Welcome to the
Office of the
Public Guardian
Contents Page
Contents Page ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Welcome to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) ................................................................................................................. 3
About OPG ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
OPG Locations ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8
What’s it like to work for OPG? ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Career progression potential at OPG ........................................................................................................................................ 10
How to complete your Application Form .................................................................................................................................. 111
Benefits of working for the OPG .............................................................................................................................................. 133
Our Recruitment Process .......................................................................................................................................................... 15
FAQs ......................................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.6
Diversity & Inclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Welcome to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
At OPG our purpose is to protect adults at risk and support them to make
their own decisions - you can come into the office every day knowing
you’re making a positive difference to people’s lives.
We work hard to make OPG a brilliant place to work, putting our values
at the heart of everything we do. We’re passionate about inclusion and
creating a sense of belonging for all our people. With a wide range of
staff networks, there’s rarely a week that passes without an opportunity
to celebrate and embrace our successes and our diversity. We also
place a value on learning, training and flexible working.
The following pages of this pack will tell you more about OPG and the
nature of the role you’re applying for.
If you believe you have the experience and qualities we’re seeking, we look forward to hearing from you.
Amy Holmes
Public Guardian
About OPG
Role and Responsibilities
OPG is responsible for
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an
Registering lasting and enduring powers of attorney
executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).
(LPAs and EPAs) so that people can choose who
they want to make certain decisions on their behalf,
Our Chief Executive, Amy Holmes, is responsible to
if they lose capacity to make those decisions for
the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for
themselves.
Justice for the effective operation of the agency.
Maintaining the public register of attorneys and
OPG supports the Public Guardian in carrying out
deputies appointed by the Court of Protection.
the legal functions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The Act protects people in England and Wales who
Supervising deputies appointed by the Court of
do not have the mental capacity to make certain
Protection, making sure they carry out their
decisions for themselves in relation to their health
responsibilities in the best interests of their clients
and welfare or property and financial affairs. OPG
and in line with the requirements of the Mental
has a role in supporting and providing safeguarding
Capacity Act, and carrying out investigations and
to the adults at risk who we come into contact with.
taking action where there are concerns about an
attorney or deputy.
OPG Values
PURPOSE
HUMANITY
Justice matters. We are proud
We treat others as we would
to make a difference for the
like to be treated. We value
public we serve.
everyone, supporting and
encouraging them to be the
OPENNESS
best they can be.
We innovate, share, and learn.
TOGETHER
We are courageous and
curious, relentlessly pursuing
We listen, collaborate and
ideas to improve the services
contribute, acting together for
we deliver.
our common purpose.
People Promise
OPG is already a great place to work. By 2025 we want to be an even better place to work, for everyone. The People Promise is about building on
our culture and these values to support you to be your best self at work.
It’s there to support us all to do our jobs, with the right actions and tools informed by evidence to create a positive environment for us all. There are
many actions that need to be delivered centrally at OPG, but there are lots of things we can all do to get involved.
The People Promise is grouped into five key themes:
•
Great Leaders at all levels
We have great leaders and communicators providing excellent leadership and management. Our
leaders reflect the society we serve and are inclusive leaders. They lead through and live by our
values and are confident coaching, engaging and inspiring others.
• Belonging
This means we belong in a workplace where we all feel connected, to each other and our
purpose. How we interact, build trust and support each other to be our best selves at work brings
our values to life.
Our actions within the belonging theme of our People Strategy align with MoJ’s commitment
to make real, long-term systemic change to build and sustain a diverse workforce at all levels and
improve the experience of our staff through the belonging approach.
• Fit for the future
Through our People Strategy and our annual people plans we will also ensure OPG can thrive in the future, attracting the best people with
the right skills and potential to grow with us and stay with us on our OPG journey.
• Feeling Good
We know what improves our own wellbeing and resilience and that of our teams. We are supported and we support each other to be well and
thrive through our ‘how are you?’ culture.
• Developing ourselves
We know that development is achieved through many routes. We have person-centred development so that we deliver the best services, fulfil
our individual potential and achieve our career goals.
