Guidance

Defence Business Services Candidate Pack

Updated 7 September 2023

1. Information for Candidates

1.1 Welcome to Defence Business Services:

We provide a wide range of services to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) which include large scale finance, procurement and HR operations alongside several specialist functions including the MOD’s Medal Office and the Ilford Park Care Home for Polish War Veterans.

What we do is incredibly important. All of the services we deliver enable the other parts of MOD to focus on meeting their core objective of keeping the UK, our Armed Forces, security services, and our citizens, safe and secure.

Our purpose remains focused on delivering fundamental services to enable the wider MOD to address the biggest challenges facing the UK’s Defence and Security. We are a market-leader in our field undertaking substantial numbers of HR, payroll, financial and procurement transactions each year.

We are experts in service delivery and large-scale administration, so our work has real value, and we are all extremely dedicated in delivering it.

We recognise that having a rich diversity of people helps us to improve and innovate and ultimately, deliver the best possible services for clients and customers. We are immensely proud of our inclusive culture based on fairness for everyone in our workforce. We want all our people to thrive, succeed and achieve their full potential.

I hope your application to join us is successful.

Good luck.

DBS Chief Executive

February 2023

We are immensely proud of our inclusive culture based on fairness for everyone in our workforce. We want all our people to thrive, succeed and achieve their full potential

1.2 We are Defence Business Services

We are one of the largest shared services providers in Europe delivering corporate HR, payroll, Armed Forces pensions and compensation, finance, and information services for the Ministry of Defence.

We are a key organisation within the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence which is responsible for the provision of high quality, professional corporate services.

DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aim of maintaining the UK’s defence and security.

Since we were formed in 2011, our talented colleagues have built an enviable reputation for delivering large scale services on time, on budget, and to the satisfaction of our customers. We bring people together from a wide range of disciplines and use their knowledge and understanding of government to interpret and connect requirements to deliver optimal solutions.

We are working to support the wider MOD to meet their challenges and achieve their strategic objectives by being customer centric and continuously improving.

We have lots of variety across our operations and transformation projects with plenty of opportunities and challenges for people to explore and work within.

1.3 What we deliver

This is an exciting time to be part of an organisation delivering critical services to over 1 million military and civilian service users.

We have a challenge to drive the transformational change needed to support the UK’s ability to deliver critical national and international defence outputs.

We are looking to modernise and transform how our services are delivered through increased digitisation to help us continue providing our services quickly and efficiently in the way our customers wish to receive them.

1.4 What our people say

We recognise our colleagues have different experiences and work to their best in different ways. We empower and encourage all of our people to be innovative and work flexibly, finding the best way to deliver for our customers.

Here’s what some of our people say about us:

Stuart, Financial Services Team:

Working at DBS is interesting. Being involved and working with Defence and the Armed Forces is fascinating and I have met several people who have done some incredible things. The flexible working hours and the hybrid way we can work is a great bonus, especially for anyone with obligations outside of work, such as child-care

Kathryn, Shared Services Team:

No day is the same working for DBS. It is an exciting environment to work in with a breadth of service strands and customers to support. I’ve had numerous learning and development opportunities whilst working here - all of which have helped me work to the best of my ability and improved my skills

Chris, Programme Delivery Team:

I enjoy the variety of work in my role. DBS provides a wide range of services to the MOD and I get exposure to many of them. I have learnt many things about how Defence is organised, from the scale of paying all MOD staff, to producing service medals, to delivering care services - there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t learnt something new

Chloe, Corporate Services:

I recently joined as a communications officer and I’m delighted to be part of such a friendly and supportive team. They’ve guided me through appropriate training, inductions and involved me in some exciting projects early on to build my confidence. In my short time at DBS I feel fully supported, well informed and there’s always someone nearby willing to help with my questions

1.5 Strength through diversity

Everyone in our workforce is unique, brings their own individual perspectives, and are valued for being themselves and what they bring to the organisation.

As an organisation, we want to attract, develop, nurture, and retain colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. To gain the benefits from our diversity we must embed an inclusive culture where everyone feels safe and comfortable challenging ways of thinking and voicing their own views and ideas.

Our purpose is to create a flexible, inclusive, and continuously learning organisation, so we have the right skills, in the right place, at the right time to meet our business and customer’s needs.

DBS is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity within our workforce. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments, reinforced by our values, are embedded in our day to day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to become an inclusive employer of choice and we will continue to:

• Increase the representation of the currently under-represented groups to make DBS more diverse

• Build an inclusive environment, where everyone feels a sense of belonging where they can be themselves, feel supported, empowered, respected and fairly treated at all times

• Be an inclusive employer that does not tolerate discrimination

Our HR policies are fully inclusive for all staff regardless of age, working-pattern, disability or any other protective characteristic.

1.6 How we work

Smarter Working:

We are introducing smarter ways of working throughout DBS.

We provide hybrid working for particular roles where staff are provided with a laptop to be able to work in our offices, remotely or from home.

