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About the job
Job summary
We are looking to welcome 5 new Senior Work Psychologists to our DWP Work Psychology Service team. You will be joining a close-knit, vibrant Senior Work Psychology team of 11 experienced Senior Work Psychologists that oversee delivery of our service across England, Scotland and Wales.
These are key roles for Work Psychology Service and we welcome applications from people with strong leadership skills who are energetic and enthusiastic, to deliver exceptional customer service, with quality outcomes for our customers. You will be able to make sound decisions, drive performance, work collaboratively and lead others. Through role modelling positive behaviour and ways of working, you will help DWP continue to be an inclusive place where people can be their best.
If you have the relevant qualifications and this sounds like you, we really want to hear from you.
Our Work Psychology Service is proud to be the largest community of psychologists within the Civil Service. We are uniquely placed to support the DWPs objectives by delivering:
- Interventions such as one to one employment assessments or group work.
- Building the capability of Jobcentre colleagues to support individuals with health conditions, disabilities or those disadvantaged in the labour market.
- A bespoke consultancy service to our Senior Leaders to progress our customers and develop their teams.
These posts will cover multiple offices within the area the team serves. Additionally, there will be travel nationally when we meet as a senior team.
Locations
Please note these roles will be based within one of our business areas listed below:
- North West -covering Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside
- North Central – Cumbria and Lancashire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire
- North and East Midlands covering Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Derbyshire and Staffordshire and East Anglia.
- London and Essex– covering Essex, East London and South London
- South Central – covering Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, North London and West London, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Successful candidates can be based anywhere within the business area they are allocated to, in discussion with their Line Manager and where capacity exits within a chosen sites.
Job description
As a Senior Psychologist at SEO level, we are looking for both an experienced Occupational Psychologist and a senior organisational leader. You will be an inspiring and inclusive leader who can deliver effectively with your team and successfully influence senior stakeholders.
This is a vital and rewarding role, where you will be leading and developing our Work Psychologist teams. You will be pivotal to shaping our service by building relationships with senior stakeholders across the business, inputting into strategy, and ensuring our Work Psychologists engage in professional and ethical practice. You will provide professional supervision, guidance and line management to a team of Work Psychologists and drive a high-quality service for our customers.
Applications are invited from candidates who are Chartered Occupational Psychologists with the British Psychological Society.
You will be a Registered Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or willing and eligible to apply for registration.
Key responsibilities:
- Manage a geographically dispersed team of Work Psychologists to ensure the successful delivery of the regional service.
- Communicate regularly and effectively with team members, ensuring an awareness of current work priorities, encourage reflective practice, peer support and monitoring of employee wellbeing.
- Engage, develop and maintain relationships with Group Directors and Senior Leaders to promote the Work Psychology Service and benefits of Occupational Psychology to the business.
- Develop and coach the team through observations, constructive feedback and procuring developmental opportunities; ensuring Work Psychologists are adhering to evidence-based practice, BPS and DWP guidelines and HCPC Standards.
- Implement operational policies to maximise the contribution of psychology and psychologists to the business as directed by the Head of Profession and Executive Leadership Team.
- Reinforce and challenge, where appropriate the professional and performance standards of team members to meet current and future skills need.
- Contribute to the development of the Work Psychology Service by leading on a priority business area, developing strategy and coordinating appropriate evidence-based interventions.
- Supervising Work Psychologist colleagues through the QOP Stage II qualification. If not already registered on the Register of Applied Practice Psychology Supervisors (RAPPS), work towards RAPPS eligibility within a reasonable timescale.
Person specification
Key Criteria
Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate
- You meet the Qualification and Membership requirements listed below.
- Strong and effective leadership behaviours to build and maintain trusting relationships with Senior Leaders, customers, broader key stakeholders and those within the Work Psychology Service. (Lead Key Criteria)
- Experience of coaching and mentoring individuals to attain their developmental goals to enhance performance in respect of Departmental objectives.
- Knowledge of person-centred approaches and an understanding of how to apply psychological approaches to assess and support customers who are significantly disadvantaged in the labour market.
