Customer Service Concerns Handling Officer (Band 5/EO)

We contribute to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strategy – Protecting people and places. Our contribution is to protect people at work and or who are impacted by a work-activity by ensuring risks are properly managed.

The Customer Service Team is a high volume, fast-paced, operational, front-line team. Receiving 50k new workplace health and safety concerns (report a health and safety problem), and Advice Requests per year. In our efforts to continuously improve, we seek to adopt the digital approach as new opportunities arise., We are looking for motivated and dedicated customer focused people to join the team and play an important role in ensuring that HSE provides a professional response to Health and Safety Concerns, and Advice requests, within strict deadlines.

Working in The Customer Service Team, your role will be to assess / triage health and safety risk, contact businesses and customers, to ensure cases are resolved in line with expectations and service levels.

You will be responsible for processing your assigned work, and making an assessment on information received about the matters. You will work collaboratively with internal and external customers to obtain accurate and relevant information. You will ensure that responses are professional, accurate and timely, and work is recorded accurately on systems., You will work with the Customer Service Team who handle technical aspects of Concerns and Advice requests received in HSE, your role will be to:

• Make decisions on whether the matter falls within HSE s enforcement remit.

• Risk assess matters within HSE enforcement to establish which cases require following up and whether this can be handled administratively by The Customer Service Team or needs referring to HSE Inspectors;

• Clearly set out, explain and justify your decisions.

• Effectively engage and communicate with internal and external customers to achieve efficient, effective and proportionate resolutions;

• Contribute effectively to the successful delivery of our team and organisational objectives;

• Provide Technical Support for other Operational front-line work including Advice requests;

• Work with others in The Customer Service Team to create a culture of collaborative working and continuous improvement;

• Keep accurate records, and update HSE s case management systems., We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions

• Delivering at Pace

• Managing a Quality Service

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

• Making Effective Decisions, You will also be asked to complete an anonymised Personal Statement, of no more than 750 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria listed within the person specification. You will also be asked to provide a 250 word statement towards the behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’.

Application Guidance

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a personal statement https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Sift Information

The sift is due to take place the week commencing 24th February 2025. You will be assessed against your personal statement and lead behaviour.

In the event of a high number of applications at sift we will assess you on the Personal Statement only.

Interview Information

The interviews are due to be held during the week commencing 10th March 2025. You will be assessed on the behaviours listed within the job advert along with strengths.

Interviews will be in person at our HSE head office in Redgrave Court, Bootle.

AI Tools & Platforms

During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CVs and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage, It is the candidate s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.

If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.

Any move to HSE 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 here

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;

Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action

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).

We are looking for motivated and talented individuals with the commitment to learn about new areas of work and responsibility, and to build on their skills and knowledge in workplace (health and safety management) as well as experience of working in a customer focused environment.

Essential Skills and Criteria;

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey information in a clear and concise way.

• Proficient IT skills to allow for accurate and timely recording of information.

• Ability to log and record information appropriately in the correct systems.

• Excellent organisational and time management skills.

• Analytical skills to digest and interprets information from a range of sources.

• Experience of working in a front-line delivery role.

• Ability to use your own initiative, intuition, and communication skills.

• Ability to seek out new and improved ways of working, make suggestions to colleagues and managers and always strive to deliver to high standards.

To be considered for the post:

You should have a NEBOSH Certificate (National Examination Board Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health) or be willing to obtain this qualification within a reasonable length of time which we consider to be within the first 12 months of service.

The NEBOSH course is run through Civil Service Learning as an intensive two-week course, further appropriate study time will be allowed during work hours.

Failure to achieve the NEBOSH qualification within the required timescale and with a maximum two attempts, will mean your contract is terminated.

You will be currently required to attend HSE Bootle office a minimum of 2 days per week, during training more office attendance will be needed, as per HSE s Hybrid Working Policy.

Alongside your salary of £30,167, Health and Safety Executive contributes £8,739 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

We invest in our people with;

• Competitive rates of pay

• Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97%, far more than in the private sector.

• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career

• Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture

• 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave

• Parental leave benefits

• As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.

• Name : Paula Kelly

• Email : Paula.kelly@hse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk, If you believe that Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition have not been met, you can raise a complaint by emailing: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk or by writing to HSE at the following address: HR Resourcing Team, 2.3 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact Civil Service commissioners: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecodecomplaints