Apprentice Emergency Preparedness Administrator
Job summary
The Apprentice Emergency Preparedness Administrator will work within the National Response Centre (NRC) to provide administrative support towards the management and co-ordination of the UKHSA national response to public health incidents.
The postholder will work in a collaborative and flexible manner with all members of the National Response Centre team and the wider EPRR Division to provide effective administrative support. The post holder may work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.
The UKHSA National Response Centre is responsible for coherence and coordination of:
- situational awareness and preparedness to effectively respond to incidents.
- response to incidents; and
- recovery from incidents.
The National Response Centre works closely with the network of Regional Response Centres and aligns with the WHO Framework for Public Health Emergency Operations Centres.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete a Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship. To qualify for a government-funded apprenticeship, you must be legally permitted to work in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for at least the three previous years prior to starting.
Working for your organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Job description
Your main responsibilities will include:
- Provide administrative support to the National Response Centre Team and other emergency response functions/staff as required, including arranging and taking minutes of meetings, diary management and support to Heads of NRC
- Be responsible for the development and maintenance of various information databases of emergency plans, contacts, distribution lists and other relevant information
- Handle information effectively and in line with Caldicott and Information Governance Guidelines
- Be a point of contact for the Money and People Services (MaPS) system, including sourcing, ordering and receipting of goods, as well as the prompt raising, payment and recording of invoices
- Manage and respond to enquiries, escalating complex issues or matters requiring input from other colleagues where appropriate.
- Support the set-up of new incidents
- Undertake an appropriate operational role in support of ongoing incidents following completion of the required training. This may occasionally involve working outside of normal working hours and over a seven-day period at times
- Support the closure of incidents and the debriefing process.
- Provide cross cover to other parts of UKHSA, as and when required
- Support Portfolio work and undertake project work as required
- To ensure 24/7 responsiveness, doing the work necessary to protect public health in the UK, you may be required to work over a seven-day period at times.
Professional Development
- Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events.
- To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. health and safety information governance and all other mandatory training.
- Undergo a programme of on-going development and education, to build on existing knowledge and develop skills, which could include a range of professional or management pathways.
This is not an exhaustive list.
Person specification
- Educated to GCSE level in English and Maths at grade C (4) or above or other equivalent qualification.
- IT skills and effective in the use of Microsoft Office , including Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
- Ability to follow guidance, policies and processes, including handling sensitive and confidential data.
- Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
- Ability to use guidance, analyse relevant information and ask colleagues for input to support decision making.
To qualify for a government-funded apprenticeship, you must be legally permitted to work in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for at least the three previous years prior to starting.
You must also not currently hold an A-Level (or equivalent level 3; or higher qualification) in Business Administration.
Please note that for roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £25,651, UK Health Security Agency contributes £7,431 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%
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 and will assess your behaviours and strengths.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 8 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of:
- an application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- a 750 word supporting statement.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.
Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. We will not consider any words over 750 words.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.
Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
- Educated to GCSE level in English and Maths at grade C (4) or above or other equivalent qualification.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a remote interview over MS Teams.
Behaviours and strengths will be tested at interview.
The behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
- Making Effective Decisions (Lead behaviour)
- Developing Self and Others
- Seeing the Big Picture,
- Working Together
Interview dates are to be confirmed.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf).
We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) on-site.
Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security clearance level requirement
Successful candidates must pass a basic Disclosure and Barring Security (DBS) check before they can be appointed.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.
Salary information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary.
Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.
Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.
Administrative Officer (AO)
£25,651-£27,220 (National)
£27,335 -£28,442 (Outer London)
£29,613-£30,266 (Inner London)
For Fixed term posts
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.
Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.
Internal Fraud check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.
Careers website
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
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
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.
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
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Jon Payne
- Email : jonathan.payne@ukhsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Further information
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.ukhttp://www.healthjobsuk.com/vacancy/8173629
Salary range
- £25,651 - £30,266 per year