About the job

Job summary

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever if is found, To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy 

Teacher Services is a cross cutting division.

We belong to Schools Group and sit within the Teacher Workforce Directorates (TWD) dedicated to making a difference for teachers, candidates, trainees and tutors. We support digital services across multiple divisions within the two Teacher Workforce Directorates of:  

• Candidates, Trainees, Strategy, Portfolio and Analysis (CaTSPA)  
• Teachers and Tutors (TaT)   

We are an empowered, multidisciplinary team with a passion for delivering digital services to provide more great teachers. We have strategic oversight over the whole digital teaching journey from attraction to continued professional development. We focus on how digital services, combined with bold policy making, can solve problems in teacher recruitment, retention, professional development, and more. 

We bring together policy and delivery to build effective user-centred services. You can read about our teacher retention ambitions in our teacher and recruitment retention strategy.

Job description

As a User Support Agent in DfE Teacher Services, you will work on the day-to-day operations across several user support desks within the team, carrying out first line support and ensuring that user queries are promptly and effectively responded to, keeping user needs at the heart of the team’s work.

Your actions will influence the customer experience and satisfaction levels within our services, requiring you to demonstrate excellent levels of customer service skills and behaviours. You need to to quickly understand situations to enable you to form appropriate responses and create a customer focused experience. You need to know how to build trust with users and understand why this is important.

You will become part of a close-knit team who work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues across all levels and from various multi-disciplinary teams so that we can fully support our users. We share personal learning and development opportunities, present recommendations to the team on processes and constantly feedback improvements to support good practices.

The services/teams we support include:-

• Becoming a Teacher - which assists those interested in teaching.
• Claim Additional Payments for Teaching - which directly provides teachers incentive payments, minimising the burden on teachers and schools.
• Continual Professional Development - designed to allow schools to register access and be paid for teacher professional development courses.
• Transformation and Digital – designed to improve our services to help the lives of young people, adult learners, and people in the social care system.

About the Apprenticeship

As this role includes completion of the Customer Service Level 3 Apprenticeship please check the eligibility requirements below using the apprenticeship standard: Customer service specialist / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

• You must have lived in the UK for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date and not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time.
• You must not already have a substantial amount of the skills and knowledge that is covered in the contents of the apprenticeship standard.
• You must not have already worked in a similar role, or your previous learning, and/or work experience covers the contents (Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours) of the apprenticeship standard.

Please do not apply if:

• You already have all the skills and knowledge that is covered in the contents of the apprenticeship standard.
• You have already worked in a similar role, or your previous learning, and/or work experience covers the contents (Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours) of the apprenticeship standard.
• Part of this apprenticeship is to complete a level 2 English and maths functional skills qualification. If you have already achieved GCSEs in English and maths at Level 4 (grade C) or equivalent or a higher grade, you will not need to complete the functional skills qualification.

At the enrolment stage, the individual's eligibility will be checked by the training provider.

Person specification

As a Support Agent your responsibilities will include:

• Carrying out first line support ensuring that user queries are promptly and effectively responded to, keeping user needs at the heart of the team’s work.
• Responding to user enquiries in a timely and effective manner or escalate to other DfE teams for resolution.
• Supporting the continuous improvement of standard responses for frequently occurring user enquiries.
• Maintaining and improve processes for support, including any required documentation and guidance.
• Working closely with the product teams to identify, prioritise and report on common and emerging issues raised by our users, so that their needs are fed into the continuous improvements of DfE services.
• Suggesting improvements to the ticketing system, working practices and reporting, to continually improve service to our users.
• Be an active member of the team during Stand-ups, Team Meetings, Workshops, training events, etc.
• Providing governance duties, such as Risk Log, Report Summaries etc.
• Ensuring statutory training requirements are met.

Essential Criteria

We will be using Experience as the Success Profile during the selection process, which will be assessed through the following essential criteria. Should we receive a large volume of applications we will only assess you against the first criteria. Please align your skills and experience to the following:

• Problem solving: Identify problems quickly to find the root cause of issues and propose improvements.
• Decision making: Pay attention to detail and make timely, accurate decisions. Escalating and involving others as appropriate.
• Working flexibly and adapting to change: Frequently adapt and respond to evolving user needs and be able to support improvements to processes and ways of working.
• Collaboration: Communicate effectively, engaging well with team members. Can establish and maintain working relationships with other teams and stakeholders.
• Prioritising a workload and ensuring visibility: Manage a varied workload and prioritise tasks effectively, bringing visibility to the greatest needs.
• Computer literacy: Strong computer literacy skills.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,790, Department for Education contributes £7,503 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

Please read the information in this section carefully.

Key Dates:

These dates are for guidance only and may be subject to change. 

Close: 27th May 2024
Sift: from W/C 28th May 2024
Interview: from W/C 10th June 2024

• All communications regarding this vacancy will be updated on your Civil Service Jobs account and sent to you via email. It is important to regularly check for updates on your CS Jobs account and especially in your spam/junk email folders.
• Please make sure you download or print a copy of the advert BEFORE it closes as it will contain important information on the selection process and how you will be assessed. Once the vacancy closes, you won’t be able to access this information again.
• Your application does not need to be completed in one sitting. You can save your progress, close down your application mid-way through and return to it at a later date. To find your application again, sign in to your Civil Service Jobs account and select "Applications".
• Details of your CV and application must be contained within the application form template; any CV or statement of suitability sent to us as an email or attachment will not be considered.
• Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

There will be three stages to the recruitment process for this role. 

Stage 1: Application

To apply for this position, please complete the application form by clicking the "apply now" button at the top or bottom of this page. You will be required to provide a CV and a Statement of Suitability.

• CV:- Set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role and how they align with the essential criteria. There is no word limit for this section. Start with your most current employment details first and please format as follows:-
  
  
  • Name of Employer - Job Title - Dates Worked
  • Key Achievements:-
  • Responsibilities:-
    
    
• Statement of Suitability:- (Maximum 750 words) Please provide examples of how your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the essential criteria. This is not intended to be a cover letter, instead work through each essential criteria in turn. You may wish to follow the STAR technique to help focus your examples. The key things we are looking for are what you did, how you did it and what the outcome was. 

Stage 2: Sift

At sift stage, your application will be assessed by the interview panel who will review your Experience. This will be scored holistically by assessing your CV and Statement of Suitability together on how well your experience meets each of essential criteria. Should we receive a large volume of applications, we will only sift against the first essential criteria.

Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to an interview.

Stage 3: Interview

You will be interviewed by a panel which will last for approximately 60 minutes. The panel will ask you questions focusing on your Experience and how well you are able to demonstrate your suitability for the role in alignment to the essential criteria.

Interviews will held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Please make sure you have access to this software and have your camera turned on during your interview in the event of the interview being virtual.

If you have any questions regarding the selection or application process, please do not hesitate to contact teacher.services@education.gov.uk.

Other Information

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.  

For this role the department would not consider sponsoring a Certificate of Sponsorship/visa. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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.

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/

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.