Senior Operational Leader (Grade 7) in Child Maintenance Service, part of DWP Operations
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 18th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) touches the lives of every citizen in our country at some point. As the UK government’s largest public service provider, we support people into work, help disabled people live more independent lives, improve housing and tackle homelessness, provide the financial foundation for a secure old age through the State Pension, and ensure children of separated parents have more opportunity to fulfil their potential through a better child maintenance system. We are passionate about making a sustainable and positive impact to people’s lives every day by providing a modern, fair, and affordable welfare system. We seek to be an exemplar of the Modern Civil Service so that we can better deliver for citizens and meet the challenges of tomorrow.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is a directorate within DWP that helps separated parents by encouraging and supporting them to make private financial arrangement and providing a statutory maintenance service where this is not possible for their children, including taking legal enforcement action to collect money when appropriate.
Our service is provided by over 4,000 colleagues, across 8 locations, supporting 900,000 children by arranging and collecting over £1.2 Billion in maintenance annually. Our mission is simple, ‘Get money to children’ to support their life chances, and help to lift out of poverty.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join as a senior leader of the Arrears and Enforcement segment within CMS. The Enforcement teams have responsibility for ensuring parents pay and receive the correct amount of Child Maintenance, and in cases of non-payment use all our legislative powers to gain compliance; this includes deduction from earnings, sale of property, enforcement agent collections, confiscation of driving licenses, passports or imprisonment.
Enforcement senior leaders have responsibility for:
- Delivering outstanding service to our customers and getting money to children.
- Delivering cross cutting objectives within Enforcement and collaborative working with Arrears leaders.
- Identifying policy and legislation changes where gaps are identified.
- Delivering efficiently and transform the way we deliver our services to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency.
- Engaging in policy change and briefings with Senior Civil Servants and Ministers.
Job description
CMS is a great place to work where the leadership team are passionate about attracting the best talent whilst nurturing and valuing new and existing colleagues to be the best they can be. We are looking for people who can demonstrate our values and commitment to leadership which are based around collaboration, resilience and inclusivity. We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and finding daring and dynamic solutions that support our values and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do.
Responsibilities:
- The Senior Operational Leader within CMS Enforcement leads a large, complex and geographically dispersed team of up to 250 caseworkers, across 5 sites in England, requiring strong and confident leadership, and must have the ability to translate departmental and directorate strategy into action, as well as demonstrating a passion for building high performing and inclusive teams that are empowered to succeed.
- The successful candidate will model strong leadership behaviours, helping everyone to understand the vision and direction of CMS, translating strategy into operational service delivery, inspiring and engaging our people to adopt shared aims, celebrate success, and help make CMS a great place to work.
- The successful candidate will enable everyone to feel valued, included and able to thrive; as well as co-ordinating the development of external relationships to deliver the best possible service for our colleagues and customers.
- The post holder will be an active and visible member of the national Enforcement senior leadership team, contributing to the wider departmental agenda of ensuring money is paid for children and that both paying and receiving parents receive good customer experience. The post holder will encourage collaborative working between teams, directorates, and stakeholders to drive innovation and service improvements whilst ensuring teams work within budget and headcount control costs, delivering value for money and efficiencies.
- The successful candidate will need to be adaptive and creative, regularly applying this to complex problems and uncommon situations; departing from established patterns to drive greater innovation and achieve higher organisational performance. This could include considering new or revised policy options, resolving complex HR casework, devising means of implementing new regulations, or planning and overseeing the management of projects through to completion, within set budgets and time-limits.
- Candidates should note this role requires frequent travel to other CMS sites, including overnight stays where required. Applicants must be flexible with their working pattern and be able to manage overnight stays or early starts whenever operationally required to do so. Part-time working hours can be requested but not guaranteed.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
This is what you will be assessed against, and should align your Personal Statement to. Your evidence will be assessed against the following essential criteria. You must ensure you provide specific examples to demonstrate this in your Personal Statement. Candidates should be able to demonstrate the following:
- An inspirational and resourceful senior operational leader, with a proven track record of leading operational teams and managing a quality service with demonstrable outcomes. (Lead criteria)
- An ability to drive performance through diverse teams, with a track record of visible and accessible leadership, against a range of stretching and challenging targets.
- A strong personal commitment to people engagement, inspiring and empowering investigator teams to deliver a professional, quality service that celebrates success.
