Senior Media Relations Officer
Department of Health and Social Care
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 2nd May 2024
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Loan
Secondment
Length of employment
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Press Relations
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About the job
Job summary
At the Department of Health and Social Care, 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’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.
Health and social care issues affect us all. From patient care to mental health, NHS funding to medicine supply and adult social care – the work of the department is always at the forefront of the news agenda and a key government priority. If you want to be part of the team shaping this debate, we want to hear from you.
The Department of Health and Social Care communications team is an award-winning operation, recognised for its work on evaluation, insight, and partnership working.
We are looking for an experienced, forward-thinking and creative senior press officer to join the team and provide direction as we communicate some of the most important issues of the day. The successful candidate will be responsible for running creative proactive and reactive media communications through a range of channels, briefing journalists, responding to media enquiries, and ensuring the government’s position is reflected in national, regional and trade media coverage. They will also work closely with key stakeholders including NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency.
We are looking for an experienced communications professional with a razor-sharp news sense and strong political awareness. You will need to thrive in a high-pressure environment, while working with and motivating teams to deliver their full potential.
No two days will be the same – your responsibilities will vary between leading a team to deliver on key departmental priorities, to accompanying ministers on visits to hospitals and care homes, to shaping the media narrative on health priorities including tackling COVID-19 backlogs, supporting the NHS workforce and easing NHS pressures, and public health campaigns including tackling health inequalities and ensuring people live healthier lives. You will be supported to develop your career as you work towards becoming a future leader as part of a friendly, welcoming team where learning, development and wellbeing are integral parts of the offer.
Job description
Key accountabilities for the role:
- Advising officials on all aspects of presentation, accompanying ministers to interviews, visits and events, drafting social media content and blogs, drafting rebuttal lines and developing new content
- Helping to plan, design and deliver communications campaigns and deliver activity including developing high quality, insight-driven content for use across a wide range of channels and platforms and ensuring all activity is evaluated in line with GCS standards
- Maintaining close working relationships with counterparts in arms-length bodies and other partner organisations, ensuring all communications activity is aligned and jointly planned as appropriate
- Supporting a 24 / 7 media service including participation in the out-of-hours duty rota and early/late shifts
Person specification
Key requirements for the role:
- Strong oral and written communications skills
- Experience of proactive and reactive communications
- Ability to develop and deliver creative campaigns to tackle problems and promote issues
- Ability to create social media content
- Ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritise workload and deal with competing priorities
- Strong news sense and the ability to communicate effectively with different audiences
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Communications - Insight: Core
- Communications - Ideas: Core
- Communications - Implementation: Core
- Communications - Impact: Core
Benefits
- 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%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Sift date: To be confirmed.
Interview date: To be confirmed.
Interview location: The interview will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.
The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, Statement of Suitability (750 word max) and evidence of the specified behaviours (250 word max per statement).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.
Please use your Statement of Suitability to (in no more than 750 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.
Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability and Behaviours.
At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.
At interview, candidates will also be expected to complete a written exercise which will be presented to the panel. Further details will be provided to those successful at the sift stage.
To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here
Further Information
Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.
Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.
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.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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 either level transfer or 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).
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.
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Robbie Gordon
- Email : Robbie.Gordon-Quinn@dhsc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dhscrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/
