NHS Group, Department of Health Secondment Programme

NHS Group,
Department of
   Health
Secondment
 Programme

NHS Group

Overview

The Department of Health now plays a significantly different role in relation to
the NHS following commencement of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The
NHS Group is at the heart of this new approach, playing a central role in taking
forward the reforms to the health and care system.

The NHS Group has sole responsibility for NHS policy across Government,
working on complex, challenging and often controversial policy areas. The work
of the group includes advising Ministers, developing high profile strategy
projects, building strong relationships with NHS stakeholders and sponsoring
some of the biggest and most important non-departmental public bodies in
government.

In recent months the Group has led for the Government in key areas, such as:

       Developing the Quality Failure Regime in response to Robert Francis’
        report on the failings at Mid-Staffordshire Foundation Trust;
       the reconfiguration of health services in South East London, including the
        dissolution of South London Healthcare Trust;
       the introduction into Parliament of the Care Bill; and
       the Safe and Sustainable Review into children’s heart surgery.

We are offering the opportunity for highly motivated, ambitious applicants
to work at the heart of Government on complex, challenging and often
controversial policy areas.

We have a number of secondment opportunities, and would welcome
applications from candidates interested in developing skills in policy
development and strategy and who have a keen interest in the work of
Government.

Successful candidates will keep their existing terms and conditions and
salary, with the Department of Health reimbursing employers. The
Department can cover salaries from £29,992 to £75,035.

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What is the NHS Group looking for?

Given the flexible nature of our work, specific postings will be decided based on
the skills and experience of applicants, and business needs. All successful
applicants will however need:

       The ability to pick up complex issues quickly and make connections
        between different pieces of work;
       Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal
        skills. All roles will involve dealing with Ministers and senior
        management effectively, and building strong relationships across the
        Department and its Arm’s-Length Bodies;
       The ability to develop, or already have, a strong understanding of the
        strategic environment in health;
       The ability to operate under pressure, juggle priorities and effectively
        deal with multiple and competing requests.

Location: The majority of the NHS Group are based in Whitehall, London, and
this would be the preferred location for successful candidates. However, we are
able to consider potential applications to be based in Quarry House, Leeds.

What will you get out of it?

A secondment with the NHS Group will provide an excellent opportunity to work
at the heart of Government at a particularly interesting time. You will play a
central role in taking forward the reforms to the health and care system. This
will involve:

       Working within a high performing, efficient and close-knit Group that has
        sole responsibility for NHS policy within Government;
       Developing an understanding of how power is exercised at the very
        highest levels through working with Ministers, their Private Offices, and
        political Special Advisors;

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       Working closely with the Director and Deputy Directors in the Group, in
        addition to other senior staff within the Department and partner
        organisations;
       Building contacts across the Department and wider health sector;
       Improving yourself and those around you, through the Group’s
        commitment to personal development.

Areas of work

NHS Provider Policy Unit
The NHS Provider Policy Unit is responsible for encouraging a dynamic and
innovative provider sector to allow commissioners to secure services for
patients that are high quality and value for money, whilst also protecting
taxpayer investment in NHS providers. As well as provider policy, legislation and
engagement, the unit is responsible for oversight of the provider sector and
sponsorship of the NHS Trust Development Authority, supporting Ministers in
making evidence-based decisions on proposed local service changes and
ensuring that, if providers fail, they do so in a planned and orderly way.

Economic Regulation Unit
The Economic Regulation Unit has been created to provide a central strategy and
policy hub for all NHS competition, choice, pricing and licensing policy issues,
and to lead on sponsoring Monitor – the economic regulator for health. The Unit
acts as the first port of call for all policy and legislative issues in relation to the
above areas, which are critical enablers of transformational change in the health
system. The team works closely with key sector groups to ensure our policy
programme and that of the Department more generally is aligned to Ministerial
priorities.

NHS Commissioning Policy and Sponsorship Unit
The NHS Commissioning Policy and Sponsorship Unit has responsibility in the
Department for all commissioning-related policy. This includes:

       Providing policy insight and advice to Ministers on topical NHS services,
        such as Urgent and Emergency Care.

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       Overseeing the commissioning system and primary care, including
        oversight of the Secretary of State’s priority on vulnerable older people.
       Having responsibility for the core sponsorship relationship with NHS
        England, the largest of the Department’s (and Government’s) arm’s length
        bodies, with a budget of £100bn.
       Developing and providing assurance on the Government’s Mandate to
        NHS England, which sets out their expected outcomes and objectives.

