Deputy Director, Children & Families

We are looking for an ambitious and talented Deputy Director to lead work to improve the health of children and young people. You will contribute to the leadership of the Early Years, Children and Families Directorate as an active member of its senior leadership team so that together we create a place of work where everyone can thrive and do their best work. Alongside this, as a member of the Senior Civil Service, you will make a significant contribution to collective leadership across the Primary Care and Prevention Group, DHSC and the Civil Service.
The Children & Families division leads work on child health for children over the age of 2 up to the age of 19 / 25 for SEND. It also leads DHSC’s work on child safeguarding and tackling child sexual abuse and domestic abuse. We have recently strengthened the Children & Families Division so we are better able to design and deliver policies and programmes that will make a difference to the health of children and young people. The post holder will work with the Deputy Director for Start for Life Policy to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to deliver the government’s commitment to secure the healthiest generation of children ever.
You will lead on:
+ Developing policy advice and proposals for improving the health and well-being of children and young people from the age of 2 to 19/25 for SEND. This will include working collaboratively with colleagues in DHSC, NHSE and other government departments including DfE to ensure policies can have real work impact.
+ Work with DfE, NHSE and the Home Office to strengthen Safeguarding for Children.
+ Work with the Home Office and others to maximise the contribution Health organisations make to tackling Child Sexual Abuse and Domestic Abuse.
+ Co-lead, with the Deputy Director Start for Life Policy, policy development and strategic coordination of system wide activity to achieve the government’s commitment to the healthiest generation of children ever., We have recently strengthened the Children & Families Division so we are better able to design and deliver policies and programmes that will make a difference to the health of children and young people. The post holder will work with the Deputy Director for Start for Life Policy to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to deliver the government’s commitment to secure the healthiest generation of children ever. You will be leading teams working on policy areas that matter and where you will be able to see the impact of your work.
As part of the Early Years, Children & Families Directorate Senior Leadership Team you will help shape a broad programme of work to improve child health and contribute to leadership of a directorate of talented colleagues who are committed to making a difference. You will work closely with colleagues in NHSE, the Department for Education and the Home Office, as well as other government departments and delivery partners, to improve child health, working in collaboration with others to align objectives and ensure our policy and programmes have real world impact.
As Deputy Director Children & Families your priority responsibilities will be to:
+ Work collaboratively with colleagues in DHSC, NHSE and other government department, lead development and implementation of policies to improve the health and well-being of children and young people to deliver ministerial priorities including securing the healthiest generation of children ever.
+ Lead DSHC’s contributions to improving Child Safeguarding and to taking Child Sexual Abuse and Domestic Abuse.
+ Lead work on child health actions to support manifesto commitments and delivery of the Health, Opportunity and Safe Streets Missions. Provide policy leadership on child health for cross government priorities including the Child Poverty Task Force.
+ Ensure all policy is underpinned by robust evidence, making use of the best available quantitative and qualitative evidence by working with analytical colleagues in the Directorate and wider department and external experts. This will include preparation for fiscal events.
+ Ensure effective ongoing engagement with external stakeholders and user groups informs policy development and implementation, including addressing health inequalities and disparities.
+ Identify opportunities where taking a wider system-based approach will increase our effectiveness and by using collaborative networks and system leadership help ensure we use these opportunities to improve the health and well-being of children and young people.
+ Take an active role in the Directorate (Early Years, Children & Families) and Group (Primary Care & Prevention) Senior Leadership, including by role-modelling leadership of cross-cutting corporate workstreams and activity.
+ Lead, support and motivate a talented team of approximately 30 civil servants so that they are part of a happy, inclusive and high performing culture., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Leadership
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Changing and Improving
+ Working Together, 1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
Applications will be sifted against personal statements. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored. An initial sift on the basis of the first essential criteria will be conducted if a large number of applications is received.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer by 2025.
Candidate Engagement Drop-In Session
If you would like the opportunity to attend a drop-in session via Teams at 10am on 25 September 2024 to hear more about the role and ask any questions you may have about it before applying. Please contact ethan.wong@dhsc.gov.uk to secure a place.
Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend interview.
A panel chaired by Liz Ketch, Director for Early Years, Children & Families, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application. Liz will be supported by a selection panel made up of other senior stakeholders for the role, full details of this panel will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
Shortlist
You will receive an acknowledgement of your application through the online process.
The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.
If we receive a large number of applications the initial sift will be based on the first Behaviour (Leadership).
Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.
Discussion with the Vacancy Holder
Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Liz Ketch, prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ 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)
+ 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)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ 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).

+ Ability to lead diverse team in an inclusive way to deliver a quality service in a complex, fast-moving environment and the ability to formulate, lead, communicate and implement strategies and policies.
+ Strong evidence of excellent policy and analysis skills, including being able to use data and research to inform decisions.
+ Ability to rapidly understand and get up to speed with new concepts, ideas and Ministerial priorities, bringing together the right people to understand and make sound decisions on the issues, the level of ambition and set the direction.
+ Proven experience of advising, engaging and influencing and working collaboratively with senior stakeholders (including Ministers or equivalent) to deliver the departments agenda and priorities effectively.
+ Evidence of how you contribute in a corporate way to the work of your current employer, and have a strong demonstrable commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Desirable:
Experience of working on child health or a related area.

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £21,727 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%