Senior Civil Servant

First things first and in case you didn't know...

The Civil Service maintains political impartiality and operates independently of the government, although is funded by the government. The tasks undertaken by civil servants have a broad impact on various aspects of life in the UK, encompassing education, the environment, transport, and defence.

Civil Service officers are employed in government departments responsible for formulating policies and delivering services to the public. In Katy's role within Communications, a significant aspect involves elucidating the objectives and policies of the current government and working with different government departments and indeed their overseas counterparts to translate those (UK/EU/Global)objectives into government policy for review.

CHECK OUT KATY'S PODCAST

Key skills/talents

Excellent verbal communication skills - and to be confident speaking in public to groups
Excellent written communications skills
Excellent negotiation skills
Excellent problem-solving skills
Confidence
Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
Ability to multi-task and change tac almost immediately
To be thorough and pay attention to detail
The ability to work well with others and at all levels
The ability to use your initiative
Knowledge of media production and communication
To be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Qualifications required

To become a civil servant in the United Kingdom, the specific qualifications and requirements can vary depending on the role and the government department. Most civil service roles require a minimum level of education, typically a degree or equivalent. Some roles may require specific degrees or qualifications relevant to the job, so do your research when interested in a specific job type. However, here are some general guidelines:

Civil Service Fast Stream: The Civil Service Fast Stream is a graduate program that offers a route into various government departments. It is a competitive program and usually requires at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in any discipline. However, some Fast Stream schemes may have other more specific education and/or work experience requirements: https://www.faststream.gov.uk
Professional Qualifications: Some roles may require very specific professional qualifications, especially for positions in specialised fields such as law, finance, or IT.
Competency Framework: The civil service often uses a competency framework to assess candidates. This involves demonstrating key skills and behaviours relevant to the specific role. Familiarity with the Civil Service Competency Framework is often important: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework
Work Experience: Relevant work experience, internships, or volunteer work can strengthen your application. As discussed, some roles may require specific experience in a related field.
Security Clearance: Certain positions in the civil service may require security clearance, especially those dealing with sensitive information. Applicants need to be able to meet security clearance requirements, and indeed all necessary police and criminal record checks.

Application Process: The application process typically involves submitting a detailed application form, possibly undergoing online assessments, and participating in interviews. Familiarising yourself with the specific requirements and competencies for the role is crucial: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply

Rules and regs

All Civil Servants need to adhere to the Civil Service Code. As a civil servant, you are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. In this code:

‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
‘objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f254ded915d74e33f49d5/HSRs.pdf

The Code is managed/overseen by the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CodeGuideforDepartmentsApril2013.pdf

Perhaps an obvious thing to say, but to become a UK civil servant you will need to comply to its nationality rules: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Remuneration framework

SCS Pay band 1, which is Katy’s ‘Deputy Director’ role, is:: £73,000 to £117,800.

Deputy Directors manage a project, policy or professional group. They may deal with some difficult and novel issues within an established framework, and their judgments influence the direction of a significant policy or delivery area. Deputy Directors need to influence others; however, managing those relationships will be less demanding than for Directors or Director Generals because the issues may be less complex.

The level above Katy, which is ‘Director’, and SCS Pay band 2, is: £95,000 to £162,500.

Directors lead areas of significant delivery, policy or functional activity. They are generally accountable for several hundred employees in a range of technical, professional and administrative roles. Directors are likely to be the last word on important, though reasonably defined, matters or be a major player in decisions about big issues. Influencing stakeholders outside and inside the organisation is key to success in the job and is likely to extend across multiple policy areas and a variety of possibly conflicting interests.

The level above that, which are ‘Director Generals’ (and the people we tend to hear about/see on TV) are SCS Pay band 3, and: £125,000 to £208,100.

Director Generals are responsible for performance, results, use of resources and success or failure on matters of acute national importance. They transform the way we deliver and provide clear and effective leadership to what are often multi-location and multi-disciplinary teams. They must build excellent relationships with ministers, advisers and any stakeholders with influence over the successful delivery of the Government’s priorities. They will give final advice or take decisions in highly complicated, political, fast-moving and open-ended situations.

How to get started

The Civil Service Careers website gives you the lowdown on everything you will need to know regarding courses, apprenticeships and qualifications: www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk

As the website states, you do not necessarily require a degree (but it will help), and most degree subjects are accepted.

Public Administration is one course that gives a good introduction into the work of the civil service, and UCAS lists universities offering an MPA qualification in Public Administration here: https://www.ucas.com/explore/search/all?query=public%20administration

Although Katy did have a degree, it was not a degree that was of relevance to any job she has since undertaken for the Civil Service, and Katy has secured her Civil Service jobs based on excellent application and interview skills, combined with her previous corporate and charitable work experience. Once in the Civil Service, her learned experience and the relationships she has worked hard to establish have seen her move about and progress..

For information on Civil Service apprenticeships, click here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/apprenticeships

As mentioned previously, there is a Civil Service ‘Fast Stream’, which is aimed at recruiting and developing future leaders and managers: https://www.faststream.gov.uk/how-to-apply/index.html

This Civil Service ‘Job Match’ service is also a good starter for ten: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/career-matcher

Associations or official bodies to register with

The FDA is the trade union representing professionals and managers in public service https://www.fda.org.uk

The Public and Services Union is also worth investigating, depending on your role: https://www.pcs.org.uk

Job site links

To get detailed and up-to-date information on jobs, it's advisable to check the official government websites and/or directly contact the specific department you're interested in working in. The Civil Service website is a good starting point for exploring job opportunities and requirements: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi

To search for Communications roles, like Katy’s:, give this link a go: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi?SID=b3duZXJ0eXBlPWZhaXImb3duZXI9NTA3MDAwMCZwYWdlY2xhc3M9U2VhcmNoJnBhZ2VhY3Rpb249c2VhcmNoY29udGV4dCZjb250ZXh0aWQ9NjMzNDAzMDMmcmVxc2lnPTE3MDQzODk4NTEtZGE3ZTRlNmI4NjMyNmM1YmNmNWM1YmQxM2Q3OTIyMGRkZWZhZjUyNQ==

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service/about/recruitment

This link lets you browse roles and departments: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk

Progression pathway

As you gain experience, you may find opportunities to pursue positions in various departments, allowing you to transition horizontally as well as vertically, just like Katy has done. Katy has progressed organically and through hard work (and key relationship building). However she has also been very savvy in watching what is happening in what departments and coordinating her own strategic career moves accordingly. If you want to work for the Civil Service, a level of observation skill is recommended here… eyes open, ears to the ground… and then pure tenacity.

The Civil Service has a well-defined promotion pathway, especially for those on the Fast Stream program. As mentioned earlier, individuals on the Fast Stream can anticipate reaching senior levels within approximately 5 years.

And as we have already detailed in the remuneration sector, there is clear progression even within senior leadership roles (like Katy’s): https://careers.homeoffice.gov.uk/senior-leaders

Finally, and as Katy is about to embark on, there are lots of opportunities for secondments. This might mean within the CS/Government and across the various departments (even locations locally and abroad), or in Katy’s particular case, she is about to embark on an external secondment to a UK Banking Firm (that yes, you will know of). Katy proactively made/pitched her case for this 12-month secondment and has managed the process herself - which will be required of you - however, what an amazing opportunity this will be for her! She topline details how she went about this proposal in the chat, so have a listen, if you haven’t already.

Additional links/FYIs