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 NHS Finance team help DHSC to achieve Value for Money from the system in the implementation of its strategic objectives as set out in the NHS Mandate and government priorities. We add value throughout the policy design and implementation cycle by providing financial support and advice to DHSC policy teams and NHS England - acting as a solution-focused ‘critical friend’. Our role is to provide robust challenge of policy design and efficiency options so that policy is successfully delivered with the most appropriate financial package and is aligned to strong financial management principles.

Alongside this we advise on strategic planning and risk management and play a role in ensuring there is assurance over reporting of the financial position of the system to Parliament - ensuring finance is at the heart of decision making to support delivery of strategic policy at the best possible value to the taxpayer.

The successful candidate will be joining an inclusive and supportive team comprising a mix of finance and policy professionals with ample opportunities to learn and develop a range of skills. We welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate they have the requisite transferable skills to meet the key criteria, whether from a finance background or wider fields.

We’ve attracted high quality policy professionals and those from other disciplines to this role previously, who have thrived in the role. It offers the opportunity to gain and hone skills and experience of financial decision-making and control in the context of areas with the highest strategic impact and priority for Government and the public.  You will be supported to develop these skills, and they can be transferred to a range of future roles, including policy, strategy, and other disciplines.

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic Grade 7, who is looking for a challenging role that will offer the opportunity to shape the finance agenda. We work across a full range of stakeholders, as well as teams from across the department and government including HM Treasury. We are an agile team providing finance policy support across a range of complex policy and strategy areas, including manifesto commitments, workforce, system financial architecture, elective and system recovery, mental health, NHS services including primary care and medicines policy.

We have some scope to shape the portfolio of work, which will cover some of the following areas:

• Oversight and co-ordination of the Department’s productivity agenda through our newly established Productivity Board. This will involve development and delivery assurance of plans across health and social care, including the ambition to deliver 1.5-2% productivity as set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.  This will be a key input into the next Spending Review with close working with our Strategic Finance team.  The productivity assumption required to deliver the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan within the funding envelope is very ambitious, they would need to deliver 1.5-2% labour productivity growth, which is significantly higher than historical averages of around 0.8%.
• What plans are needed to address some of the structural issues facing the most financially challenged NHS systems, where underlying issues pre-pandemic are starting to re-emerge. The work involves understanding what is the root cause of some of the bigger deficits, the credibility of existing plans to address them, and options to go further including thinking about revenue and capital funding in a joined up way, and the work on productivity outlined above.
• Work to set the priorities and planning guidance for the NHS – ensuring that government’s ask of the NHS is affordable within available funding, setting the NHS budget via financial directions, and taking forward projects to support our strategic finance team prepare for the next Spending Review.
• Supporting workforce policy colleagues on delivery of the Long Term Workforce Plan agenda, including assuring plans, costs and financial incentives to deliver the significant expansion of medical and clinical training within the announced funding. The wider work on productivity also needs to be translated into the specific impact on the size of the workforce the NHS will need in future.

We are looking for a motivated proactive person who is excited by the opportunity to take ownership of an area of work and ensure finance implications are fully taken into account. 

The role involves a high degree of stakeholder engagement and influencing and requiring developed strategic awareness across DHSC, ALBs and HMT.  It is an excellent opportunity for a policy professional to develop a good understanding of government finance, or for a finance professional to build their understanding of strategic finance issues, with strong links to the team preparing for the next Spending Review.

Person specification

Role responsibilities:

DHSC view and Ministerial advice:

Take responsibility for forming an overarching DHSC view and advising Ministers on:

• Whether the strategy meets the objective of accurately diagnosing drivers of productivity drag and proposing genuine solutions to address
• The nature of the investment proposals and whether the case can be supported in terms of VfM. If prioritisation and trade-offs are needed in negotiations with HMT, where those lines should be drawn from a DHSC perspective on whether the associated delivery plan proposed by NHSE (and other system partners where relevant) can be supported by DHSC in part or in full, and if they can have confidence in those plans being executed

Stakeholder management:

• Manage the relationship with HMT and no. 10 on productivity strategy and delivery
• Manage the agenda and secretariat function for the senior officials’ Productivity Board
• Liaise with other governance boards to escalate risks, issues and mitigations (e.g. Long Term Workforce Board and Financial Sponsorship & Accountability Board)

Support system to develop productivity plans and holding to account:

• Engage and support NHSE and Adult Social Care colleagues to understand how they propose to further develop at pace a fully worked up and coherent productivity strategy
• Assess whether the proposals constitute genuine productivity improvements that would translate into real-world improved productivity
• Ensuring actions from cross-government conversations and feedback is incorporated into iterations of the plan 
• Understand and test with partners the case for associated investment, and where prioritisation and trade-offs should be made if they become necessary
• Test and monitor interdependencies within the productivity strategy and plan
• Manage feed-in and link to wider Spending Review process running across Department group, providing insight to DHSC spending review team

Implementation planning:

• Support tracking of progress on delivery and execution of the plan

Key skills and experience required for the role:

• Interest in, and understanding of, the government and public sector strategic finance and policy context and the implications for health and social care policy and their work
• Experience of successfully utilising relevant management techniques or processes to drive delivery of multiple key projects to deadline while maintaining quality and meeting the needs of the business
• A solutions-focused professional with a "can do" attitude, with excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work to tight deadlines with an ability to take ownership of portfolio while working as part of multi-functional teams and across team boundaries
• Excellent communicator, with the ability to influence and inform at the highest levels, and able to tailor style and technique across a range of audiences and media
• Ability to synthesise wide-ranging material and provide clear and concise briefing with recommendations on complex issues to various stakeholders, including Ministers and senior officials, clearly outlining options available to decision makers with recommendations, assessing benefits and risks with suitable mitigation
• This job is a strategic finance / policy role with no need for a financial qualification, however candidates should be able to demonstrate an ability to weigh up and advise on policy proposals and data from a range of different sources
• Highly proficient in using and interpreting quantitative information to support decision making (including identifying gaps in data and working with colleagues to develop solutions)
• Fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration between business areas, finance and other corporate services

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,116, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £14,354 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 Experience.

Sift date: expected W/C 29/01/24

Interview date: expected W/C 19/02/24

Interview location: Virtual, by video. 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 and Statement of Suitability. 

Please use your Statement of Suitability to to (in no more than 750 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert. 

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 of 'Making Effective Decisions' and the Statement of Suitability' may be held if a large number of applications are received. 

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

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.

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.

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.