Labour Market Participation Policy Officer

Details

Reference number

423023

Salary

£34,254 - £39,994

National: £34,254 - £36,142; London: £38,138- £39,994

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DBT - CMRR - Labour Markets

Type of role

Policy

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents
• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

About the job

Job summary

This role sits within the Employment Rights Directorate (ERD) in the Department for Business and Trade.

Employment rights is a top priority for the Government who have set out an ambitious, wide ranging and long-term reform plan for workers’ rights in The Plan to Make Work Pay. We pride ourselves on the high quality and significant quantity of work that we deliver but we are clear that it is our working culture that enables us to deliver that. The Directorate is inclusive, friendly, collaborative, supportive and embraces genuinely flexible working.

This role sits in the Labour Market Participation Team. Our work is centred on improving labour market participation and helping people to balance their work alongside their personal lives, whether that’s raising a family, caring for a loved one or managing their own wellbeing. The team is responsible for a range of policies that will impact nearly everyone in this country at some point in their lives, including flexible working rights, maternity and paternity leave, and carer’s leave. The Carers and Wellbeing team looks specifically at employment support for unpaid carers as well as wider wellbeing issues that affect participation in the workplace. We are a team split across multiple DBT hubs in the UK, including London, Edinburgh and Darlington currently.

The work is fast paced and high profile but, most importantly, has a significant tangible real-world impact on the lives of working people. Our team is small but high-performing, and we are looking for a talented and motivated HEO to grow the Carers and Wellbeing team to support our work on important government priorities.

Job description

You will play a key part in the work examining employment support for unpaid carers, who balance paid work alongside providing unpaid care for a loved one. New legislation for unpaid carer’s leave was introduced in April 2024, and we are reviewing the implementation of this policy and examining the benefits of introducing paid carer’s leave, while being mindful of the impact of any changes on small employers.

The candidate’s responsibilities will likely include:
• Taking a leading role in planning upcoming consultations, coordinating stakeholder engagement activities prior to consultation and contributing to drafting consultation documents.
• Contributing to the development of policy options for further employment support for unpaid carers, working with analysts and legal advisors and using data and evidence to draft recommendations for Ministers.
• Owning the external messaging on unpaid carers and lead on horizon scanning, including monitoring media and Parliamentary activity for relevant developments or emerging interest.
• Leading on the drafting and coordination of external-facing policy documents on unpaid carers, including correspondence, Freedom of Information requests and Parliamentary Questions.

Some domestic travel will be expected for both stakeholder engagement and to meet team members who are based across the country.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build productive working relationships with others.
• Experience using data and evidence to reach recommendations for Ministers or senior members of an organisation.
• Strong organisational skills with a good eye for detail, including the ability to manage competing deadlines whilst maintaining quality outputs.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to draft clear and concise material for a range of audiences.
• Experience working on external communications for projects.

Desirable criteria

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;
• Experience of delivering at pace in a complex and high-profile programme, policy agenda or portfolio, with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of Parliamentary and legislative processes.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,254, Department for Business and Trade contributes £9,923 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the CV will either progressed to a full sift where the Personal Statement is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours and Strengths.

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:
• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :
• Name : Jack McLuckie
• Email : jack.mcluckie@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team
• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

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