About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. We are at the forefront of work to help the nation to keep itself fit and healthy. We do this by shifting the focus of the NHS and wider health system, partners across local and national government and beyond, ensuring that public health and prevention are prioritised, and health disparities are addressed. 

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.

We are committed to creating a great place to work for our colleagues reflecting the society we serve. Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills to perform these roles.

The Health Protection Strategy and Vaccines Directorate brings together teams covering COVID-19, flu and national vaccination programmes with those focused on the wider public health system and plays a crucial role in protecting and improving the nation's health.

We are recruiting to a number of roles in different teams within the Directorate:

The COVID-19, flu and immunisation teams ensure that vaccination programmes in England remain world leading. The teams work closely with the UK Health Security Agency, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and NHS England on how vaccination is delivered, who is eligible, how to drive uptake and how policies can be best designed to meet departmental objectives. Vaccination continues to save thousands of lives in the UK.

The Public Health Systems and Finance Policy team leads work to support a world-class public health system, by ensuring that national public health functions, roles and responsibilities are clear, that structures and governance are suitable, and by securing and allocating resources to local systems. 

The Housing, Environments and Planning team leads work to develop local capacity and capability to create healthier places. We have a particular focus on building the evidence base on the impact of the built and natural environment on public health and health disparities. 

The National Workforce Strategy team is focused on providing strategic leadership and direction to the public health system so it has the necessary skills and capacity to improve population health and reduce health disparities.

Job description

The COVID-19, flu and national vaccines teams develop policy for the delivery of vaccination programmes in England. This includes looking across the health and care sector to understand how future primary and community healthcare services are being designed; the capacity constraints placed on the NHS (both operational and financial) and how our policies could be redesigned to deliver some of our Department’s broader objectives - reducing health inequalities and the digital transformation of the NHS. We protect those vulnerable to COVID-19 and flu via a programme of highly impactful seasonal vaccination campaigns and manage a complex programme of vaccinations. Our work is guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and we work in close collaboration with partners (including NHSE and UKHSA) and the Devolved Governments. Roles are available in the COVID-19 and flu vaccines Strategy team, focused on cross-cutting and future vaccine strategy policy development; the COVID-19 Eligibility and Prioritisation team, focused on JCVI advice on who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination; and the National Immunisations team, focused on the ongoing effectiveness of the complex national vaccination programme. The postholders would be expected to develop a working knowledge of vaccination policy generally. The roles sit within the Health Protection Strategy and Vaccines Directorate and may require the postholders to work flexibly across wider directorate priorities. The postholders will provide breifings to senior officials and ministers on vaccination policy, contribute to wider correspondence and Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and develop longer term plans and strategies across vaccination programmes.

The Public Health Systems and Finance Policy team has a specific focus on the funding for and assurance of local government’s role in delivering better health, including national oversight of a £3.5bn annual funding stream and of NHS public health functions.  As part of this team you will lead work to review, re-shape and implement our assurance relationship with local government on work to improve the public’s health.  This will also include working on DHSC’s public health improvement and population health funding proposals at future upcoming fiscal events.

Key activities for the Housing, Planning and Environments for Health team include undertaking evidence and literature reviews and research projects, expert advice to other government departments and the development of national policy and nationally significant infrastructure projects. We also have a focus on building strategic stakeholder relationships and translating evidence into practice to embed health and disparities in the development of national policy and guidance, resource and training for practice in local and regional places. As part of the team, the postholder will work on DHSC’s interests in air quality and health. Responsibilities include collaborating with and influencing other government departments to take action to contribute to a reduction in health harms caused by air pollution with the greatest gain in the areas where it poses the biggest inequalities risk, providing the secretariat for a cross-government indoor air quality working group (quarterly meetings), sponsorship of the Committee of Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) COMEAP including annual recruitment exercise in partnership with the secretariat (in UKHSA) and central appointments team (in DHSC) and providing briefings to senior officials and Ministers and business as usual activities including write-rounds, PQs and correspondence.

The national workforce team work closely with external health and social care partners to support the policy development of public health workforce components of key strategies, service specifications and programmes.  Key activities include developing the capability of the core and wider public health workforce, providing advice and support and secretariate for a national workforce collaborate and leadership forum. As part of the team, the postholder will support developing the capacity and capability of the public health workforce through system-wide collaboration. Responsibilities include supporting and leading policy and strategy projects to address specific public health workforce issues and interests, secretariat of a national Public Health Leadership Collaborative and a Senior cross-system Leadership forum. In addition, the postholder will also provide briefings to senior officials and contribute to PQs, correspondence.

All roles require the postholder to work flexibly, supporting or leading on other projects within the wider remit of the teams and Directorate to help respond to new or different priorities and contribute to your own development.

Person specification

Role responsibilities

These roles will involve extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including from DHSC and its arms-length bodies, the NHS, national government departments and local government. The main responsibilities of the roles could include:

• Drafting advice to Ministers and senior leaders on complex and cross-cutting policy issues
• Building and maintaining good relationships with stakeholders in the Department, across local and national government and in the wider health system
• Communicating complex information clearly and concisely, both in writing and orally, to a range of partners
• Working at pace across a range of stakeholders and policy areas to respond to requests as they arise, including requests for Ministerial briefings, papers or advice.
• Providing governance secretariat leadership to key senior programme boards
• In-depth work on specific policy development and delivery challenges, such as:
• Developing longer term plans and strategies for future policy programmes using evidence, advice and engagement with stakeholders
• Securing, allocating and assuring public health funding for local government, and promoting its effective use in delivering better health;
• Developing the public health workforce;
• Realising the opportunities to improve health by improving air quality, working across Government.

Key skills and experience required for this role

The essential criteria for the post are:

• Strong communication skills, written and oral, with an ability to tailor messages to meet the needs of different audiences
• The ability to grasp complex issues quickly
• The ability to collaborate with a range of policy colleagues and stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.
• The ability to deliver, work at pace and manage conflicting priorities effectively.
• The ability to see the big picture and consider emerging issues and trends.  

Desirable

• Experience of one or a variety of the following areas in any context: policy development or programme/project management.
• Experience presenting strategic policy and financial advice to senior stakeholders/Ministers.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,025, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,806 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.

Applications will be sifted on Behaviours, CV, and Statement of Suitability.

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

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

An initial sift based on the lead behaviour of Seeing the Big Picture may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift date: expected W/C 19/02/2024

Interview date: expected W/C 04/03/2024

Interview location: By video

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

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. 

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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 

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

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.

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.