Defence Business Services (DBS) Joint Casualty & Compassionate Out of Hours Caseworker

Imjin Barracks, Innsworth, Gloucester, South West

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence? 

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement. 
 
•    Our Vision – To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.

•    Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability. 

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society. 

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. 

Come and join the DBS community today! 

The Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (JCCC) is part of the Defence Business Services (Ministry of Defence) and is responsible for arranging the notification of next of kin and emergency contacts whenever a member of the armed forces is taken ill, injured, or dies in military service, whether in the UK or overseas, as a result of natural causes, an accident or during active service.  In the event of a death in service, we are also involved with the repatriation of bodies. 

Given the direct link and high profile aspect to worldwide operations the normally heavy workload can increase dramatically within the JCCC Operations room, resulting in a very intensive and pressurised environment. 

The post is within a team of 10 EO Military Support Function (MSF) caseworkers working shifts within the Operations Room in the JCCC 24/7/365. An incumbent of a shift-working post will, together with one other colleague, administer all out of hours casualty and compassionate casework for all 3 Services and for some other entitled personnel in a timely, accurate and sensitive manner by:

•    Tasking of Services / Units to provide notification and support to the families of casualties.

•     Ensuring that appropriate arrangements are made for transporting relatives overseas and for the repatriation of the dead.  

•     Liaison with Civil authorities over occurrences involving service personnel.

•     Briefing as necessary on high profile cases.

•     Entering and maintaining full details of cases on all appropriate databases.

•     Actioning requests for compassionate travel involving military personnel or dependants serving overseas when their presence is required owing to death, illness or domestic distress of relatives in the UK.  This involves:

•    Contacting hospitals, GPs or other competent authorities to ascertain  whether compassionate travel is justified.  

•    Liaison with all agencies involved and provision of all necessary support and advice to single Service staff. 

•    Deciding on the appropriate category of travel and passing the result to the appropriate single Service authorities. 

The post requires knowledge/experience of the Armed Forces, their organisation and administrative procedures and the incumbent will need to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, in a sensitive and sympathetic manner, ensuring customer expectations are met, whilst working under pressure and as part of a larger team. The incumbent must be numerate and IT literate and familiar with Microsoft Office packages and ideally Oracle-based systems. The incumbent should also have a full UK Driving Licence. Applicants should be aware that this can be a very busy post and the subject matter is potentially distressing.  

A copy of a sample roster is available on request but essentially the hours worked are 168 hours  in a 28 day period consisting of weekdays ( Mon – Fri 09:00hrs to 20:00 hrs), weekend days (07:30hrs to 20:00 hrs) and nights (20:00hrs to 08:00hrs) and includes Public Holidays.  

The working pattern for this post and for all the JCCC Out of Hours caseworker posts is shift working. An OOH shift worker post is full time and must be conducted in the office. Working from home is not an option. 

Previous applicants need not apply.

The post requires knowledge/experience of the Armed Forces, their organisation and administrative procedures and the incumbent will need to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, in a sensitive and sympathetic manner, ensuring customer expectations are met, whilst working under pressure and as part of a larger team. The incumbent must be numerate and IT literate and familiar with Microsoft Office packages and ideally Oracle-based systems. The incumbent should also have a full UK Driving Licence. Applicants should be aware that this can be a very busy post and the subject matter is potentially distressing therefore the ability to empathise with those in distress but not be overwhelmed is highly desirable.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving

•    25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service (pro rata). In additional to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
•    An opportunity to be considered for Reward & Recognition- £250-£5000 per year. 
•    Family-friendly policies including- parental leave and adoption leave
•    Learning and development tailored to your role
•    Professional and personal development of skills
•    A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
•    Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.

Job contact :

• Name : Ann Gilson
• Email : ann.gilson859@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 01452 519951

Recruitment team

• Email : DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk