Royal Navy Family & People Support (RN FPS) - Social Worker

Job summary

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

Royal Navy Family and People Support (RN FPS) is the Royal Navy’s dedicated welfare delivery organisation and is an integral part of Navy Command’s People Support. RN FPS offers a range of specialist services to RN Personnel, their families, and wider military communities across the UK and Overseas. If you are a qualified, registered, social worker, who wants to make a real difference in the lives of RN personnel and their families, then we want to hear from you.

The primary RN FPS function is delivery of an agile, integrated multi-disciplinary suite of services to support a global Navy. RN FPS provides three main pillars of service including Casework, Community Development & Outreach Support, and Information and Communication platforms. This adaptable and integrated organisation strives to enable and sustain resilience and resourcefulness within our diverse Naval Service Community.

Casework provides specific and tailored support to social care needs from crisis intervention to onward longer-term interventions. Casework service includes specialist support, especially during times of illness, grief and loss, or separation; and where there are ongoing concerns for children, family, or relationships. As a Social Worker within the team, you will be crucial to the success of service delivery. Full UK Driving Licence desirable.

RN FPS provides an open, flexible and supportive work environment, with a blended workforce comprised of civil servants and RN personnel working together.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

In this role you will:

Deliver multi-disciplinary specialist welfare casework by positively engaging in integrated activities to enhance service delivery and promote holistic ways of working.

Coordinate and manage your own workflows to achieve optimal capability, ensuring the delivery of high-quality specialist welfare casework.

Be competent in the use of electronic information and case recording systems

Provide formal supervision, reporting, and guidance to caseworkers and other staff, as the position requires. This includes mentoring of internal specialist welfare students and Social Work University students, commensurate with own experience, capacity and abilities.

Note that travel may be required, including overnight stays, to visit families, RN locations and attendance at meetings and forums.

Person specification

If you are passionate about welfare, have experience in managing a complex caseload including safeguarding then this is the job for you.

As a Social Worker you will provide a reactive Specialist Welfare service to Service Personnel and their families, encompassing emotional support, advice, guidance, and signposting to additional support, ensuring individual well-being and the safety of vulnerable adults/children is paramount.

You will be required to respond to allocated work, and subsequent case management direction, and record activities in a timely manner in line with FPS processes, guidelines and complying with all applicable legal frameworks and statutory guidance. This will require regular communication with Service Users and attendance at home visits and multi-disciplinary team meetings.

Essential:

Social Work England (SWE) registration

Social Work degree or equivalent (eg Dipsw)

Licences

Social Work England (SWE) registration

Qualifications

Social Work degree or equivalent (eg Dipsw)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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%

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Market-leading employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to a confidential, professional support service
• Discount schemes
• Bicycle / season-ticket loans
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Special paid leave to volunteer (up to 6 days a year)

In Navy Command we believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you’ll be supported through your learning journey and your career. This can include working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking an apprenticeship as part of your role.

You’ll have access to a variety of qualifications pathways ranging from GCSE/A-Level equivalent all the way up to master’s degree, depending on your role, your previous skills and your experience. Some qualifications even include “on-the-job” training which means minimal disruption to your working day but maximum impact.

As part of Defence Reform, Navy Command continues to review and evolve its Target Operating Model to support more agile ways of working. In this context, the role and responsibilities of this role may develop over time to reflect changing business priorities and opportunities.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of gender and ethnic group. Appointment will be based on merit alone.

Please submit a CV (to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience) alongside a personal statement up to 1000 words that details your experience in relation to the role and covers Delivering at Pace and Working Together.

During the Application stage, candidates will be assessed against CV personal statement and the following behaviours:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

During the Interview stage, candidates will be assessed against the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the bigger Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment

Further information:

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo an enhanced (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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 :

• Name : David Wateridge
• Email : David.Wateridge100@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 0300 168 8421

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

20260413 - Navy Command Candidate Application Guide-O Opens in new window (pdf, 1595kB)Navy Candidate Attraction Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 7954kB)Defence Civil Service Offer (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1563kB)Document in 26-06 Defence Internal Brief notice for inclusion of all adverts and issued alongside Posting Notices_O Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)