Advocacy Senior Leader

This is a key role and we are looking for someone who will help us deliver this key leadership role across Disability Services.
We welcome applications from candidates who demonstrate inspirational and resourceful leadership as well as the key criteria listed below. We are proud to be part of DWP, which is the Government’s largest public service department serving 18 million customers.
We are committed to the Civil Service ambition to become the UK’s most inclusive employer and we absolutely welcome and encourage applications from every part of our community, particularly from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and those with protected characteristics.
As a Disability Confident employer, we also put in place reasonable adjustments to support disabled job applicants and employee
As part of Disability Services (DS) you will be at the heart of helping to change people’s lives and supporting DS’ purpose of delivering timely and accurate outcomes to our customers., SEO Leaders inspire colleagues through difficult situations, transform performance and are accountable for the effective utilisation of operational resources, delivering improved value for money and driving out inefficiencies.
Key tasks include:
+ Directly line manage a team, provide clear, visible and strong leadership and engage with colleagues to drive high performance and quality.
+ Create an inclusive team environment, embracing different individual needs, views and ideas promoting an inclusive workforce.
+ Vast experience (proven track record) of experience of dealing with internal/external stakeholder engagement at all levels.
+ Motivate, develop and encourage teams, undertake regular performance reviews, provide coaching, learning and development and one to ones to develop skills.
+ Drive forward continuous improvements and how this impacts on quality outcomes to customers.
+ Monitor and improve the quality of the end-to-end customer experience via stakeholder engagement ensuring that ‘one customer, one service, one business’ becomes a reality within DWP.
+ Provide relevant information to colleagues regarding changes to policy, legislation and statutory requirements as appropriate, and identify and implement best practice.
+ Ensure all security matters (including information protection) are dealt with promptly and sensitively, in line with DWP policies and procedures.
+ Work closely with wider SLT to influence decision making to deliver positive outcomes for customers and business
+ Use networking and influencing to create, maintain and improve service delivery for all customers.
+ Support the identification of priorities and work collaboratively to ensure the delivery of both your own and others’ objectives.
+ The role entails travel across the UK to various events and large stakeholder meetings on a regular basis. Will be dealing with MPs, parliamentary office and working with senior internal and external stakeholders, We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
o Communicating and Influencing
o Leadership
o Managing a Quality Service
o Working Together, When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Essential Criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc.

Please complete the Personal Statement and write up to no more than 1250 words, detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role. This will be assessed against the Essential Criteria within the advert.

You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria. Please ensure you evidence the key personal requirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.
The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences.
Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Lead Essential Criteria:
Evidence of producing clear, concise and informative PowerPoint presentations and confidently presenting these in an engaging manner to large audiences including senior stakeholders with evidence that your subject matter has landed successfully.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift and/or progressed straight to interview.
Important Information
o Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
o If your Personal Statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
STAGE 2
Preparing for the interview:
You will need to provide photo ID prior to the interview.
At interview you will be assessed against any of these four Civil Service Behaviours -Level 3. You will also be asked strength questions.
o Communicating & Influencing
o Leadership
o Managing a Quality Service
o Working Together
Please note that you will also be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation required as part of the interview selection process. The subject of this will be released to those invited to interview.
If you are invited to interview you will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs site.

Once you receive the invite to interview you will need to access the system and book yourself an interview slot 7 days in advance.
The interviews will be conducted by MS Teams and you will need to use your personal device to access the platform. We will provide instructions at the time as to how you do this.
PLEASE NOTE: Full details of the behavioural questions and presentation will be given to shortlisted candidates 7 days in advance of the Interview.
The interview
The interview will follow a blended approach and will last approximately 45 minutes.
During the interview, candidates will be assessed against behaviours and strengths. To do this, candidates will be asked to do a presentation followed by a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions.
The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach.
Behavioural questions will explore what you have done in previous jobs or experiences as well as what you have achieved and/or learned.
After the interview
Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in strict merit order to the highest scoring candidates first., A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 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.
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.
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.
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.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
o nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

+ Evidence of producing clear, concise and informative PowerPoint presentations and confidently presenting these in an engaging manner to large audiences including senior stakeholders with evidence that your subject matter has landed successfully. (Lead Criteria)
+ Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions and effectively manage complexity and change, with strong attention to detail to ensure the accuracy of documents/statistics produced.
+ Strong organisational skills and ability to forward plan, with a good working knowledge of Microsoft products.
+ A positive approach to working in a fast-paced environment Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and innovate the people who work within your team and ability to manage across multiple sites.
+ The ability to gather, analyse and present / report data from a range of sources in a clear and concise way. Excellent communication and influencing skills to work across a diverse range of stakeholders and deal with conflicting views .
+ Experience of developing and delivering events/workshops to Government departments, national charities, support organisations and/or other non-Government stakeholders

Alongside your salary of £42,614, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,345 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
o Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
o Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
o Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
o Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
o Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
o Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
o An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.