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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Senior leadership
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About the job
Job summary
This is a hugely important role in the Adult Social Care Group.
The Adult Social Care Group is responsible for all things related to adult social care in central government. We are mid-way through a big reform agenda to transform adult social care in England including: investing in better workforce training, recognition and career progression; replacing paper care records with digital records; giving the public information on how well their local council delivers adult social care compared to others; expanding the use of online and telephone care assessments; providing home adaptations that help people live independently in their own homes; and much more.
It’s a big task with many challenges, but together we can make so much difference to the people we serve. If you have the ability to influence at senior levels in government and across the sector through the power of your expertise and relationships, we would love to hear from you.
Job description
As the Chief Social Worker for Adults (CSW) you will be the public face of adult social work in England and a senior leader within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
You will represent the profession at events, sponsor relevant guidance relating to social work and leads the network of Principal Social Workers. Reporting to the Director General for Adult Social Care you will Sit within the Social Care Group in DHSC.
As an expert in social work, you will work closely with other Directors in the Social Care Group and the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, along with a range of officials across DHSC, including the Director and teams leading on Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism.
You will be supported by a small administrative team but will not have any direct reports.
As CSW you will provide expert advice to Ministers and civil servants on all matters relating to social workers and social care practice. Topics where advice may be needed include social works role in relation to mental capacity; mental health; safeguarding and discharge from hospital (where social workers are key to assessment decisions regarding care needed after discharge); improvement of social care assessment processes; and the recruitment and retention of social workers, as a crucial component of the adult social care workforce. You will also have a formal role relating to the escalation of safeguarding issues.
You will offer expertise on local government and social care more generally, offering a frontline perspective on issues to inform policymaking, and will have strong links with the social care sector including with ADASS; Social Work England; BASW; the Principal Social Worker Network; the Principal Occupational Therapists network; adults using services; and employers of social workers in the local authority, NHS, private and voluntary sectors.
As the CSW you will generate ideas and opportunities for improvements in adult social care, being cognisant of wider issues including the political and fiscal context and will also maximise opportunities for join-up with the Department for Education and the Chief Social Worker for childrens social care on matters relating to social workers.
If successful you will bring inspiring, confident and empowering professional leadership to social workers across the social care sector. With the experience of operational leadership and delivery of high-quality social work, the ability to motivate and inspire the workforce, and have experience of effective partnership working at all levels to achieve successful outcomes.
Key responsibilities
As Chief Social Worker for Adults your key responsibilities will include:
Advice on policy and practice:
- Provide expert advice to Ministers and senior officials across Whitehall on all matters relating to social workers as well as wider issues on social care in particular workforce capacity, wellbeing, and resilience.
- Facilitate and advise on formal escalation of Safeguarding issues via the National Escalation Protocol for Issues from Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs).
- Generate ideas and opportunities for improvements in social care, not limited to social work, taking account of the political and fiscal context.
- Support effective partnership working at all levels to ensure maintenance of high-quality social work practice and promote its role in delivering high-quality, personalised and compassionate care.
- Work with the Department for Education to improve the training available to social workers and collaborating with childrens social workers.
- Ensure relevant research is commissioned and used alongside a detailed personal understanding of current best practice, to generate new ideas and opportunities for improvements in adult social care.
Professional leadership:
- Provide visible, professional leadership to the social work workforce, including through maintaining relations with the regulator (Social Work England).
- Engage with key strategic regional and national policy makers, professional bodies and the public to ensure an understanding of social work is reflected in the development of future policies and strategies.
- Provide guidance to Principal Social Workers and work with the Principal Social Worker Network to stay informed of current issues in the profession and ensure the needs and views of the workforce are understood to inform future policy.
- Lead on raising the profile and reputation of social workers with key stakeholders, to attract more people to work in the sector.
- Maintain a good knowledge of practice and policy within the UK, globally, and within and outside the health and care economy in order to help consider any other appropriate options to help shape programmes of work.
Person specification
It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following
essential criteria:
● Ability to communicate and influence at very senior levels on a range of adult social work and care issues through the power of expertise,
relationships, and personal credibility. Both internally with Ministers and senior civil servants, and externally with stakeholders in the adult social
care sector including ADASS and the Principal Social Worker Network.
● Proactive in identifying opportunities to add value to policymaking, and creative in generating ideas. Being cognisant of the political and fiscal
context.
● Proven track record of operating successfully in a senior leadership role within social work, adult social care, or local government.
● Significant knowledge and experience of national policy development and implementation, and/or working in or with central government.
● Experience of working in or with central government.
Qualification and Membership Requirements
● Relevant professional and/or academic qualifications which meets the requirements to register as a qualified social worker with the Regulator, Social Work England.
Qualifications
Benefits
£2,560 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and youll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, youll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.
We have strong and proactive staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.
A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.
Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.
This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the Kings Birthday.
Staff Wellbeing
Flexible working including part-time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.
Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers.
Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application
To apply for this post please submit the following documents no later than 23:55 on Monday 13th November 2023.
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select ‘prefer not to say’. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025.
If you are unable to apply online please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you would like to speak to the vacancy holder Michelle Dyson for more information on the role before submitting an application. Please contact ASC_DG_PO@dhsc.gov.uk
Selection Process
Martin Spencer, a Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. The Civil Service Commission has two primary functions:
- Providing assurance that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. For the most senior posts in the Civil Service, the Commission discharges its responsibilities directly by overseeing the recruitment process and by a Commissioner chairing the selection panel.
- Hearing and determining appeals made by civil servants under the Civil Service Code which sets out the Civil Service values Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty – and forms part of the relationship between civil servants and their employer.
More detailed information can be found on the Civil Service Commission website.
In addition to Martin Spencer, the panel will also consist of:
- Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care, DHSC
- Beverley Tarka, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Shortlist
The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification.
Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.
Assessment
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include a stakeholder engagement exercise with a group of lived in experience representatives. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Discussion with Vacancy Holder and a DHSC Minister
Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Michelle Dyson, and a DHSC Minister prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.
Interview
You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
Interviews will take place in person at 39 Victoria Street, London, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.
Feedback
If unsuccessful at any stage, please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at Government Recruitment Service to request feedback on your application or interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.
Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.
A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future suitable vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them
to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through
building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SCS Recruitment Team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; Rachel.whyte@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ. www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk info@csc.gov.uk.