OPG Locations
Victoria Square House, Birmingham, B2 4AJ
Located on Victoria square, the nearest train stations are Birmingham New Street, Moor Street and Snow
Hill, all a short walk away. There are also trams which stop just outside the building.
There is no onsite car parking available.
Embankment House, Waterside Business Park, Electric Avenue,
Nottingham, NG80 1EH
The nearest train station is Nottingham and you can get to Embankment House by catching the Navy 49
or 48 buses from next to the station, Monday to Friday, every 15 minutes (journey time of approximately
8 minutes).
Limited onsite car parking is available on a rota basis along with a bike storage facility.
What’s it like to work for OPG?
“I’ve been able to enrol in so many great
“OPG is a fantastically supportive and friendly
development programmes including REACH; a
place to work. The values of purpose,
6-month development programme for staff with
humanity, openness and together are evident
a disability and the Catapult scheme which is
throughout the workplace - both in how OPG
part of MoJ’s social mobility development
operates, and how staff behave and work
programme. I have learnt so much from all my
together."
mentors."
Sarah Buttery
Georgina Allsop
When I joined OPG my daughter was 5 years old
“Our people make OPG tick. I love how the
and my husband worked in London all week.
organisation is so diverse and embraces and
OPG’s flex policy was really helpful for me to
celebrates its diversity. One of the things that
achieve work-life balance.
makes me proud is seeing and supporting the
development of our great people."
Supriya Karmarkar
Hamza Raja
Career progression potential at OPG
Stephen talks about the opportunities he’s had to develop his career at OPG.
I joined OPG as an Administrative Assistant (Band E). I got on really well with my new colleagues but wanted to get
more experience and successfully applied to be an Executive Officer (Band D) line manager. My new role was
brilliant and I gained a lot of valuable experience very quickly.
I moved roles, into IT Support, getting new experiences, new skills and seeing new areas of the business. I loved
the job. I had a high-level of autonomy, and it was a problem-solving role which fitted me to the core.
I moved again, to the Continuous Improvement team. The problem-solving aspect appealed massively to me. It
was a fantastic role - really understanding how each part of the business worked and collaborated. Lots of training
was made available too and I took every opportunity. I honed my mentoring skills which also developed me. I
worked with the Investigations team who had a number of problems which provided opportunities to really improve
customer service.
I successfully applied for a Senior Investigators (Band C) position and was tasked with trialling a new way of managing cases
and training new Investigators. I really worked on my soft skills, which were my weakest - but this was a good opportunity to improve that.
The next opportunity was the role of Digital Service Manager (Band B) for our Supervision and Investigations Service. The role was about taking
responsibility for developing and delivering of our services in the digital space and again enabled me to develop more skills.
After two years, I was then successful at becoming the OPG Digital Service Owner (Grade 7), where I am now responsible for all of the OPG’s
digital services - an increasingly important part of our operation.
So there’s my career to date. I’m now in a place where I am thinking again about next steps, but I will follow my own advice and look for a role that
interests and challenges me.
this had - you show the assessors who will be marking the application
How to complete your
form, that you understand what is required and that you are capable of
doing it.
Application Form
By quoting examples of why and how you demonstrated the
knowledge and other qualities in the past you show that you have the
potential to apply them in a new role in the future. It is not sufficient
The job description for the role will provide detailed instructions
proof to say that you have had relevant experience; you must show
outlining what we are looking for in your application. Always make
evidence of making a success of that experience by describing how
sure to read this document carefully to familiarise yourself with
you acted in particular situations and what the effect of those actions
requirements.
was.
You may be asked to give specific examples of how you meet certain
essential criteria for the role, or how you have demonstrated certain
Some useful tips to help you write your
behaviours. Civil Service Behaviours are taken from the Success
Profile Framework. Please ensure you are familiar with the Behaviour
behaviour examples:
description at the relevant grade.
You need to give very specific examples to support your claims (see
STAR technique below).
