often commissions requiring short turnaround. You should be comfortable working at pace, and juggling multiple tasks at once.

Person specification

• Work collaboratively across Government to meet the Government’s commitment to review the regulatory framework for Start for Life services by helping to develop a model for targeted inspection to improve support for families.
• Develop policy expertise in inspection approaches and models across the health and care system.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues from finance, legal and parliamentary teams to inform policy development and delivery.
• Lead development of written and verbal briefing for senior officials and Ministers.

Key skills and experience required for the role

The successful candidate will be able to:

• Comfortably and confidently drive forward their work with a high degree of independence, managing multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Lead on planning and execution of policy, working effectively to deadlines, prioritising and managing deliverables of others, and managing risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies for lead areas to deliver high-quality outcomes at pace.
• Understand how their work fits within the broader strategic priorities of their team and wider stakeholders and adapt their approach accordingly.
• Evaluate complex evidence and different factors (e.g. an organisation’s strategy, financial limitations, stakeholder interests), apply considered judgement to come to a conclusion and make recommendations accordingly.
• Be a confident and effective communicator, both orally and in writing, developing and delivering clear and compelling messages for a range of audiences.
• Build effective working relationships and influence colleagues at different levels in multiple organisations to achieve joint objectives, working collaboratively across a broad portfolio of cross-cutting work.
• Work effectively as part of a team, supporting more junior members of staff and working effectively alongside team members of all grades, experience and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate a commitment to improving outcomes and services for babies and families during the period from conception to age two.
• Demonstrate their experience of working with, or willingness to become an expert on, the early years sector, for example local authorities, NHS organisations, or representative bodies for health and children’s services.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,025, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,806 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: expected W/C 01/01/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 22/01/2024

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

Please complete a statement on the specified Behaviour (250 word max)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

An initial sift based on Lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions, 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 and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here 

Further Information

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available. 

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance. 

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.