About the job

Job summary

Strategy, Policy and Programmes Group sets the strategic direction for UKHSA, supports the organisation to deliver the business plan and evaluates performance of delivery.

Positioned in the Strategy Directorate, the Parliamentary and Public Accountability team provides a centralised service working directly with requesters, regulators, OGDs, Ministers’/CEO offices, Parliament and members of the public in the delivery of UKHSA’s obligations with respect to Parliament and the public. The team works collaboratively across the whole of UKHSA to provide a high-quality service to all of our customers in line with UKHSA’s values and our key performance indicators.

You will be working with a highly motivated and passionate group of people and will be working alongside them in an exciting and fast-paced environment with the opportunity to make your mark and influence government policy and delivery. In line with the UKHSA values, we are inclusive, insightful and impactful in our work.

This role will sit within the Enquiries & Complaints Team, but also work on requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs).

Location

Role available at all core and scientific locations with hybrid working available

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Porton Down, London, Chilton

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working.

Job description

Responsibilities section:

As a Public Accountability Officer you will be part of the Enquiries & Complaints Team within the Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team, but will be also expected to work on responding to requests for information made under statutory access schemes.  As a result, your responsibilities will include:

• Responding to enquiries and complaints received by UKHSA, commissioning information from other parts of UKHSA and preparing responses, ensuring appropriate clearances are received prior to issue; and
• Responding to requests made under FOIA, the Data Protection Act and other statutory access schemes, ensuring responses comply with the relevant legislation.
• The postholder will support the business of the team through undertaking activities relating to reporting, engagement, continuous improvement, learning and development and wellbeing.
• In line with our work to increase cross-team working within the Parliamentary and Public Accountability Team, the postholder may also be asked to assist with parliamentary work.

 

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Please review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• Experience of Freedom of Information and/or other statutory access requests in a government setting and/or health related policy area;
• Ability to work at pace on a range of competing priorities, whilst remaining calm under pressure and demonstrating a high level of resilience;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence people at all levels, building trust with stakeholders to achieve goals;
• Ability to solve problems and escalate issue to Senior Leadership Team when necessary;
• Experience of supporting policy teams by drafting of timely responses to parliamentary and public accountability business; this might include Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, public enquiries, complaints or parliamentary business. Regularly reviewing with the team what worked well and what didn’t, ensuring best practices are embedded and shared;
• Ability to communicate complex legal, scientific and technical information to a non-scientific audience.
• Excellent IT skills – Microsoft, Excel, Adobe

Desirable

• BCS Practitioner Certificate in Freedom of Information and/or GDPR;
• Degree or equivalent experience.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

Depending on the amount of applications received, a pre-sift may be carried out on the lead behaviour – managing a quality service.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This post will involve an interview by Teams video.          

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working together

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th April 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: w/c 15th April 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

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.