- Experience of navigating complex and fast paced environments, recognising issues and sharing best practice and learning.
- Experience of utilising the consultancy cycle to recognise the needs and issues of the business, implement strategy and evaluate interventions.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey psychological concepts into an accessible format for our internal and external partners.
- Sound analytical skills, with the ability to effectively use information to deliver against business objectives.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of managing a team or leading others.
- Knowledge of welfare reform and how DWP can support customers towards work.
Qualifications
MSc in Occupational Psychology (or name equivalent) that gives Graduate Basis for Chartership.
Memberships
1. Chartered Psychologists by one of three routes (or within a maximum of 6 months of achieving this)
Have completed the Qualification in Occupational Psychology Stage 2 with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and already hold the following titles and memberships (or eligible to achieve them): Chartered Psychologist with BPS, full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Have completed professional doctorate in Occupational Psychology and already hold the following titles and memberships (or eligible to achieve them): Chartered Psychologist with BPS, full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Have completed a PhD on a topic relevant to Occupational Psychology and Chartered with a Division of the BPS and registered (or eligible to achieve it) with the HCPC.
2. Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or willing and eligible to apply for registration.
Desirable Membership
1. Member of the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS) in order to supervise psychologists undertaking a Stage 2 Qualification in Occupational Psychology
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Civil Service Occupational Psychology Professional Standards at Senior Occupational Psychologist level
Benefits
- Contributing to strategic decision making as part of a collaborative leadership team.
- Part of an active community of psychology specialists that will give you opportunities to develop your professional practice in Occupational Psychology and maintain your continuing professional development.
- An environment supporting flexible working
- A culture encouraging contribution to DWP objectives, within an inclusive and diverse community of Work Psychologists
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Generous annual leave 25 days for Full Time new entrants
- All bank holidays
- Flexible working patterns available
- Family-friendly policies – competitive maternity, paternity, and parental leave
- Employee Assistance Programme with emphasis on wellbeing
- Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
- Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it’s even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
- Sports and social activities
- Working in an award-winning environment and culture
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To assist with your preparation candidates may wish to read the How to Apply , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
To apply candidates should complete:
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement of no more than 1250 words addressing how you meet the Key Criteria stated above.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
- Within the first paragraph it is imperative that you state the specific qualifications that you hold. These MUST meet the minimum standards specified in the Qualification and Membership sections above.
- Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the role responsibilities, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
- Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address the criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria.
- You may not be able to meet all the criteria, but please ensure you address any gaps and how your experience might be relevant.
- You dont have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used.
Sift
The sift will take place from 2nd to 8th January
For those candidates who meet the essential qualification requirements which you must include in your personal statement, we will sift your personal statement and award a score based on how closely it demonstrates the Key Criteria for the role. On conclusion of the Sift stage, those candidates who have met the standard as set by the Sift Panel will be invited to an interview.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Criteria “Strong and effective leadership behaviours to build and maintain trusting relationships with Senior Leaders, customers, broader key stakeholders” to initially assess your application during the Sift stage. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview
The interviews for this role will take place between 22nd and 26th January
We will use a blended interview which will be conducted via a face to face online interview lasting approximately 60 minutes.
We will assess you using Behaviour, Technical and Strengths based questions. Please view the Civil Service Occupational Psychology Professional Skills and Standards document (Senior Psychologist level) for more information on Technical.
The Behaviour and Technical questions will explore what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential. The behavioural questions and technical questions will be issued to candidates in advance of the interview to help preparation. Strengths questions will not be provided beforehand. It is difficult to prepare for Strength type questions. Whilst strength questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this.
Presentation – You will be asked to deliver a presentation lasting 10 minutes, followed by questions for a further 5 minutes. The presentation is verbal only without the use of visual aides. Further details regarding the topic for the presentation and interview arrangements will be included in the invite to interview.
This 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.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 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 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 applicants 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.
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.
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.
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 youre 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.
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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 : WPS Recruitment
- Email : workpsychology.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dwprecruitment.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. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
