Grade 6 Deputy Head of Profession for Statistics

If you meet the eligibility requirements in our candidate pack then you will be asked to provide a CV and a 1,250 word personal statement as part of the application process.  Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

This statement should provide evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the selection Key Criteria in the Person Specification section of the advert. 

When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria (see candidate pack and job advert above) thoroughly as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against.  Your CV will be used to check eligibility on qualifications and to outline your employment history. You will not be given a separate score for your CV.

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 evidence what you have done that’s relatable to the Key Criteria.  You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills, experience you have used.

Please do not use excessive forward slash (/), backslash (\) or dashes (-) in your personal statement.  By excessive, we mean hyphenating words that are not normally hyphenated, using slashes between many words or formatting slashes in white font so they can’t immediately be seen.  Any applications that do this will not be sifted or the form will be amended to remove the excess slashes and then anything after the 1,250 word count will be ignored.

If there are a high number of applications, the lead Key Criterion may be used to conduct an initial sift and applications that do not meet the minimum requirement for this criterion will not progress to a full sift.

The lead Key Criterion is: Excellent leadership skills including the ability to build, develop and lead high performing analytical teams, and to promote the effective use of statistics, analysis and evidence to senior stakeholders.

If you are interested in applying to these roles as a job share then please submit a separate application and, if an existing partnership, make it clear in the additional questions section that you would like to be considered as a job share (do not provide any names).  Once sifting has been completed and applications unanonymised, if you are invited to interview we will contact you directly about assessment arrangements.

Sift:

Only if applicants meet the qualification or membership requirement, will their application then be sifted against the Key Criteria required for the role.

Please ensure you complete the all sections of the application form and provide clear evidence that supports the required qualifications. If the detail on your qualifications is not provided or not clear, your application will be deemed ineligible.

Candidates who are current, permanent, badged members of the Government Statistician Group must state this in the qualification section of the application form and answer yes to holding the required qualifications.

Interview:

Only the strongest applications will progress to the interview stage.  Interviews will be carried out using Microsoft Teams and will take approximately one hour.

The final panel interview will be a blended interview, covering Technical skills, Civil Service Behaviours and Civil Service Strength based questions.

At interview candidates will be asked to present evidence of the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

At interview all candidates will be asked to do a 5 minute presentation which will bring out your technical and professional skills.  The specific presentation question will be shared 7 days in advance of the interview. After the normal introductions, the interview will start with your presentation. You may then be asked follow ups and other questions to assess your technical professional skills. In this part of the interview you will be assessed across the whole analyst GSG Technical Framework at Grade 6 level. 

If you are not currently a badged member of the Government Statistician Group, then you may be required to complete additional testing prior to, or at, the main interview as outlined in the ‘Application Process: Tests and Badging Exercises’ section of the candidate pack. 

Questions in Advance

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will also be sent the behaviour questions 7 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your experience, and technical abilities. Candidates should be asked further probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role.

Please read our candidate pack for more detailed information about the recruitment process and approximate sift/interview dates.

Further information:

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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 or Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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.

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

Reasonable Adjustments:​

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.

DWP is committed to making reasonable adjustments for candidates who may require additional help throughout the application process. Adjustments to the recruitment process can vary, as they are personal to a candidate’s needs, so it is important to contact us about any adjustments you feel could help your circumstances. More about the adjustments we could offer are provided on slide 5 of the candidate pack.​

​Some examples are:​

• Extra time to take written tests​
• Larger print for written information ​
• Being accompanied by an interpreter​

​You will be asked at the initial application stage if you require a reasonable adjustment. More information regarding reasonable adjustments for online tests can be found in the candidate pack. 

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.

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission here to visit Civil Service Commission