We are working hard to improve our access to, and use of, digital technology, empowering our people to work from any location in the UK and use the facilities we have available to their maximum effect.

Collaborative Spaces:

Within DBS we are modernising our offices to enable enhanced collaboration.

Our new workplace will provide spaces to help us:

• Connect – meet with colleagues and teams through technology

• Collaborate – work and exchange ideas with colleagues

• Create – innovate and introduce new ideas to the organisation

• Concentrate – to be able to reflect, focus and undertake work

Working Patterns

We offer a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for Civil Service civilian employees.

We fully understand that enabling our employees to have a good work-life balance has benefits in terms of attracting and retaining high calibre staff.

Examples of our working patterns available are:

• Full-time

• Part-time

• Job share

• Term-time

• Flexible working hours

1.7 Our staff benefits

Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance

We offer 25 days annual leave, rising over five years to 30 days for new entrants to the Civil Service. This is calculated pro-rata for part time staff. This is in addition to the UK’s public holidays each year.

Pension

The Civil Service Pension is one of the best workplace pensions schemes in the UK public sector and full of financial benefits, providing you with financial security and options when you retire. Joining the Civil Service you will have access to the Alpha pension scheme with has generous employer contributions and some of the lowest members contributions in the public sector. For more information you can visit: Civil Service Pensions

Reward and Recognition

When employees perform to a high standard through the delivery of their objectives and by demonstrating excellent behaviours, it is important that their contribution is recognised. We have two primary methods of rewarding high performance:

• In-Year Performance Awards providing financial rewards

• A Thank You Scheme issuing gift vouchers

We also hold internal annual people awards and encourage our staff to praise and recognise their colleagues as part of everyday working.

MOD Discounts

As an MOD employee you have access to discount schemes such as the MOD Discount Card and the Blue Light Card.

Defence Discount Service

Welcome to Blue Light Card

1.8 Your Learning and Development

From access to world class providers through Civil Service Learning, to professional development opportunities, mentoring and apprenticeships, we can provide the means to support and develop your skills and capability giving you an effective means of developing your career, boosting your confidence and empowering you.

Learning using the 70:20:10 model:

We advocate the learning where 70% is done on the job, 20% with co-workers and 10% through formal learning.

This ensures colleagues can access learning in a format that suits them, taking into account different learning styles and needs.

You will regularly meet with your line manager to discuss how we can support your professional learning and development needs.

Access a wide range of e-learning:

This is supported through access to a variety of different platforms with thousands of different courses available.

This provides a flexible approach to learning in everything from personal effectiveness to digital and specialist skills.

Apprenticeships:

There are 30+ different apprenticeship standards available for all colleagues to enroll on that range from Level two (GCSE equivalent) to Level seven (Masters equivalent). Delivery is predominantly online, making them accessible regardless of working location.

These aren’t just for school leavers - in DBS we have apprentices of all ages and grades.

These programmes provide an opportunity to combine workplace learning with attaining a formal qualification that supports personal and professional development.

The DBS Mentoring Scheme:

We provide our colleagues with the opportunity to match themselves with an experienced DBS colleague to support their development.

Access to Profession Frameworks:

Career frameworks provide a breakdown of the skills and knowledge expected for different roles within DBS (and wider Civil Service). They provide associated learning and provide tools that support career planning and development.

Dedicated Development Time:

We provide each employee with five days for their learning and development each year.

DBS employees are also allowed up to six days special leave with pay each year for volunteering to build up relevant skills and gain experience that can be applied in the workplace.

We fully support reservists and provide them with 15 days special leave with pay for their training.

1.9 Starting your DBS journey - Our recruitment process

Our recruitment process will vary according to individual circumstances and the level of vetting required for any particular post. They will all follow the same basic process shown below:

Key considerations

Application

Familiarise yourself with the Civil Service Success Profiles to ensure your answers are in line with the expectations of the framework.

Contact the Recruitment Team detailed in the job advert to ask any specific questions about the role you are applying for.

Interview

If you can’t make the proposed interview slot(s), enquire promptly with the contact point to see if there are any alternative dates and times available.

Onboarding

DBS conducts all recruitment administration and onboarding. The quicker you fill out any required forms, the less delays are likely to occur. Unless otherwise stated, all new starters will undergo: security clearance or developed vetting, employment history, fraud and medical checks. (Timescales for completion of security clearances can be between 30 to 60 days).

Flexi-Time

Our flexi-time scheme enables certain hours, worked over standard normal contracted hours, to be claimed back as time in lieu upon line manager approval. This includes travelling to sites other than your permanent place of work.

Smarter & Flexible Working

Flexible hybrid working can be explored at your manager’s discretion and tailored to your work life balance. Monitors, desks, keyboards and other related equipment can be ordered for home working where necessary.

Continuing Professional Development

We provide lots of opportunity for people to learn and develop within DBS enabling you to develop your skills and enhance your career.

1.10 Thank you for your interest

We hope this information has encouraged you to submit an application for a role within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at Defence Business Services (DBS). Specific contact details can be found on all of our individual adverts on Civil Service Jobs.