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Grade 7 Portfolio Delivery Support - Children Social Care

  • Public sector
  • Manchester
  • 22/04/2025
  • £56353.00 /yearly
  • Full Time & Permanent
Job expired!

Job Overview

Location

Manchester

Job Type

Full Time & Permanent

Salary

£56,353 yearly

Date Posted:

22/04/2025

Expiration date:

14/05/2025

Additional Detail

Job ID

25143

Work Location

Remote and/or Onsite

Job Description

Darlington (DL1 5QE), Manchester (M1 2WD), Sheffield (S1 2FJ), London (SW1P 3BT), Newcastle (NE1 8QH), Nottingham (NG2 1AW)

Please note Newcastle and Nottingham currently have site controls in place. Therefore, this location option is only available to existing DfE employees already assigned to this office location.

Job summary

This is an exciting time to join Childrens Social Care (CSC) as we look to transform the system that supports the UKs most vulnerable children. The two CSC Directorates are embarking on a large and complex set of reforms following the publications of the Independent Care Review, the National review and the Competition and Markets Authority study of the care market.

We are committed to taking forward a long term, comprehensive, ambitious change programme that will reset social care and level up childrens outcomes.

Our vision is that children grow up in loving, safe and stable families and where that is not possible, care provides the same foundations so all children can achieve their potential.

The role sits within the CSC Portfolio Office which sits at the very heart of CSC delivery, supporting programmes to achieve their outcomes.

This post sits in Families Group. In Families Group our aim is to support every child and young person to be safer, healthier and happier. We lead on key legislation and guidance for families and childrens policies, across four directorates covering Childrens Care system and workforce, including safeguarding, Early Years and childcare, and educational engagement. We deliver programmes supporting children from birth to adulthood. This includes delivering Manifesto commitments on childrens social care, early years childcare and breakfast clubs in primary schools and our important contribution to delivering the Governments Mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We work closely with policy and delivery partners across DfE, in other government departments, local authorities and service providers in the public, voluntary and private sectors. This is an exciting time to join Families Group with significant reform programmes underway in both early years and childcare, and childrens social care, which will have a direct impact on the outcomes and wellbeing of children and their families. This role will sit in the Strategy and Care directorate and will be critical in supporting the delivery of our Families Group mission. As the post holder, you will be encouraged to become an active member in our Families community where everyone has a part to play in ensuring that Families Group is a great place to work. In return, we will support you to develop and to make the most of the many opportunities we have in our Group.

Job description

As a Portfolio Delivery Support working within the Portfolio Office in Children Social Care, you will be responsible for supporting a collection of projects and programmes that contribute to the delivery of departmental objectives. You will be able to demonstrate the range of programme and project management skills you will have and use your excellent experience to help support optimal delivery of our strategic objectives in line with government priorities.

You will often have to deal with difficult and novel situations and use creative thought to develop possible courses of action, to evaluate risks and to make judgements on the most appropriate solution considering internal and external requirements. In this role you will communicate with a wide range of people, including senior grades within the Department and externally. You will be able to use your project delivery skills to support the development of project delivery capability and you will be able to tailor your advice to the needs of the project or programme you are working with.

Job Responsibilities: 

  • Supporting the SRO and their teams using programme and project management skills and experience, depending on the project this might include supporting project initiation, establishing the project, creating reporting and establishing governance.
  • You will be able to use your project delivery expertise to advise and coach SROs and their teams while you support them in looking for solutions to delivery issues.
  • Setting up a streamlined and effective programme governance structure to allow for effective decision making.
  • Developing regular reports containing the required detail to allow programme governance to be effective and understand status of delivery.
  • Developing the programme high level plan and underpinning detailed plan. Regularly reviewing the plan, facilitation of workshops and re-baselining where appropriate.
  • Developing a risk and issue management process using standard tools and techniques, ensuring regular discussions are taking place through programme governance.
  • Identification of the specific programme benefits / outcomes that the programme is responsible for delivering, incorporating into the business case and tracking their progress in achieving them.
  • Working with the SRO and team to correctly set up a project / programme, making sure everyone is clear on the scope, with the Business Case and plan aligned with system outcomes.
  • Facilitating the closure of projects through the correct level of governance and working with strategy regarding impact to the system.
  • Assist in drafting / advising of required content for the programme business case and give assurance prior to review by InvestCo / internal or external reviews.
  • Team player working collaboratively with other Grade 7 PPM experts to support delivery of CSC programmes and able to upskill internal and external resources on PPM functions. 

Please note, one of these roles will also be the portfolio planning lead for the portfolio, working with other team roles to drive forward and produce the portfolio plan, building in cross programme dependencies and lead the planning function.

The other role will also lead on risk and issue management for the portfolio, being responsible for the risk management framework and embedding good practices across throughout including portfolio level risk review board, group level and top tier.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

  • Project performance and controls.
  • Governance and assurance.
  • Project planning.
  • Risk & issue management.
  • Benefits management.
  • Stakeholder Management.
  • Guidance and support.
Alongside your salary of £56,353, Department for Education contributes £16,325 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Departments transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years service. In addition, all staff receive the Kings Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (statement max word count 1000 words).

We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above.

Interview

At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.

Other Information

In your application, please dont include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

  • name/title
  • educational institutions
  • age
  • gender
  • email address
  • postal address
  • phone number
  • nationality/immigration status

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesnt include ideas or work that isnt your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.   

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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 applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

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 Department of Education via [email protected] 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 youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please refer to the attached Reasonable Adjustments Guide 2025 accessible version at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/



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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 :

Recruitment team

Further information

The Department for Educations recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages

 
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