Length of employment:
Job Summary:
Are you an experienced careers advisor looking to make a difference and help shape a military child's future by providing quality, impartial, professional career guidance in a unique Defence organisation? If so, this maybe the role for you?
Defence Children Services (DCS) are looking for a Careers Advisor who will be based at Trenchard Lines in Upavon, Wiltshire. We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, motivated, inspirational Careers Advisor to help our students achieve or exceed their full potential, to enable them to better understand themselves, to know what opportunities and career pathways are available to them, so that they can make clear plans for what they will move onto when they leave a DCS school. This is an exciting role and involves supporting students at our DCS schools located around the world. The post offers hybrid working from the DCS Headquarters in Upavon and continuous professional development opportunities.
As the Careers Advisor you will make a huge difference to Service children, their families and Defence by being responsible for the provision of independent careers guidance sessions and on-going development of a careers programme to support students to make informed, realistic and adaptable career decisions. The Careers Advisor role sits within the Training, Assessment and Careers Team that is based at Upavon and have forward deployed trainers and assessors in the Headquarters for Rest of World and Cyprus. The team are led by the SEO Training, Assessment and Careers. The team provide careers advice, training and accredited opportunities for staff in all parts of the DCS organisation, and children and young people in all DCS schools.
Defence Children Services (DCS) is a Defence delivery organisation, subordinated under Army Regional Command. HQ DCS is UK based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon and has forward deployed staff all over the world. DCS is responsible for the education and care of children of accompanied Service and Defence entitled personnel in MOD schools and settings; provides advice and guidance in respect of education for service families in the United Kingdom and the wider world.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week with 3 days in-office requirement at Upavon, Wiltshire as per the Civil Service requirement of 60% office attendance.
Previous unsuccessful applicants need not apply.
Job Description:
The post holder's key responsibilities and main duties of the Careers Advisor are:
* The delivery of personal 1:1 independent careers guidance sessions to support students to make informed, realistic and adaptable career decisions, in line with Careers Statutory guidance.
* Generate and maintain electronic records of 1:1 independent careers guidance sessions including agreed actions and appropriate action plans.
* Supporting schools with the development of a progressive career's programme from Reception through to Y13 and supports schools' monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the effectiveness of the career programme in achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks and the Quality in Careers Standard.
* Promoting the embedding of an online careers' platform across the two Cyprus secondary schools, St John's School and King Richard's School.
* Establishing and maintaining links with external agencies and partner organisations for the benefit of students and the enhancement of the careers programme.
* Involve parents and carers, where relevant, in the career guidance programme and support provided to their child and attend parents' evenings as required.
* Raising awareness of careers education within DCS to promote its importance of being embedded in the development of the education strategy.
* Use expert knowledge of careers information and labour market information and intelligence to support pupils to identify, access, interpret and utilise valid and current information that is relevant to them, including the appropriate use of information technology, e.g. social media and web-based information sources.
* Acting as a subject matter expert (SME) for post-16 education and training queries received from schools, settings, virtual school and internal DCS teams - Educational Advisory Team and Overseas Educational Supportability Team.
* Prioritise 1:1 interventions for vulnerable students under direction of school leaders and refer to specialist services if required to support specific needs of pupils.
* To liaise and negotiate with other organisations with, and on behalf of, young people.
* To attend careers training opportunities and networking events with other careers practitioners to develop CPD.
* To ensure school safeguarding processes are followed.
The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.
Other benefits for Army civil servants include:
* 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service
* A pension contribution of 28.97% based on the listed salary.
* Personal and professional development of skills
* Alternative working patterns for many roles
* Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
* Enhanced parental and adoption leave
* 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
* Learning and Development
* On-site gym
We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.
Defence Children Services follows the Civil Service requirement of 60% in office attendance. This equates to 3 days in-office at Upavon or 2 days in office at Upavon with a third day at your nearest local MOD base/office that is convenient to the post-holder's location. The in-office days can be discussed with the team leader to ensure operational alignment and team effectiveness
A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD 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/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey - We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Essential
* Experience of delivering impartial careers guidance in a school, college or adult education setting in either 1:1 and group sessions.
* Experience of working using a person-centred approach.
* Experience of working with people with special educational needs and disabilities.
* Experience of applying effective analytical skills and using problem-solving skills to foresee obstacles and make strategic decisions.
* Detailed knowledge of Gatsby Benchmarks.
* Detailed knowledge of Third Sector opportunities, current labour market, current offering from universities and colleges, in addition to training providers.
* Detailed knowledge of careers options: Education, Employment, Volunteering and Training.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Skilled in collaboration and relationship building with both internal and external stakeholders to produce positive outcomes.
* Skilled in working independently, managing 1:1 caseload to ensure efficient and effective response to enquiries.
Desirable
* Understand the demography and the context of Service children and their families.
Qualifications
* A Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development, registered with Careers Development Institute is desirable but not essential. The opportunity to complete this qualification will be given to the successful applicant.
Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience. Please use the CV section to include any relevant evidence to meet the essential and/or desirable criteria.
At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and the following:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing A Quality Service
At interview, you will be assessed against the following:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
Details on the interview will be shared with applicants who are successfully drawn through to interview. Interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams.
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. #J-18808-Ljbffr