What you will do: Provide exemplary customer service to all our customers, primarily through telephony, takingtime to explain complex issues. Use digital channels confidently to process benefit claims, ensuring we deliver the rightoutcomes for customers, in line with expectations. Take ownership and work effectively with colleagues across DWP to ensure we provide aquality service for customers. Tailor your approach to accommodate individual circumstances and ensure customers receivethe correct payment amount, at the right time. Build positive relationships with customersthat encourage, motivate, and build trust bydemonstrating empathy and compassion. Handle sensitive, and sometimes challenging and difficult situations with all customers in apositive way. Be aware of DWP policy and its impact on cases. Make decisions by examining the available facts, adhering to current guidance. Provide explanations to customers as required. Take ownership of personal development by accessing digital learning and communicationtools Person specification KeyCriteria for the Role: Competently use the telephone as this is the primary means of customer contact through acombination of inbound and outbound calls; prior telephony/Contact Centre experience isdesirable but not essential. (Lead criteria) Be competent in delivering a quality service to a diverse and customer base. Undertake self-serve learning to meet the requirements of the role and enhance your digitalconfidence. Be able to work flexibly to meet changing priorities, managing a diverse workload. Be able to confidently tailor the service to meet the needs of the individual. Act on feedback to enhance the quality-of-service delivery. Take ownership of complaints andsupport their resolution. Be able to provide support where appropriate to customers who require assistance. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Making Effective Decisions Benefits Alongside your salary of 26,337, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 7,629 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes: Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. Generous annual leave at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave. Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme. Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 years continuous service. Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes. An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. Stages for applying As part of the application process you will be asked to complete: Stage 1 Complete eligibility section of the application form Stage 2 - If eligible, you will be invitedto complete The Customer Service Skills Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended).If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Please note the closing date for all stages of you application is 23:55on 17 December 2024. Please allow time to complete both the test and personal statement before the closing date. IMPORTANT:After the deadline, we may look at all applicant scores to decide what the jobs pass mark will be. We will consider the impact on protected groups and the number of invitations to the next stage. We may decide to raise the pass mark for the job - if so, you will be informed, and you will be told if you have passed or failed at the raised standard. Meeting the minimum test requirements for a job level is no guarantee of an invite to continue the selection process. Stage 3 -If you successfully pass the test,you willbe invited to complete a personal statement of 500words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. It is important that you take time to read the Candidate Pack which can be found at the bottom of this job advert. This gives details of working patterns, training and terms and conditions of employment as well as giving further information on what to include in your application. Personal Statement When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the Key Criteria on slide 6 of the candidate pack thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout isentirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address eachcriteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several key criteria.You may not be able to meet all the key criteria, but please ensure you evidence: the key personalrequirements and what have you done that relates to the requirements. Youdonthave to explainthe whole process, just whatyou havedone and the skills and experienceyou haveused. Sharewith us what makes you suited to this role and why, what you can do and the skills you have thatare transferable to the key requirements, and the life experience or passion you have that arelinked to this role. Stage 4 The sift: The sift is scheduled to commence on 18th December 2024. We may also by-pass the sift process and invite all candidates who complete the first 3 stages of their application by the deadline to an interview. Stage 5 - The interview process: Your interview will be conducted via MS Teams. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. The interview will last approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Further details regarding the process are available in the candidate pack. Interviews are scheduled take place from 7th January 2024 Please note that the proposed sift and interview dates are only indicative at this stage and may be subject to change. Further Information Find out more about Working for DWP A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made. 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 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 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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 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. 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 candidates 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. 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. The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action. 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 DWPRecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 youre 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 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) .