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 Quality, Safety and Investigations Analysis Team (QSAT) is based within the Secondary Care and Integration group within DHSC. QSAT is a high-performing, friendly and diverse team of around 20 analysts, from different professional backgrounds, led by a Deputy Director.
 
We support a range of small, medium and large-scale projects, touching on a range of policy areas, including: 

• Patient safety (for example, how can we ensure patients are not unintentionally harmed when they receive medical treatment?)
• National inquiries and investigations (for example, what might be the cost of compensating people for things that have gone wrong in the NHS?)
• Clinical negligence (for example, what do we know about how compensation is awarded when patients are harmed during the course of receiving medical care?)
• Integration of health and care (for example, what is the evidence that making the health and care system more joined up will have on patients?)
• Performance of local Integrated Care Systems (for example, what does the data say about which parts of the country have high performing NHS systems and why?)

You are not expected to have any prior knowledge of any of these areas, but will be excited to learn more! 

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Quality, Safety and Investigations Analysis Team as a Project Management Apprentice and Office Manager.  

As this role has been advertised as a Level 4 Associate Project Management apprenticeship, you will spend approximately: 

• 80% of your time carrying out your ‘normal’ duties (supporting our Deputy Director and team as the Office manager including organising events and wider team organisation, and leading on a range of projects to support the team and meet your development needs), and 
• 20% of your time on studying, training and development.  

The training is fully funded so it doesn’t cost you anything – and you’ll earn while you learn.  

To be eligible to enrol on the Level 4 Associate Project Manager apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria: 

• Must have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 years prior to the apprenticeship start date
• Not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time
• Candidates need to make sure they do not have a pre-existing qualification at the same or higher level in a similar subject to the apprenticeship.

Role responsibilities

For the project management aspect of your role, you will:  

• Provide hands-on project management support and leadership on specific projects.
• Help create and improve our knowledge management processes – for example, how and where we save data and analytical products.
• Lead on the team's monthly work planning exercise – for example, identifying upcoming projects and monitoring progress against existing ones.

 For the office manager part of your role, you will:

• Support the Deputy Director to manage their diary and inbox
• Schedule team meetings and other meetings
• Help to organise one-off activities, e.g. team development days, social activities 

 You will have the opportunity to shape certain aspects of the role according to your interests and development needs. 

Person specification

Key skills and experience required for this role

The successful candidate will have 5 GCSEs including English and Maths at Grades A – C or 9 – 4 (or a Level 2 equivalent qualification).

The key skills required for this role: 

• Ability to organise and prioritise your own workload and the work of others, ensuring tasks are delivered on time, flagging risks as they occur, and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Ability to work and communicate with different people within the team, and across the department
• Self-motivated to learn and develop new and existing skills, including core software packages – MS Teams, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word and Excel.

Apprenticeship eligibility requirements  

To be eligible to apply for the apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria:  

• Must have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date. 
• Not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time 
• The successful candidate(s) will be enrolled onto an Associate Project Manager Level 4 apprenticeship. At the enrolment stage, the individual's eligibility will be checked by the training provider. Candidates need to make sure they do not have pre-existing qualifications at the same or higher level in a similar subject as the apprenticeship.

Who can start an apprenticeship

To start an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:

• 16 or over
• living in England
• not in full-time education

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school but you’ll need to be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. Please note if successful you must be 16 or over to undergo the relevant security checks.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,079, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £7,311 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 Strengths, Ability and Experience.

Sift date: W/C 15/07/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 29/07/2024

Interview location: By video

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores. 

Applications will be sifted on Online Tests and Statement of Suitability.

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 500 words) outline your motivations for applying and how you meet the key skills required for the role as set out in the job advert.

Candidates will be required to complete a Numerical Reasoning Test, a Verbal Reasoning Test, and a Judgement Test as part of the online application, these will follow immediately after the initial short application form is submitted. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the full application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended) to give yourself enough time to complete your full application. The closing date for the tests and for submitting your full application is 15/07. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

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 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).

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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. 

/2024. If you fail to complete the online test and submit your full application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.  

At interview candidates will be assessed on Strengths and Experience.

Candidates will be asked to give a presentation which will assess experience. Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here 

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. 

Qualifications required for the role will be checked and verified by the vacancy holder as part of the onboarding process. You may also be asked to provide evidence that any qualifications obtained overseas are equivalent to those advertised.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). 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.

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.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test, Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. 

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 15/07/2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

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.