NHS Workforce Programme Secretariat Lead and Senior Policy Manager, Clinical Education and Training

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.
We are advertising a Grade 7 role within the NHS Workforce Directorate, which is part of the Secondary Care and Integration Group in DHSC. The NHS workforce is at the heart of ensuring the NHS can deliver the services the country needs. It is a high-profile policy area that receives considerable interest from ministers and senior officials, the public and the media. This is an exciting opportunity to work on ensuring the NHS workforce is able to meet the long-term strategic challenges it will be facing in the coming years, and ensuring we have a workforce of the right size, make-up and skills to meet future demand., The role is based in the NHS Workforce Supply branch. The branch is responsible for the domestic supply of healthcare professionals into the NHS and oversees an annual budget of around £5 bn. The branch plays a key role in putting the NHS staffing on a long-term and sustainable footing and improving patient care through development and delivery of long-term workforce plans. Delivering these plans includes driving unprecedented increases in the number of healthcare professionals that we train, widening access to healthcare careers, for example by increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities, as well as delivering ambitious reforms to the way staff are trained.
You will lead on coordination, governance and any secretariat for NHS Long Term Workforce Planning. The team coordinates activity across the directorate, and department on the long term workforce planning bringing together the narrative, issues and risks, to ensure effective strategy and corporate governance. This role will be primarily focused on supporting a strategic and coherent approach across the directorate, department, arm’s length bodies and government, to support the delivery of long-term workforce plans.
You will have substantial discrete responsibilities, but with up to 25% of your time likely to be focussed on wider work across the branch, to support capacity and capability in a very busy work area, and to enrich the experience of the postholders.
You will work closely with a range of stakeholders including NHS England, the Department for Education, HM Treasury, No.10, as well as professional regulators and partners like UCAS, to deliver and track the delivery of long term workforce commitments and policy initiatives relating to the education and training of clinical professions.
The roles will involve engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including from DHSC and NHS England, and other government departments. The main responsibilities of the roles could include:
+ Develop and maintain robust governance in and across organisations to ensure assurance and delivery of any long-term workforce plans.
+ Lead any Secretariat functions for NHS long term workforce planning (likely including a ministerially-chaired board).
+ Lead on DHSC's engagement with the NHSE's long term workforce planning programme office ensuring strong join up and providing advice to Ministers on matters relating to the programme.
+ Keep abreast of strategic and delivery issues, ensure strategic join up across policy areas and potentially lead on deep dives into specific topics or issues.
Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds. Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support.
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need.
There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Leadership
+ Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Making Effective Decisions, Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 500 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.
An initial sift based on the Lead Behaviour; Communicating and Influencing and CV may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths and a Presentation.
Candidates will be asked to give a presentation which will assess a behaviour: Communicating and Influencing. Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.
To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here
Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DHSC 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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via dhscrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ 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.
This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
Terms and Conditions
Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.
New Entrants to the Civil Service
New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:
+ Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
+ Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
+ Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
+ Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
+ Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
+ Probation: 6 month probation period
Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion
All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion
If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).
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:
+ 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).

+ Experience working in a strategy role or leading a Secretariat function and/or programme office, would also be beneficial.
+ Ability to clearly communicate and present complex ideas in formal submissions, conversations with stakeholders, day-to-day briefings, and formal and informal governance and coordination processes.
+ Ability to build and maintain positive and constructive stakeholder relationships with delivery partners, NHS England, other government departments and interested stakeholders. This includes an ability to provide constructive challenge where necessary and bring together divergent views.
+ Ability to critically assess a wide range of sometimes contradictory qualitative and quantitative information to make decisions.
+ Working to deadlines, reprioritising and working flexibly to achieve goals. Taking responsibility to monitor work against deadlines and support others to do so when necessary.
+ Aligning activities and advice to wider strategic priorities through being alert to emerging issues and trends and seeking out experiences to develop your knowledge.
+ Leadership capabilities including supporting teams to deliver against corporate and individual priorities and objectives.
Desirable skills and experience includes;
+ An understanding of current challenges facing the NHS and its workforce or experience of working in a health-related role.
+ Experience working with Ministers providing oral and writing briefing.

Alongside your salary of £53,116, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £15,387 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 28.97%