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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Contract type
Loan
Secondment
Length of employment
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Type of role
Policy
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Number of jobs available
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About the job
Job summary
In Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), we are proud of our purpose to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment youd like to work in, wed love to hear from you.
We are looking for a motivated candidate excited by the opportunity to provide strategic advice to high profile policy spending areas that impact everyone in the country. This is a business-facing role, involving a high-degree of stakeholder engagement and influencing, strategic awareness of policy, and an interest in government spending policy and policy delivery. While this role sits within the finance function it is not a technical finance-driven role and would be suited to both a policy professional looking to develop finance skills, as well as a finance professional looking for an opportunity to work with system partners on policy and delivery.
The NHS Finance team help DHSC to achieve Value for Money from the health and care system in the implementation of its strategic objectives. We work with a full range of stakeholders across NHS England, the department and government including HM Treasury. We add value to decision-making and policy implementation by applying a financial lens providing: robust challenge of policy design and efficiency options; advice on strategic planning and risk management; and assurance over reporting of the financial position of the system to Parliament – ensuring finance is at the heart of decision making to support delivery of strategic policy at the best possible value to the taxpayer.
We work across a range of complex policy and strategy areas, including workforce, system financial architecture, Covid-19 system recovery, mental health, NHS services including primary care, clinical negligence, and medicines policy.
Successful candidates will be joining an inclusive and supportive team comprising a mix of finance and policy professionals. We are committed to providing an environment for all to thrive, with opportunities to learn and develop in the role. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We are a split site team with offices in London and Leeds.
Job description
- Provide advice to NHS and Department colleagues on how NHS finances will be impacted within a range of policy areas. We have two roles available; one will focus on supporting workforce, pay and NHS capacity (i.e. urgent and elective care). The other will be working on a variety of primary and secondary care, this could include General Practice, Dentistry, vaccination policy.
- These are business-facing roles, involving stakeholder engagement and influencing. Your role will be to consider the NHS financial impact and value for money of policy proposals and implementation in these areas, and provide financial advice and business partnering support to a range of stakeholders across the Department, NHS England and wider government.
- Across these policy areas some funding sits directly within the NHS whereas in other cases the funding for the policy sits elsewhere in the system or across government, but the policy delivery will have a bearing on NHS spending.
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Those that hold a full CCAB, CIMA or equivalent qualification will be eligible for an annual market pay supplement of £7k. Please contact Abigail.jennings@dhsc.gov.uk for more information.
Person specification
Role Responsibilities:
The candidate will support work on development of policy and projects relevant to spend within NHS England by:
- Building strong working relationships across a range of DHSC policy teams and external partners in ALBs.
- Knowing the story behind the numbers and joining up teams to ensure spend and finance issues are represented and appropriately managed in key policy projects and programmes
- Providing advice to policy teams and other partners early in the policy making process on how financial considerations can support effective policy delivery
- Providing advice that brings out the strategic consequences of policy decisions and is aligned to DHSCs wider financial aims and strategy
- Providing insight on financial risks to support reporting on the overall NHS financial position
- Supporting engagement with HM Treasury on policy areas within portfolio
- Reviewing Ministerial submissions and business cases and provide financial view on affordability and Value for Money
- Identifying where other specialist accounting and finance advice might be needed and signpost internall
Key skills and experience required for the role:
- Interest in, and understanding of, strategic finance and policy context and the implications for their work.
- Skilled communicator, to understand what matters to key stakeholders, and to tailor style and technique across a range of audiences and media. Ability to be a bridge between policy and finance to successfully influence a range of stakeholders.
- Ability to synthesise wide-ranging material to provide clear and concise summaries/ briefing, preferably with recommendations, at pace clearly outlining risks and benefits.
- Experience of successfully utilising project management processes to drive delivery of multiple key projects to deadline while maintaining quality and meeting the needs of the business.
- Ability to work in multi-functional teams, across team boundaries, taking responsibility and ownership for areas in portfolio, with support from Grade 7
- Adept at working in a remote, split-site environment and use of digital communication tools.
- Ability to use and interpret numerical and financial data and converting that data into reports and briefings for a range of stakeholders using best available communications and analytical tools.
- A financial qualification would be desirable but is not essential
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
£10,806 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Sift date: expected W/C 13/11/23
Interview date: expected W/C 27/11/23
Interview location: Virtual, by video. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.
The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores.
Applications will be sifted on the Lead Behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’ and a Statement of Suitability.
Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 750 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.
An initial sift based on the Lead Behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’ may be held if a large number of applications are received.
At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.
To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here
Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.
Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
Terms and Conditions
Candidates should note that DHSCs Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidates responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
New Entrants to the Civil Service
New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSCs modernised terms and conditions:
- Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
- Privilege Leave: 1 day – for the Kings birthday
- Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
- Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay and five months half pay
- Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
- Probation: 6 month probation period
Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion
All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSCs modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
Existing DHSC staff, appointed on either level transfer or promotion
If DHSCs modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSCs pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSCs modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DHSC 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
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 Government Recruitment Service via DHSCRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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 youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
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.
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.
Security
Nationality requirements
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 : Abigail Jennings
- Email : Abigail.jennings@dhsc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dhscrecruitment.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: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/
