About the job

Job summary

Are you looking to enhance or gain experience in both Customer Service and Administration? Do you enjoy helping others? If so, we would like to hear from you. 

As part of the DWP Operational Delivery you will be at the heart of DWP’s front line operations helping to change people lives in our communities from around the 20 million plus customer base.

Job description

What you will be doing

• Respond to Customer queries via a Digital Journal or over the telephone.
• Demonstrate strong telephony and digital communication skills with a diverse range of claimants.
• Take ownership and manage cases by engaging across DWP to progress claimants in preparation for their journey towards work.
• Tailor the claimant journey and ensure claimants receive the correct payment amount, at the right time.
• Build positive relationships with claimants that encourage, motivate and build trust by demonstrating empathy and compassion.
• Handle sensitive and challenging situations with all claimants in a positive way.
• Be aware of labour market policy and its impact on claimant’s conditionality requirements.
• Make decisions by examining the available facts and giving explanations to claimants as required.
• Take ownership of personal development by accessing digital learning and communications tools.
• Work effectively with colleagues across the service.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Please see the candidate pack for additional information about the job roles available.

Candidates should note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP.

Person specification

Key Criteria

To be successful in this role you will need:

• Deliver a quality service to a diverse range of customers, adapting to meet individual needs. Provide support by phone and in writing where appropriate. (Lead Key Criteria)
• Have good communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Take ownership of personal learning to meet requirements of the role and enhance your overall digital capability.
• Ability to work flexibly and at pace to meet changing priorities and evolving workloads.

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%
• Generous annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Competitive maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• Employee Assistance with emphasis on wellbeing
• Employee discount schemes

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.   

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed 

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home.  This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement (Max 500 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

All prospective applicants should fully consider the candidate pack before applying.

Stage 1

Complete eligibility section of the application form.

Stage 2 

If eligible, you will be invited to complete your application and undergo a written sift using evidence from your Personal Statement of 500 words. This will be assessed against the Key Criteria within the Person Specification section of the advert.

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria thoroughly. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several Key Criteria. You may not be able to meet all the Key Criteria, but please ensure you provide as much evidence as you can to allow us to assess your skills, knowledge and experience.

Share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the Key Criteria.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your Personal Statement on the Lead Key Criteria:

• Deliver a quality service to a diverse range of customers, adapting to meet individual needs. Provide support by phone and in writing where appropriate.

before moving on to the other criteria listed if appropriate. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Stage  3 – The interview process

This will consist of a face to face interview in Nottingham which will last approximately 30 minutes. Further details regarding the interview arrangements will be included in the invite to interview. 

The Behaviour questions will be sent to candidates 1 week in advance of their interview to the email address used in their application, once their interview has been booked. Candidates are advised to check their inbox and spam/junk folders regularly. 

An example of a Behavioural question would be; 

Tell me about a time you have set about improving customer service, giving a sense of pace and criticality of success? How did you ensure this activity achieved its objectives whilst keeping costs under control? What tools and techniques did you use? 

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and used the WHO or STAR model to explain. 

If the questions have not been received prior to your interview or if you have any questions about this role please contact the vacancy holder: nem.grouprecruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Proposed Sift and Interview dates

Sift Period – 30th January to 2nd February 2024

Interviews – 16th to 23rd February 2024

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months, which we may also use to fill future similar vacancies. The reserve list may be used to offer future vacancies which arise in North and East Midlands Group and across the wider DWP network. Any such offers would be made in strict merit order and the location and job role would be fully explained.

You may be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are offered a role in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*.
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

*Note - Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health.

Any move to DWP 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.

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.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract. 

Important 

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

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.