It is not enough to state you possess a certain behaviour, for example
Providing evidence of your skills & knowledge:
communicating effectively; you need to explain why you think you
have the right level and to tell us
Assessors will be looking for statements that are short and to the
how you have used it.
point. Part of the skill which is required for completing the form is to
express yourself clearly in as few words as possible while covering all
The statements are your
necessary points.
opportunity to let us know what
you have done and how you have
When completing the form you will need to provide examples of a
done it, try to think about the ‘I’
particular situation or situations from the past where you displayed all
rather than the ‘we’.
or most of the activities/skills making up that required behaviour. By
describing what you did, how you did it, why you did it and the effect
Use concise text - business style
rather than essay style, using grammatically correct English.
You may wish to draft your statements offline; and perhaps ask
someone else to read them, to give their opinion of the structure and
flow of the statements, before submitting online.
Evidence can be drawn from your experience in your current or
previous work situation but can also be taken from your school or
college work, your home responsibilities, or your leisure activities or
voluntary work.
When providing your evidence, you might want to present it using the
STAR technique to describe:
• The Situation or Task you were involved in
• What Actions you took in dealing with the situation - what
exactly did you do and when (hint: avoid using the word ‘we’)
• What the Results were and how well you met your aims
Benefits of working for the OPG
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously,
Pension
and want to enable you to build a successful career with the OPG,
Ministry of Justice and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.
employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the
challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and
A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as
development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As an
soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to
OPG employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits
the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of
your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you
are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.
Visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk for more details.
We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave
policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put
in place for those who need
them, and diversity talent
programmes to help
everyone irrespective
of background, to
achieve their
potential.
Flexible arrangements to enhance
Flexible benefits
OPG is committed to staff development and
‘work/life balance’
•
offers an extensive range of training and
Reward & Recognition scheme.
•
development opportunities:
Standard 37 hour working week.
• Salary Sacrifice arrangements for childcare
• Weekday working only
vouchers.
• 2-year Apprenticeships (1 day study per week on
(no mandatory weekend shifts).
• Travel permits, bicycles and voluntary benefits
full salary) leading to industry-recognised
• Flexible working arrangements
such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range
qualifications.
(reduced hours and/or days) available.
of goods and services.
• 50 paid Learning Hours per year.
• Flexi time - flexible start and finish times subject • Cycle to Work Scheme: hire a bike and safety
• Mentoring.
to business needs.
equipment, tax-free, if you use it to get to and
• Secondments.
• Twilight shift - 6 hours per evening, starting at
from work.
• Extensive support networks (e.g. Diversity &
4:00 pm (only available on roles advertised as
• Salary advance for annual travelcards.
Inclusion Forum, Gender Equality Forum, Spirit
Twilight hours).
• Free flu jab and annual sight tests.
(LGBTQ+) network, PROUD Black and Minority
• OPG encourages smarter and remote
• Free access to an Employee Assistance
Ethnic network, Project Race, Mental Health
(including home) working for some roles.
Programme which provides legal advice,
Allies, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisors,
• Generous paid paternity, adoption, maternity and
counselling, mediation services.
Faith Forum, Christian network, Dharmic Faiths
sickness leave.
network, Muslim network, Carers Network,
• Up to 5 days paid Special Leave per year for
Disability network, Wellbeing Champions.
voluntary service.
• Job-share scheme.
• Career Break or Sabbatical leave of up to 5 years.
• Onsite kitchen facilities.
• Bike storage facilities.
• 6 month probation period for all new entrants.
Our Recruitment Process
We recruit using the Civil Service Success Profile Framework,
Behaviours - the actions and activities that we do which result in
and throughout the recruitment process we may assess you
effective performance in a job, these are very similar to the old style
against your experience, abilities, technical knowledge, strengths
competencies. These can be assessed at sift and interview.
and behaviours.
Experience - the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject
Please read the job description carefully for information on the
gained through involvement in or exposure to it.
specific Success Profile we will be using for each role.
Ability - the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard.
Success Profiles
Strengths - the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.
These can only be assessed at interview.
The Success Profile Framework was introduced to attract and retain
people of talent and experience from a range of sectors and all walks
of life, in line with the commitment in the Civil Service Workforce Plan.
