Civil Service Behaviours



Blue_Monday said:
Haha not at all, at HEO grade now and have no intention of moving any higher, however I know a fair few people who have got promotions that can barely do the current job they were in.
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Yeah.

I work in a fairly specialist area and you need to go through the graduate scheme in order to get to. There’s a few people who can’t really hack the technical work, so look to move into management as soon as possible after passing the exams.

Then when a management job comes up on promotion they have an immediate advantage as they already have management experience. All because of a stupid fallacy that says your manager should be of a higher grade.

I’ve had a few managers now who openly admit they couldn’t do the job that I do, which I find utterly f***ing baffling and frustrating. Ill be talking about my work in regular catch ups and it’s like talking to a brick wall!
 
Cappuccino Kid said:
Yeah.

I work in a fairly specialist area and you need to go through the graduate scheme in order to get to. There’s a few people who can’t really hack the technical work, so look to move into management as soon as possible after passing the exams.

Then when a management job comes up on promotion they have an immediate advantage as they already have management experience. All because of a stupid fallacy that says your manager should be of a higher grade.

I’ve had a few managers now who openly admit they couldn’t do the job that I do, which I find utterly f***ing baffling and frustrating. Ill be talking about my work in regular catch ups and it’s like talking to a brick wall!
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Tsp or fast stream?
 
houst69 said:
Does anybody know their stuff on Civil Service Behaviours? A PM would be useful, after some advice
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The civil service behaviours are on google and it gives examples for every competency at every grade. They’ll use that to Mark you


Also have a look into the star technique Situation Task Action Result and base your answers on that.

you can also use your answers that you used in the application form.
Good luck.
 
I worked as a casual AA at the Longbenton site in the mid 90s. It was like a holiday camp. The manager got paid to read the paper all day. There was even a bar there where everyone got half cut in at dinner time.
 
FishburnMackem said:
Ive recently done my interview for that. If I pass it then I'll be through to the final stage.

What's it like if you don't mind me asking?
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It was quite tough at times (particularly exams) but it’s a very well supported course and as long as people put the work in they tend to be okay.

It’s changed a bit since I did it. Was over 4 years to get to G7, but now it’s less than 3. There might also might be less scrutiny with the exams. I did about ten overall where if you didn’t pass (you get two attempts), you were off the course. For the first half you would lose your job if you were an external (Actually saw someone lose their job in my intake) or go back to your old grade if an internal. Second half, a fail would see you re-grade to the top of the HO band. tbh I found the pressure of that situation a lot worse than the actual exams, which weren’t really that bad.

Otherwise, the trainees usually start by running small trader enquiries; then after a year or so stream into a more specialist area where they are expected to stay.

Its probably a lot better now than when I did it ten years ago tbh. What happened I think is the revenue went years and years without mass recruitment campaigns for inspectors. Then it got to a certain point where they realised a high proportion of the inspectors at G7 and above were getting close to retirement age so needed to do something about it. So there’s been quite a lot coming through each year since. Therefore the whole training infrastructure is a lot better, and also the whole office support system is a lot better because there’s a lot of people who have been in the trainee position relatively recently.

Good luck.
 
I went straight from school to ‘the Ministry’ at Longbenton at aged 15 in 1970.

I was in CPB before a posting to Overseas Group (Irish Republic) a year or so later.

‘Behaviours’ then were focused on getting pissed every Friday lunchtime at the Newton Park when they put a band on and pretending to ski down the long corridor back to A Block. All sorts of ridiculous hi jinx seemed possible.

Computerisation was decades away.
 
Cappuccino Kid said:
It was quite tough at times (particularly exams) but it’s a very well supported course and as long as people put the work in they tend to be okay.

It’s changed a bit since I did it. Was over 4 years to get to G7, but now it’s less than 3. There might also might be less scrutiny with the exams. I did about ten overall where if you didn’t pass (you get two attempts), you were off the course. For the first half you would lose your job if you were an external (Actually saw someone lose their job in my intake) or go back to your old grade if an internal. Second half, a fail would see you re-grade to the top of the HO band. tbh I found the pressure of that situation a lot worse than the actual exams, which weren’t really that bad.

Otherwise, the trainees usually start by running small trader enquiries; then after a year or so stream into a more specialist area where they are expected to stay.

Its probably a lot better now than when I did it ten years ago tbh. What happened I think is the revenue went years and years without mass recruitment campaigns for inspectors. Then it got to a certain point where they realised a high proportion of the inspectors at G7 and above were getting close to retirement age so needed to do something about it. So there’s been quite a lot coming through each year since. Therefore the whole training infrastructure is a lot better, and also the whole office support system is a lot better because there’s a lot of people who have been in the trainee position relatively recently.

Good luck.
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Brilliant mate really appreciate the advice.
 
houst69 said:
Does anybody know their stuff on Civil Service Behaviours? A PM would be useful, after some advice
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We used to gan mental at Christmas in the Sirroco and Oasis. Child Benefit Centre, Durham House early 80's :lol: :lol:
heroesof73 said:
Make sure You use Your annual sick leave allowance
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and your flexi
Went back to DWP Longbenton as a contractor in 2018. Awful place to work now. 4 people turned up for the Christmas party and 3 of those were contractors. Devoid of any of the friendships and camaraderie of the 80's, 90's. I was quite sad. They still hate contractors though - especially ex civil servants. I lasted 9 months before being dumped with no notice.
Blue_Monday said:
People do relaise flexi leave has to be earned ? You can't just piss off on a Friday at 12 if you haven't worked the extra hours over the week.
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Stayed at your desk after 4pm
 
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Royston Vasey said:
We used to gan mental at Christmas in the Sirroco and Oasis. Child Benefit Centre, Durham House early 80's :lol: :lol:

and your flexi
Went back to DWP Longbenton as a contractor in 2018. Awful place to work now. 4 people turned up for the Christmas party and 3 of those were contractors. Devoid of any of the friendships and camaraderie of the 80's, 90's. I was quite sad. They still hate contractors though - especially ex civil servants. I lasted 9 months before being dumped with no notice.

Stayed at your desk after 4pm
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My first job leaving school was in the now demolished Block 8--RB Ledgers stuck it for 3 Years. Bunch of us started together and worked out the "sick Leave allowance" the first appraisals we had by who got a bollocking and who didnt:lol::lol:

Had a couple of spells back contracting delivering Training for Pensions service, CSA and JC+ which were very busy with changing roles and processes in early 2000s. Worked with a great bunch of folk based in Falkirk and Benton.
 
Royston Vasey said:
Stayed at your desk after 4pm
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All this extra Flexi leave for nothing is a myth. You do have to be productive and clear cases or take calls if you work extra hours. You can't just twiddle your thumbs. Productivity gets monitored it's not like the 80s when you were at Child Benefit.
 

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