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.

We are looking for a Personal Support Officer. This is a unique role, which requires excellent communication and organisational skills, with the ability to stay on top of a busy inbox and diary. It is a fantastic opportunity to work on policy detail which influences the way we work across government in a challenging, fast-paced and interesting world.

Job description

The postholder plays a critical and indispensable role in helping the co-team leader of maternity and neonatal policy, who is visually impaired, to maximise their efficiency and effectiveness by managing their day-to-day support needs. No two days are the same, and in a busy inbox, you will be able to quickly develop and grasp a clear understanding of priorities and requirements.

Beyond that, you will be given an excellent insight into key work across Government through your contact with other teams and policy professionals in a friendly and supportive environment. The team leader places real emphasis on personal development and will look to support the successful candidate to develop an excellent set of skills to help you push your boundaries and further your career.

Another crucial element to the role has been the provision of sighted guide assistance, including to internal/external meetings, conferences, and site visits. This will occasionally require overnight travel. Sighted guide training is available.

The team leader is likely to have a guide dog in the near future, so you should be comfortable being around the dog and prepared to undertake handling of the dog where necessary, when the time comes. Training will, of course, be provided.

Person specification

• Daily close engagement on the team leader’s emerging and existing priorities across all areas of their portfolio.
• Diary management and arranging meetings, including with senior internal and external stakeholders, travel/accommodation, booking on to events and scanning for engagement opportunities.
• Inbox monitoring and management – including prioritising email for action and delegating emails to team members where appropriate.
• Taking meeting notes and following up and monitoring progress on some action points.
• Transferring documents into accessible formats or working with others to ensure documents are created in an accessible way. Liaising with IT and other corporate colleagues to ensure that accessibility needs are being met.
• Creating and managing an online document storage/retrieval system.
• Undertaking ad-hoc research and summarising documents, with the scope to compile reports such as team performance updates and lead on some corporate activity for the team.

Key skills and experience required for the role

• Familiarity with diary management and arranging meetings, working across a range of platforms to book travel, etc.
• Inbox monitoring and management as a delegate, including prioritising mail, creating and managing a filing system. 
• Good written English and the ability to summarise discussions and turn into notes, at pace.
• Familiarity in working with a range of Microsoft and other packages to create and convert documents.
• Confidence to represent the team leader and liaise with IT and other colleagues to ensure that accessibility needs are being met.
• Creating and managing an online document storage/retrieval system.
• Building relationships with peers outside of the team to keep on top of corporate activities.
• Understanding of basic HR and corporate processes in order to support the day-to-day team management.

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.

Sift date: expected W/C 08/01/2024

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

Interview location: The interview will take place at 39 Victoria Street, London. 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 Behaviours.

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 'Managing a Quality Service' 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.

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.

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.