Technical - the demonstration of
The five elements of Success Profiles will assess candidates using a
specific professional skills,
variety of selection methods which could include the applications form,
knowledge or qualifications.
CV’s personal statement, situational judgment tests and interview.
(*Commonwealth citizens not yet in the UK,
FAQs
Can I claim back any expenses who have no right of abode in the UK and
incurred during the recruitment
who do not have leave to enter the UK are
process?
ineligible to apply.)
Is this role suitable for part-time No. Unfortunately we will not be able to
For further information on whether you are
working?
reimburse you, except in exceptional
eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.
Some roles may be suitable for part-time or
circumstances and only when agreed in
flexible working arrangements (including job advance.
share partnerships). If you wish to discuss
Is security clearance required?
your needs in more detail please get in
Yes. If successful you must hold, or be
touch with the named point of contact in this What nationality do I need to
willing to obtain, security clearance to DBS
pack.
hold in order to apply?
(standard) level. More information about the
To be eligible for employment to this role
vetting process can be found here.
Will the role involve travel?
you must be a national from the following
countries:
Travel to other OPG sites may be required.
•
What reasonable adjustments
The United Kingdom
• The Republic of Ireland
can be made if I have a
Where will the role be based?
• The Commonwealth*
disability?
• A European Economic Area (EEA) Member State
Please check the details of the job
• Switzerland
We are committed to making reasonable
description. A particular role may need to be • Turkey
adjustments in order to support disabled job
based in either our Birmingham or
applicants and ensure that you are not
Nottingham office. If a role is advertised
Certain family members of EEA, Switzerland disadvantaged in the recruitment and
nationally, you will be based in your nearest and Turkish nationals are also eligible to
assessment process.
MOJ Hub or Justice Collaboration Centre.
apply regardless of their nationality.
Do you take part in the
What do I do if I want to make a
Disability Confident Scheme?
complaint?
What should I do if I think that I
Yes. OPG is an accredited Disability
The law requires that selection for
have a conflict of interest?
Confident Leader. This means that disabled
appointment to the Civil Service is on merit
applicants who meet the minimum selection on the basis of fair and open competition as Candidates must note the requirement to
criteria in the job specification are
outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s
declare any interests that might cause
guaranteed an interview. Selection will be on Recruitment Principles.
questions to be raised about their approach
merit. If you wish to participate in the
to the business of the Department.
If you feel your application has not been treated in
Disability Confident Scheme, you should
accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and
If you believe that you may have a conflict of
complete the relevant section of the online
you wish to make a complaint, you should contact
interest please contact
application. It is not necessary to state the
OPGWorkforceResourcing-
OPGWorkforceResourcing-
nature of your disability.
RecruitmentCampaigns@justice.gov.uk
RecruitmentCampaigns@justice.gov.uk
in the first instance.
before submitting your application.
If you are not satisfied with the response
you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to understanding, respecting Our passion for diversity and equality means
The Civil Service is committed
and representing as broad a range of views and creating a work environment for all employees
to becoming the most inclusive backgrounds as we have in UK society. We
that is welcoming, respectful, engaging, and
know that diverse perspectives and experiences enriched with opportunities for personal and
employer in the UK.
are critical to an effective, modern Civil Service. professional development.
Our vision is to ensure the Civil Service
represents modern Britain and is a truly
What’s next?
inclusive employer - an example to other
employers. We will create an organisation
You’ve taken the first step and looked through
where diversity is not only respected and valued this job pack to understand the skills and
- but celebrated.
experience needed to perform this role. Now
join us in achieving our ambitions and let us
What’s in it for me?
help you achieve yours. Read more.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone
who chooses to work for us - regardless of
background.
If you’re interested in becoming a world class
leader, developing your career with us - starting
with this interesting and challenging role - or
doing things differently and inspiring colleagues,
then the Civil Service is the place for you.
We encourage candidates to thoroughly review the Job Description which explains the role and requirements before submitting an application.
To contact Shared Services Recruitment Team please email
MoJ-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk.
Should you have any queries regarding the job role please email
OPGWorkforceResourcing-RecruitmentCampaigns@justice.gov.uk
.
19