About the job

Job summary

We have two exciting roles in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Division, in DLUHC, working on policy in the flagship Renters (Reform) Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. This is a major reform programme looking to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords and improve the safety and quality of privately rented homes. The Bill is the most comprehensive package of reforms to the private rented sector in thirty years and will improve housing conditions for private renters, including some of the most vulnerable in society, while supporting the many good landlords operating in the sector.  

More details on our proposals for the Renters (Reform) Bill can be found in our white paper, A Fairer Private Rented Sector here, and the Bill itself can be found here  

Blanket Bans and Guidance 

The successful candidate will support the implementation of ‘Blanket Bans’ policy - preventing discrimination against tenants in receipt of benefits and families with children looking for homes in the private rented sector.   

You will work on secondary legislation to introduce the policy and ensure it operates effectively. You will also play a cross-cutting role in ensuring the implementation of reforms are a success by working on guidance for the sector.  You will work closely with policy colleagues, communications professionals and digital specialists to help drive communication of the reforms so that everyone living and working in the sector understand their roles and responsibilities.  

If you are an ambitious, independent HEO and looking for a stretching role to support your career progression this role could be for you. We are a highly supportive and proudly diverse team with an excellent track record of supporting individuals to promotion. 

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.   

Markets and Affordability 

The successful candidate will fill a key role in considering supply and affordability challenges within the Private Rented Sector and developing an in-depth understanding of how PRS reforms and wider Departmental and Government policy priorities may impact tenants and landlords.   

The post provides an excellent opportunity to work on an exciting and fast-moving housing policy area. The HEO will be joining at a critical time as the Bill is being scrutinised against a background of continued cost of living pressures.   

The post will require balancing urgent asks as the Bill continues through Parliament, while also considering wider and longer term private rented markets and affordability challenges.  With a spotlight on the rental market, you will have the opportunity to think creatively to respond to policy challenges and influence the department’s vision for housing and forthcoming cross-government fiscal bids.   

Job description

Blanket Bans Role - Key responsibilities

•    Helping to see the Renters Reform Bill through Parliament – supporting the SEO and G7 to draft debate packs for ministers, helping to respond to questions in the House and suggested amendments, and leading on specific strands of ‘Blanket Bans’ policy. 
•    Developing our implementation plans for ‘Blanket Bans’ to ensure our legislation is successful in changing behaviours – considering the needs of key stakeholders including other government departments, local authorities, landlords and tenants.   
•    Policy development – helping the team find solutions to important policy problems, including how we can stop landlords and agents discriminating against those on benefits, providing effective and clear guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities, and working effectively with key stakeholders. Drafting parliamentary and public correspondence. 
•    Supporting a cross-team project to develop effective and clear online guidance to support wider reforms giving you the opportunity to think creatively and demonstrate your effective communication skills.  
•    Contributing to the Strategy and Engagement team and wider division to make it a great place to work. 

Markets and Affordability Role - Key responsibilities

•    Establishing relationships with internal DLUHC teams (including analysts), other Government Departments and external stakeholders to ensure we have a clear picture of market developments and can respond effectively.   
•    Horizon scanning to identify issues and developments with landlord viability and tenant affordability and accessibility.   
•    Policy development and advice to senior officials and Ministers on issues related to PRS markets and affordability.   
•    Liaising with DLUHC colleagues to ensure the private rented sector is accurately reflected in wider housing markets, homelessness, and fiscal event policy development.   
•    Leading on correspondence related to PRS markets and affordability, including ensuring effective lines and briefings, alongside keeping track of and responding to Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial correspondence and Parliamentary debates.

Person specification

Essential

•    Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate complex topics in a straight-forward and clear manner, drafting quickly and accurately under pressure
•    Able to work collaboratively and build relationships with colleagues from different teams and professions, and with both internal and external stakeholders. 
•    Able to use initiative, work pro-actively and independently
•    Comfortable working with analysts using analytical skills (data, evidence, and stakeholder views) to outline options for policy development and present clear conclusions 
•    Able to see the big picture to consider new and innovative approaches to problems and emerging priorities 
•    Problem solving skills, with the ability to systematically gather and distil appropriate evidence at pace
•    A track record of successful delivery at pace in a fast-changing environment.

Desirable:

•    A keen interest in legislation or policy development relating to renters’ rights.
•    Experience of working on policy development for legislation 
•    Experience of working on project delivery and implementation.
•    Experience of drafting public correspondence.
•    Experience of working with internal and external stakeholders
•    Experience of working in a policy area on renters’ rights, welfare reform or official online guidance

Candidates will be considered for both roles and preferences discussed at interview stage.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,178, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £8,688 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 Ability.

We are for everyone  

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.   

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role.   

We are for everyone  

DLUHC want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.   

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).   

At application stage you will be asked to upload a CV document. Unless stated otherwise in the advert, your CV will not form part of the assessment but will be used for information purposes and only shared with the panel at interview stage.  

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.   

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.  

When writing your application, remember: 

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.  
• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.  
• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)  

At sift, we will be assessing  

Behaviour 1 Making effective decisions (lead behaviour)  

Behaviour 2  Communicating and influencing

Behaviour 3  Delivering at pace

There is a 250 word limit per question.  

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progress straight to assessment/interview. 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:    

Behaviour - Seeing the big picture, Making effective decisions, Communicating and influencing and Delivering at pace.

Ability - As part of the interview candidates will be required to complete a written exercise, which will test ability against the behaviour 'Communicating and influencing'.

Strength - The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

In the full campaign we will test the below Success Profile Elements:  

Behaviours: Seeing the big picture, Making effective decisions, Communicating and influencing and Delivering at pace

Ability: Yes

Strengths: Yes 

We do not consider direct CV applications to our Recruitment mailbox – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign. 

HEO salary 

• The salary for this role is £32,178 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 

 
Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.   

BENEFITS: 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 
Any move to DLUHC 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 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.   

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: 

• Manchester
• Leeds
• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington*  

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.  

SIFT AND INTERVIEW DATES: 

Sifting is envisaged to take place from 15th January 2023 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.  

Reserve List 
 
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.  

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules  

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

Vacancy contacts:

Blanket Bans

Name: Sarah Amer
Email:  Sarah.Amer@levellingup.gov.uk

Markets and Affordability 

Name: David Firth
Email: David.Firth@levellingup.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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.