DWP Administrative Officer - Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Job description
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Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers a range of working age, retirement, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
The Retirement Services Directorate is part of DWP and provides pensions, benefits and retirement information for customers in the UK and abroad.
This includes;
- Administering State Pension and Pension Credit claims, for people over Pension Age, in the UK and abroad.
- Delivering Bereavement Services (including Tell Us Once and Bereavement Support) as well as annual Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments.
- Responsibility for administering many disability and health benefits such as Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Carers Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Vaccine Damage.
- With the biggest customer base in DWP we offer a digital service to our customers e.g. State Pension forecasts via Check your State Pension (CySP), claims to State Pension via Get your State Pension (GySP) and Apply for PC for claiming Pension Credit. These services are self-serve and for customer convenience are available 24/7.
We are looking to fill a number of Fixed Term Administrative Officer roles, up to 30 posts in our office at Tyneview Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA. These posts are for up to 18 months.
The anticipated start date for these posts is from the middle of April 2023 onwards in various tranches to support training.
You will be required to attend on a full time basis (37 hours per week) during your training and consolidation, for up to 20 weeks.
These are key roles and we are seeking people who will help us deliver service improvements and provide an effective service to our customers.
Job description
Our Administrative Officers communicate clearly and concisely and provide accurate information to a wide range of customers respecting diversity at all times.
They also navigate our computer systems making changes to account information and ensuring customers’ payments are correct.
You must be able to competently use the telephone as this is the primary means of customer contact through a combination of both inbound and outbound calls (prior telephony/Contact Centre experience is desirable but not essential).
You will also influence/negotiate where required to successfully resolve queries and difficult/sensitive situations and must remain composed and professional in what can sometimes be a challenging environment.
Demonstrating effective communication skills, treating customers and colleagues with respect and taking personal responsibility to deliver excellent customer service is also key.
Person specification
Key Criteria
- The ability to navigate a range of computer systems to action tasks and telephony queries on customer calls. (Lead Criteria)
- The ability to communicate well with a wide range of diverse people/customers.
- The ability to understand complex information and give explanations to people/customers.
- The ability to handle challenging and potentially emotional situations with people/customers.
- Work collaboratively, effectively and flexibly within a team and contribute towards team expectations.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills treating customers and colleagues with respect and taking personal responsibility to deliver excellent customer service.
- To competently use the telephone as this is the primary means of customer contact through a combination of inbound and outbound calls; prior telephony/Contact Centre is desirable but not essential.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- 23 days Annual Leave (pro rata for part-time workers) in addition to Public and Privilege leave.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- Staff Recognition Schemes.
- Bicycle Loan.
- Season Ticket Loan.
- Employee Discounts.
- Staff Wellbeing.
- Give as you Earn.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a 500-word personal statement. Further details about what this will entail are listed on the application form and below.
- When completing your personal statement of up to 500 words please read and understand the Key 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. You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria.
- You may not be able to meet all the key criteria, but 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.
Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended. Only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.
Written Sift:
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria, ‘The ability to navigate a range of computer systems to action tasks and telephony queries on customer calls. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview Stage:
If successful following the sift you will be invited to a blended interview, assessing the behaviours listed.
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
The interview will include strength-based and behaviour questions and you will be asked to provide examples against each.
Please note that interviews will be conducted by video, and you will need to use your personal device to access the platform.
Once you receive the invite to interview you will need to access the system and book yourself an interview slot.
Interview are expected to take place between 20th February 2023 and 3rd March 2023 (dependent on sift requirement).
Further information about the interview process can be found in the Candidate Pack. Please ensure you read the candidate pack before you make your application.
Once your interview has been booked, you will not be able to reschedule unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Further Information
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
Find out more about Working for DWP
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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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.
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). 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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
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 evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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.
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission here to visit Civil Service Commission
