DWP Appeals Presenting Officer London, England
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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) handles welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, DWP administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) is a great place to work where the leadership team are passionate about attracting the best talent whilst nurturing and valuing new and existing colleagues to be the best they can be. We are looking for people who can demonstrate our values and commitment to leadership which are based around Collaboration, Resilience and Inclusivity. We look for emotionally aware leaders who enable teams to be innovative, adaptable and flexible. We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and finding daring and dynamic solutions that support our values and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do.
DRS provides our customers with the ability to challenge a benefit decision, entitlement, or child maintenance claim through a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) or to submit an appeal against a benefit decision.
In DRS we work with our customers to understand their individual circumstances, collate, and interpret evidence and make decisions that have real life impact.
Appeals Presenting officers act on behalf of the Department to represent DRS at appeal hearings, working with the Tribunal service and our customers. The role requires you to demonstrate confident and assertive skills on occasion whilst following tribunal etiquette.
You will need to build and maintain relationships with tribunal officials and give feedback to original Case Manager, Decision Maker, Quality Lead and Health Care Professionals as required.
The roles are based in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Birkenhead, Handsworth, Bromley, Norwich, Truro, Exeter and London.
These locations are linked to Tribunal Centres in various locations including: Birmingham, Leicester, Stoke, Wolverhampton, East London Enfield, Fox Court and Sutton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Plymouth, Truro, Exeter, Newton Abbott.
This role will involve much travel and potential overnight stays. Expenses are payable as per DWP Policy.
Job description
As an Appeals Presenting Officer you will:
- Present the Department’s decision in an effective and professional manner. You will ensure decisions follow the law and DWP instructions, whilst understanding the complex needs of our customers.
- Attend Tribunals, both in person and via Video Conference facilities. You will receive specific training for this aspect of the role.
- Summarise the Department’s case to the Tribunal panel as set out in the appeal response, focusing on the evidence to support the Department’s case. You may need to question the customers’ case by asking inquisitorial questions as appropriate and dealing with new evidence and points raised during the hearing.
- Review each case before the hearing and only proceed to a full hearing if the decision under challenge remains appropriate and is capable of being defended.
Working alongside your Manager and within the prescribed timelines you will:
- Give feedback to original Case Manager, Decision Maker, Quality Lead and Health Care Professionals as required.
- Update internal database with the outcomes of Tribunals.
- Complete post hearing management information timeously and accurately.
- Identify cases where onward challenge to the Upper Tribunal may be appropriate.
- Prioritise and proactively progress cases as directed, to ensure achievement of key performance indicators and attendance levels.
Person specification
Essential Criteria - The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- Strong communication skills, including a proven ability to present information to different audiences using appropriate delivery styles and managing challenging conversations (LEAD ESSENTIAL CRITERIA).
- Interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and motivate others to build trust with stakeholders to achieve goals.
- Ability to critically interpret and analyse complex information; formulating strong arguments to focus on key points.
- Ability to effectively organise, adapt own and teams work priorities as necessary with due regard to compliance of agreed processes.
- Responsibility for delivering outcomes timeously and accurately.
Desirable but not essential
- Experience of acting as a representative or as an advocate.
- Knowledge and experience of Social Security legislation is preferable but not essential.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Benefits Including:
- Generous annual leave - 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus bank holidays and one day of leave for the King’s Birthday. The exact number of days of annual leave will be determined by any current years of Civil Service employment.
- Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave we also recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and offer flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
- Training and apprenticeships and minimum of 5 days’ personal development & learning allowance.
- Employee discount schemes.
- Free wellbeing support.
- Opportunities to make a real difference through joining forums, initiatives & charities.
- Interest free travel loans.
- Highly sought-after civil service pension. Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution. Your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Written Application – Sift Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 1250-word Personal Statement.
Your CV should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.
The Personal Statement should provide details of the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role, based on the Essential Criteria detailed above. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Essential 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 essential criteria.
You may not be able to meet all the essential criteria, but please ensure you: Evidence the key personal requirements; what have you done that’s relatable to the requirements? You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills, 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.
In the event of a high volume of applications it may be necessary to undertake an initial sift on the lead criteria before moving to a full sift. If so, we will sift on:
- Strong communication skills, including a proven ability to present information to different audiences using appropriate delivery styles and managing challenging conversations (LEAD ESSENTIAL CRITERIA).
**Please note the closing date for your full application is 23:55 on 17/04/2023**
Sift dates to be confirmed. No feedback will be provided at the sift stage of the campaign.
The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.
Interviews
If you meet the required standard and your application is successful, you will be invited to an interview conducted using Microsoft Teams. Interviews are expected to commence 02/05/23 but may be subject to change.
Interviews will be scheduled between 09.00 and 17.00.
Communications will be electronic / or by Telephone therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number.
The interview will consist of a blended interview where you will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions. A Blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview offering an inclusive approach. The Strength and Behaviour based questioning explores what you can and have done, as well as your potential.
At interview you will be assessed against four Civil Service Behaviours:
- Communicating and Influencing (Level 2)
- Managing a Quality Service (Level 2)
- Making Effective Decisions (Level 2)
- Delivering at Pace (Level 2)
Preparing for the Interview
Please note that interviews will be via video using Microsoft Teams and you will need to use your personal device to access the video link. You will receive a link in advance of your interview through the email account you provide us with on your application.
The interview will take approximately 40-45 minutes where you will be asked a mixture of Behavioural and Strength questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation, offering an enhanced inclusive approach. The Behaviour and Strength based questioning explores what you the candidate can and has done, and also your potential.
Further information about the process can be found in the Candidate Pack.
If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.
After the Interview
Once all interviews have been completed, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. The successful candidates will be offered a posting based on their preferred location/s and will be notified of a start date following successful security checks. The posting offer will be made in strict merit order.
Successful candidates who are not offered a posting will be placed on a reserve list which will be held for 3 months.
The reserve list may also be used to offer future permanent opportunities not necessarily restricted to the current locations included in the advert. They may also extend to permanent opportunities which arise across the wider DWP network. Any such offers would be made in strict merit order to all candidates remaining on the reserve list. The location and job role would be fully explained to you. Refusal of the offer would not change your reserve list position.
Further Information
Appeal Presenting Officers will be required to represent DWP at many Tribunal venues. Regular travel will be incurred between the office and the Tribunal venues. Travelling expenses to the venues will be reimbursed in line with DWP policy.
Please Note: This role involves extensive travel and occasional overnight stays may be needed Expenses will be reimbursed in line with DWP policy. You may also need to work from different locations.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.
Find out more about Working for DWP
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
Security Information
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 /Disclosure Scotland 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.
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 [email protected]
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.
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.
DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract.
Important
If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.
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 you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
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) (opens in a new window)
- 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 (opens in a new window).
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
