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.

This role sits within the Maternity and Neonatal Policy Team. We are seeking to recruit an individual who is keen to grip a stretching brief in a priority area, to shape projects and policy direction as part of a supportive and high performing team. 

The team’s work is broadly underpinned by the Government's National Maternity Safety Ambition, recent investigations and reviews which have highlighted the need for change and the action required to drive forward improvement, and disparities in maternal and perinatal outcomes. Maternity is a busy area with a consistent stream of activity and regular Parliamentary interest. 

As a Policy Adviser, you will be part of a team who work with a range of both internal and external stakeholders. You will contribute towards the drafting of policy and strategy. You will also play an active role in shaping and delivering the team’s priorities, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes.

Personal qualities are as important as professional experience; and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. If you believe you have the skills and qualities we are looking for, then we would like to hear from you.

Job description

Maternity is a dynamic and high-profile policy area and a priority for Government, aiming to make England the best place in the world to have a baby. We need to focus on identifying and managing the risk factors that impact maternity safety, be these wider disparities, medical conditions or safe care. 

The Government has set a National Maternity Safety Ambition to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth by 2025, alongside a further ambition to reduce the rate of pre-term births from 8% to 6% by 2025

There have been a series of high-profile reports into maternity safety which have shone a spotlight on what needs to be done within the system to improve care. This requires the government to lead stakeholders in the system response and change.

The successful candidate will be expected to support some of several high-profile maternity projects. This would require some independent working and ownership of a policy area.

These include, but may not be limited to:

• Taking forward recommendations made by recent reviews into maternity and neonatal services
• Contract management of work commissioned by the policy team
• Policy around the national maternity safety ambition
• Support to ALBs and key stakeholders on policy development, contract management and project management around initiatives that are in place to reduce adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes
• Secretariat of ministerial meetings

The role would also support the significant amount of parliamentary activity that comes with this priority area.

Person specification

The post holder will: 

• Proactively engage with relevant people and stakeholders to build trusting relationships, working in partnership with the policy team and its key stakeholders
• Produce high quality content for different audiences and communications channels, including ministerial briefings and media queries
• Develop a range of core policy or delivery skills useful to progression in the directorate or elsewhere
• Be a key point of contact for the Policy Team
• Respond to Parliamentary queries and correspondence received by the Department
• Monitor the Team Mailbox and respond to or triage queries
• Be actively involved in promoting a positive and inclusive culture across the directorate

Key skills and experience required for the role

The abilities we seek for this role include:

• Experience of supporting high-quality written products, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Experience of briefing would be desirable
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, proactively building and maintaining strong, effective relationships
• Strong written and presentation skills, to present complex issues clearly and succinctly to internal and external audiences
• Having an adaptable approach to workload priorities and ways of working, and a willingness to build knowledge and expertise outside of their immediate area of work
• Proven ability to work flexibly at pace, juggling competing demands
• Ability to analyse and accurately interpret data, information and stakeholder views to support decisions, and find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications
• The ability to learn fast and get to grips with an area of expertise quickly
• Self-motivated, self-aware and calm under pressure

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,188, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £8,690 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 15/01/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 29/01/2024

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

Please complete statements on the specified Behaviours (250 word max per statement).

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

An initial sift based on the 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.