Army Head of Personal Support
Ministry of Defence
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 14th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Army Welfare Service (AWS) is looking for a suitably qualified Head of Personal Support (Hd PS), who, as the professional social work head of AWS, is responsible for providing leadership, professional advice and direction on all personal support matters within the Army and, on its behalf, to wider Defence.
AWS provides a professional, specialist Personal Support welfare service to the Regular Army, Army Reserve and their families. We seek to support individual and family resilience through direct engagement with relevant civilian and MOD providers and the Chain of Command thereby maximising the operational effectiveness of soldiers.
We are committed to providing specialist welfare support to the Army's serving personnel and their dependants. As Head Personal Support, you will provide leadership to a team of qualified social workers and specialist welfare workers comprising both military and civilian personnel, and will be critical to the delivery of this specialist welfare support.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job description
Accountable to Assistant Chief of Staff Pers/Welfare, Head of Personal Support, as the professional social work head of AWS Personal Support, ensures that AWS personal support deliver social care services. The Head of Personal Support ensures compliance with professional and legal standards, whilst meeting the requirements of the Chain of Command, Service Users and outside agencies, within the overall AWS delivery of social work and specialist welfare. As the Army’s senior social worker, this role provides leadership, professional advice and direction on all personal support matters within the Army and engages on its behalf to wider Defence, representing the Army on social care issues to wider Government, Local Authorities and 3rd sector.
Key Responsibilities will include:
- Lead AWS Personal Support in order to optimise service delivery, within overall AWS delivery
- Lead the planning, interpretation, implementation and review of AWS personal support policy and the shaping of operational plans. To include contracting requirements for counselling provision to complement personal support delivery
- Develop AWS personal support operating procedures and practices in accordance with relevant MOD and Army policy
- Provide professional leadership, specialist supervision, management and support to personal support staff
- Provide professional social work supervision to the Senior Executive Officer Social Workers ensuring they in turn deliver social work/care supervision in accordance with MOD & Social Work England standards
- Provide professional subject matter expert advice across the Army, MOD and other stakeholders as necessary
- Research, prepare and present reports as directed, including responding to Ministerial, Parliamentary and Media questions
- Develop effective professional partnerships and relationships with other parts of the MOD, devolved Local Authorities, the 3rd sector and national agencies across the UK and overseas wherever MOD is represented
- Ensure AWS personal support compliance with relevant legislation, guidance and best practice
- Deliver personal support Governance & Quality Assurance through an assurance regime
- Be the Senior Responsible Officer & Information Asset Owner for Joint Army Navy Information System (JANIS) for Army Welfare Service, Royal Navy Personal & Family Support, ensuring all statutory data protection standards are met on Royal Navy & Army welfare casefiles held on system
- Ensure that the management, development and training of personal support staff is effective and linked to the overall aims of the AWS across the UK and overseas
- Senior Social Worker for Army TLB and lead for representing Army on social work matters within Defence and as required wider Government including Central, Devolved and Local Authorities
- Maintain personal professional competence in alignment with Civil Service, MOD and Social Work England requirements
Person specification
This post is suited to a suitably qualified, forward thinking team leader who has the ability to manage a widely dispersed team and who must be able to demonstrate sound judgement in order to successfully assure the welfare service and develop the service according to changing demands.
Essential
- The post requires a Social Work qualification at degree level and you must hold current registered membership of the professional body Social Work for England
- Social Work experience
Desirable
- It is highly desirable that applicants can demonstrate managerial experience at senior Social Work level
- A full UK Drivers' Licence is recommended for this post as it will require travel to other sites, not all of which are well served by public transport
Qualifications
Memberships
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Developing Self and Others
Benefits
The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.
Other benefits for Army civil servants include:
- 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
- Highly competitive pension scheme
- Personal and professional development of skills
- Alternative working patterns for many roles
- Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
- Enhanced parental and adoption leave
- 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
- Learning and Development
- Free car parking
We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.
A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
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.
Any move to MOD 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/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
At application you will be required to submit a CV and a personal statement of no more than 750 words to include evidence of your Social Work experience at senior level and describing your skills and experience against the specified criteria. You will also be tested on the following behaviours -
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Developing Self and Others
At interview you will be tested against the following behaviours -
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Developing Self and Others
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed but these will likely be held in person at Montgomery House Aldershot. We endeavour to stick to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.
This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
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 : Alison Joy
- Email : alison.joy101@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk
Further information
info@csc.gov.uk.
