Customer Services Officer (Band 6/AO)
Health and Safety Executive
Apply before Midday on Monday 4th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We contribute to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strategy - Protecting people and places across England, Scotland and Wales. Our contribution is to protect people at work, members of the public, employees, employers and residents who are impacted by a work-activity and by ensuring risks are properly managed.
The team is a front-facing, high volume, fast-paced, operational, front-line team. In 2023/24 the team received 52k new workplace health and safety concerns (report a health and safety problem), and advice requests. In our efforts to continuously improve, we seek to adopt the digital approach as opportunities arise.
We are looking for motivated and dedicated customer focused people to join the team to play an important role in ensuring that HSE provides a professional response to Health and Safety Concerns, Advice requests and Building Safety enquiries within strict deadlines. We are seeking candidates who are fluent in both English and Welsh.
Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 22 hours Per week.
Job description
You will be working on behalf of Customer Services in a contact centre, as a call handler. Your main responsibility is to answer calls in a professional manner in both English and Welsh; direct customers to the HSE website and/or complete online forms on behalf of customers, redirect customers if it is not a matter for HSE to deal with and point customers to relevant health and safety information.
The Welsh Language Act 1993 places obligations on public bodies in Wales (including HSE) to treat Welsh and English equally. This requires HSE to provide Welsh language communications and as part of this role, you will need to be able to speak and write in Welsh.
Telephone calls are varied and unpredictable in nature. Calls are received from members of the public, businesses, employees, employers, TU Reps, Local Authorities, and others. Calls range from reporting a fatal accident to dealing with a member of the public who requires advice and everything in-between. You will need to be empathic in your approach.
As a customer service officer, you will also deal with switchboard calls for named contacts within HSE and you will also undertake administrative support duties.
You will work collaboratively with internal and external customers to obtain accurate and relevant information. You will ensure that responses are professional, accurate and timely.
We invest in our people and look to develop an academy of talent. In the last four years thirty-four of our customer services family have been promoted within the civil service. If you want your civil service journey to begin in our great team, we look forward to receiving your application.
Key Responsibilities;
- Answer monitored telephone calls in a professional manner, asking open questions to establish facts.
- Need to show empathy and compassion.
- Be expected to develop a good understanding of the Enforcing Authority Regulations (training will be provided) to identify if the matter is enforced by HSE or another organisation.
- Set up companies and cases on corporate systems.
- Monitor and respond to emails, including sending links from our website to relevant customers; and
- Deal with post, scanning letters, and redirecting post to other parts of the organisation.
Person specification
We are looking for motivated and talented individuals with the commitment to learn about new areas of work and responsibility, and to build on existing customer focused skills.
Essential Skills and Criteria;
- Experience of working in a front-line delivery role.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey information concisely.
- The candidate would need to have the ability to communicate in Welsh to at least level 4 on the Welsh Language Skills Assessment at Appendix A. They would need to be able to answer the telephone bilingually, pronounce Welsh words, place, and personal names correctly.
- Proficient IT skills to allow for accurate and timely recording of information.
- Ability to log and record information appropriately in the correct systems.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Analytical skills to digest and interpret information from a range of sources.
- Ability to use your own initiative, intuition, and communication skills.
- Ability to seek out new and improved ways of working, make suggestions to colleagues and managers and always strive to do deliver to high standards.
As per HSE’s Hybrid Working Policy, you will be required to attend the HSE Bootle office a minimum of 2 days per week. During training you will be required more often.
You will have the option to work either from the Wrexham office or home for the other three days of the week. Due to the nature of the work, start and finish times are 08:20 –17:00. Breaks are rostered for business need purposes.
Languages
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
We invest in our people with;
Competitive rates of pay
Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97%, far more than in the private sector.
- Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
- Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
- 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
- Parental leave benefits
- As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Upon submitting your short application form, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test.
Please complete the online test as soon as possible, within 24-48 hours is recommended, to allow time to complete your full application.
If you successfully pass the test, you will then be invited to complete the final stage of your application.
You must complete your full application form and online tests by 12:00 on 04/11/2024. If you fail to complete the online test and full application form before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.
Application information
As part of your application, you will be invited to complete an anonymised CV which should include your career history, experience, and qualifications. Please note that your CV will be for information purposes only and you will not receive a score for this. You will also be asked to submit a 250 word statement towards the behaviour communicating and influencing.
Application Guidance
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/
Sift information
The sift will take place on the week commencing 4th November 2024 where you will be assessed on the lead behaviour 'Communicating and Influencing'.
Interview Information
The interviews will take place on the week commencing 18th November 2024 where you will be assessed on the behaviours listed within the job advert along with strengths.
Upon request, the interview can be held in Welsh.
Please note the sift and interview dates could be subject to change due to panel availability.
AI Tools & Platforms
During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CVs and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.
Sponsorship
This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.
Further Information
Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months. There is no guarantee you will be offered a role from our reserve lists, so if you see a vacancy on Civil Service Jobs that you are interested in, we recommend you apply.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.
We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.
If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk
If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.
Any move to HSE 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 here
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Gillian McCoy
- Email : Gillian.mccoy@hse.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk
Further information