Legislation, NHS Constitution and Policy Improvement Unit
The Legislation, NHS Constitution and Policy Improvement Unit leads on three
core areas:
       Legislation – The Bill Team within the Unit are steering the Care Bill
        through Parliament. The Bill includes a number of legislative changes
        designed in response to Robert Francis QC’s report into the failings at
        Mid-Staffordshire Foundation Trusts.
       The NHS Constitution – The NHS Constitution is a succinct summary of
        patient and staff rights and responsibilities, which has been identified as a
        key part of the response to the problems at Mid-Staffordshire Hospital.
        The focus is on increasing the usage and impact of the Constitution,
        working closely with NHS colleagues.
       Policy Improvement – The Department is seeking to improve the way it
        makes policy (e.g. through implementing common standards), and the
        Unit leads on securing this improvement.

NHS Policy & Strategy Unit
The NHS Policy and Strategy Unit leads for the Department of Health on cross-
cutting NHS policy issues. This includes supporting Ministers on the delivery of
their NHS priorities, undertaking strategy and analytical projects, leading on the
Department’s role as ‘steward’ of the NHS, and coordinating NHS business with
our ALBs and No10.

The nature of the team’s work is flexible – picking up projects which may not
have a natural home within the Department, or is a cross-cutting issue which
affects many teams’ work. Projects the Unit has worked on over the past year
include taking forward work on integrated care, the Government’s response to

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the Francis Report, the future of clinical advice in the Department, and the
production of the Secretary of State’s first ever annual report on the health
service. The Unit also leads for the Department on NHS delivery issues, working
with ALB colleagues and directly to Ministers and No10 on risks to NHS
performance.

The Group’s current secondees

The NHS Group’s first ever secondment programme started in Autumn 2012, and
will shortly be coming to an end. Overall, ten secondees joined the Group from a
diverse set of employers, including King’s College Hospital, The National Autistic
Society and PricewaterhouseCoopers. They have worked on a wide range of
projects, including NHS delivery and performance, Patient Choice policy, the NHS
Constitution, the Mandate to NHS England, Integrated care and the Guide to the
Healthcare System in England.

Lillie and Dan, two of the Group’s current secondees, talk about their experiences
below.

               Lillie Dunn, NHS Provider Policy
               I’m on secondment from PwC where I work in the firm’s advisory
               practice. My department is focused on government and
               infrastructure, and for the past 5 years I have worked on a range of
projects in the health sector
Because my work at PwC is typically focused on individual organisations, I
thought a secondment to the DH would be a great opportunity to learn more
about the system and wider policy context. I also wanted to get an insight into
how policy is developed, and the way in which the DH works with other health
bodies in the new system.
I’ve really enjoyed my time at DH. Since joining the NHS Group I’ve been involved
in various pieces of work including policy on provider funding and the
application of the special administration regime for Foundation Trusts, which
was introduced under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. This has often
involved working closely with other DH teams and Monitor, as well as providing
advice to Ministers.

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                Dan Price, NHS Policy & Strategy Unit
                I am currently on secondment to the Department of Health from
                Advance, a national charitable organisation who provide housing,
                support and employment solutions to people who have learning
difficulties or mental health conditions.
I wanted to come on secondment because I knew that in my time here the health
system as a whole would be going under a great deal of change. To be able to see
and contribute to that happening first hand was too interesting an opportunity to
pass up.
I’ve had a stimulating, challenging and enjoyable time in the NHS Group through
working in a range of teams and high profile policy areas like the NHS
Constitution and Integrated Care. Currently I work in the NHS Delivery Team, co-
ordinating an assurance and stocktake process, which supports No. 10 to hold
the Department of Health to account for the delivery of the Prime Minister’s
commitments and assisting the Secretary of State in monitoring the delivery of
NHS services.

Next steps

If you would like further information, please do get in touch with Alex Mclaughlin
on alex.mclaughlin@dh.gsi.gov.uk or 020 7210 2797.

To apply, please submit –
       your CV;
       a short covering letter outlining why you would like to come on
        secondment (please include information on your salary, National
        Insurance contributions and pension arrangements);
       where possible, your end-year review for the past two years (if these are
        not available, a reference from your current employer will be accepted);
       Please ensure you have your organisation’s endorsement before
        applying.

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Please send your application to srsponsor@dh.gsi.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 19
August

Applications will be sifted w/c 19 August, with interviews planned for w/c 26
August and w/c 2 September. Please let us know your availability for these
weeks when you apply.

Starting dates are flexible, however we would be keen for successful candidates
to be in place between late September to mid October.

                         Thank you for your interest!

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