- An experienced communicator that delivers messages with clarity and conviction and actively seeks and incorporates feedback.
- A highly capable collaborator, able to work effectively at a senior level with both internal and external stakeholders, service providers, building trust and utilising influencing skills to deliver effective outcomes.
- A focus on innovation and continuous improvement , establishing and driving a culture that gives teams the licence to be creative.
- A commitment to personal and professional development and that of others. Able to build capability and leadership potential and foster a culture of people development, continuous learning, mentoring, and inclusivity.
- Capable of supporting the Grade 6 Enforcement Head of Service and SCS leaders, working at pace to deliver high quality outcomes on tight timescales and able to multi-task between competing priorities.
- Evidence of implementing change in conjunction with maintaining performance and improvement activity, providing the rationale, and securing buy in to achieve success.
- An ability to identify, manage, and mitigate risk to the successful delivery of operational objectives and the required levels of Customer Service.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
Working for DWP will include benefits such as learning and development tailored to your role, an environment with flexible working options, a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity and a Civil Service pension Civil Service pension.
CMS is committed to the Wellbeing of all colleagues, support includes Wellbeing conversations, dedicated Wellbeing Advocates in each Service Centre to develop and deliver health and wellbeing initiatives and our own Intranet site offering a wealth of information, guidance and support.
We Value Everybody is one of our five Core Values here in CMS. We have active National Network Groups for Race, Disability, Carers, Wellbeing, Faith & Belief and Age. Our monthly People Group meeting draws these groups together to listen, act, and update CMS Directors with our plans.
CMS Colleagues have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace.
Working hours - The contracted working hours for the Department are 07:45 hours to 20:00 hours, Monday to Friday, and 08:45 hours to 17:00 hours on Saturday. Employees are contracted to work a specific number of hours per week within the above times. Employees will be required to work the number of hours per week for which they are contracted. For example, for full time employees this will be 37 hours net (42 hours gross including meal breaks). For part-time employees it will be less.
Access to flexible working hours scheme will be available.
Please refer to the candidate pack for further information contained in this section of the advert and more information in relation to the Benefits of working for DWP.
Hybrid Working
This job 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.
Important Information
Location
Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
All completed applications must include:
- Personal Details application form
- Personal Statement (1250-word limit)
- Anonymised CV
Use your 1250-word Personal Statement to describe how you meet the Essential Criteria as detailed in the job advert.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide your CV and complete a Personal Statement. When giving details of your employment history, you should include details of work you have completed and projects you have been involved in.
Your Personal Statement should contain no more than 1250 words. The layout is entirely your choice, you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately; however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several of the criteria. Please share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the criteria listed within the Person Specification.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ANONYMISATION
Due to the DWP’s use of anonymised recruitment practices it is not possible for applicants to upload/attach a CV; any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
When entering information relating to your employment history you will be asked to remove any personal details that could be used to identify you. This relates to name and contact details which might usually appear on your CV/Personal statement. Failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.
Sift
The sift panel will use the information in your Personal Statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential Criteria outlined in the advert.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Criteria “An inspirational and resourceful senior operational leader, with a proven track record of leading operational teams and managing a quality service with demonstrable outcomes”.
Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift where all applications will be assessed and sifted against all the essential criteria outlined in the advert.
Please note depending on the volume of applications we may choose to invite candidates straight to interview and dispense with the sift stage. For this reason, the timeline for the interview window is subject to change depending on the approach we choose to take.
Stage 2: Interview
Unless you are otherwise informed, the final stage of the process will be a blended interview via Microsoft Teams.
The blended interview will consist of Behaviour and Strength questions. The Behaviours being assessed at interview are:
- Leadership (Lead Behaviour)
- Managing a Quality Service
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
All elements of the interview will be via video link, and the entire process should take approximately 45-60 minutes.
As part of the interview process candidates will be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation, details of the subject will be sent in advance of the interview.
A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach.
The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
Please refer to the Candidate Pack for further information.
Approximate sift and interview dates:
Sift Period: 19 - 22 November 2024.
Interviews: 5 - 10 December 2024.
Sift and Interview dates are subject to change.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 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 applicant’s 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 you’re 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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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 : Sandra Campbell
- Email : sandra.campbell@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.
