About the job

Job summary

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes:

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver.

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge

legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.    

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

Job description

About the DHSC Legal Advisers Division

DHSC Legal Advisers (DHSC LA) provides legal advice to the Department of Health and Social Care, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Health is always important and controversial and raises ethical and legal issues as fascinating as you will find anywhere in government, not least during the recent Coronavirus pandemic, where DHSC lawyers were crucial in shaping the national response.

DHSC’s vision is to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives, for longer, by supporting healthy behaviours, improving our health and care system, and creating healthy environments. The DHSC legal team contributes to this compelling, positive agenda by:  

• Providing accurate, pragmatic, risk-based legal advice to Ministers and officials across the full range of DHSC business including the organisation and workforce of the National Health Service, adult social care, the regulation of the healthcare professions, and the regulation and supply of medicines, in the context of the UK’s changed trade relationships
• Preparing DHSC bills, working alongside parliamentary counsel and advising Ministers during the passage of the bill through Parliament and its implementation and delivery
• Drafting DHSC’s extensive subordinate legislation
• Providing public law advice to DHSC’s NDPBs and executive agencies, in particular the MHRA, as well as working with lawyers in the UKHSA
• Working closely with colleagues in our litigation and commercial expert services, the SI Hub and external legal advisers on a wide variety of cases, programmes and projects, including a considerable body of litigation stemming from coronavirus

We are an innovative, friendly, diverse, high performing division with around 110 staff, based in London, Leeds and Manchester.

“Thank you for your interest in joining DHSC Legal Advisers. DHSC is responsible for the nation’s health and social care with the objective of helping people to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. The legal work of our Division is essential to achieving that aim. From support on Bills relating to tobacco or mental health, advice on primary care or medical devices legislation or support for the Covid-19 Inquiry, our work has a genuine impact on every single person in the country. If successful, you will be leading a legal team that is responsible for some of DHSC’s most high profile issues as well as helping to lead the overall running of a friendly, collegiate Division. It really is a great time to join us.”

Bridget Palmer, Legal Director

The Role

We are looking for a Deputy Director to head the Department of Health and Social Care’s Public Health & Ethics legal team.

This is an opportunity to lead a high performing team dealing with a wide variety of high profile, stimulating, cutting-edge legal and policy issues, which sometimes arise at short notice. You would be responsible for overseeing work that includes:

• Ethics – High profile, sensitive matters including those that relate to beginning and end of life, consent, abortion and substances of human origin.
• Healthy Weight and Nutrition – a recent project has involved the making of Regulations restricting the marketing of certain food and drinks that are less healthy.
• Tobacco – ongoing advice to policy clients on issues relating to, for example, taking the Tobacco and Vaping Bill through Parliament, which introduces the smoke-free generation and measures on vapes.
• Medical Examiners and Fluoridation – both matters have a complex history and involve the drafting of Regulations.
• Infected Blood – drafting regulations to set out the detail of Infected Blood Support Scheme and working with DHSC on implementation and delivery.
• Advising UKHSA – providing advice on a variety of ad hoc queries ranging from requests about the powers available to deal with radiation leaks to how to obtain information from a dental practice.

The post holder will lead a team of around 11 lawyers, with direct line management of 5 senior lawyers.

You will be a key member of the division’s Senior Leadership Team and so will also be expected to contribute to leading the wider Division and GLD as a whole.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you provide evidence and examples of proven experience of these selection criteria.

The successful candidate will be qualified to practise as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales (which includes overseas lawyers with necessary exemptions).

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Technical

Legal Professional Skills

• Sound knowledge of public law.
• Brings wider legal experience and knowledge to bear, demonstrating creative thinking and excellent judgement to deliver authoritative legal advice, at pace, to facilitate practical solutions.
• Effectively manages legal risk in their own work and that of the team, providing sound legal direction and oversight, and ensuring quality control.
• Have a track-record of picking up new and complex areas of legal work quickly and providing context-appropriate advice in high-profile and fast-moving situations.

Behaviours

Leadership (Lead Behaviour)

• Remain visible and approachable to all colleagues and stakeholders.
• Display enthusiasm for our work, helping to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to fully engage with the aims and long term vision of GLD.
• Embed a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals’ backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected. 

Behaviour - Working Together

• Proactively create, maintain and promote a strong network of contacts across the organisation and externally.
• Embed an inclusive culture of creating positive and supportive teams who consider the diverse needs and feelings of other colleagues.
• Encourage and establish mechanisms to share knowledge and resources across boundaries to support business delivery.

Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service

• Ensure delivery of legal excellence and professional services to clients.
• Ensure prioritisation and value for money issues are embedded into service delivery.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Government Legal Department contributes £20,250 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, Experience and Technical skills.

The Recruitment Process

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than Monday 4th March 2024 at 12:00 noon and will involve submitting the outlined below:

1. An online CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, which will be scored.
2. A statement of suitability of no more than 1,250 words providing evidence of your suitability of the role with particular reference to the essential behaviours and technical skills.

Failure to submit all documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. 

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming an inclusive employer and a great place to work. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information or go to Equality and Diversity

Should you encounter any issues with your online application or are unable to apply online please contact subhaht.tabasum@Governmentlegal.gov.uk

Selection Panels

The selection panel for this campaign will be:

• Bridget Palmer, Legal Director (DHSC LA)
• Daniel Jenkins, Deputy Legal Director (DHSC LA)
• Third panel member - TBD

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Please note, if a large number of applications are received then we will sift on qualifications and the Lead Behaviour alone. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Assessments

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a staff engagement exercise. 

This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.

Informal Conversations

Shortlisted candidates will also have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Bridget Palmer, prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and the organisation. Please note this is an optional part of the process, not part of the formal assessment process. 

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification/Essential Criteria, behaviours and technical skills.

- Leadership (Lead Behaviour)

- Working Together

- Managing a Quality Service

- Technical Skills

You will also be asked to conduct a 5-minute oral presentation at interview which will assess your Legal Professional Skills and the behaviour Leadership.

Interviews will probably take place remotely via video conference, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Offer, Feedback and Reserve List

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of selection decisions as soon as possible thereafter.

We are not able to offer feedback to candidates who are unsuccessful at shortlist stage. Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will be offered written / verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are unsuccessful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months.  We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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.