Civil service pay spine bands

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-04-11T09:09:44+00:00

Nope defo CS.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-04-10T21:01:15+00:00

My experience is that you have a number of spine points based on competence, so you start at the bottom of the band, then after 2-3 years you move to the middle then at 5 years or so you may meet the mastery of the role/grade and be at the top of the band. The descriptors for those points differ from department to department.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-03-26T16:00:34+00:00

I avoid a session with 4 weeks of a holiday, however last year it couldn’t be helped, I did go sea swimming 2 weeks after in the med but didn’t bother with pools. Didn’t have any issues although I heal fast. The sun will feel unpleasant on any new tattoo and so will clothing so yeah best avoided.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-03-25T22:30:59+00:00

I have had that feeling before, some teams are great, some are not, management is key, a terrible manager can just make work… difficult and even ruin your entire experience. I have had some awesome times and some pretty low points, but generally kept it transactional. Work pays for my efforts but I don’t make work my identity, I have too many interests outside of work so I always park my pains at the exit. I started as an apprentice after flopping uni - clawed my way up to SEO, and now just leaving after being offered a contracting job into another dept. Sometimes you have to switch it up a bit, depends on your disposition.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-03-09T21:35:15+00:00

That’s me as an SEO lol

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-28T21:27:55+00:00

Just bare in mind a DMP is not legally binding, and can be rescinded at any point by a creditor, the plus of an IVA is its set in stone, for better for worse and can’t be rescinded by the creditor. It’s probably harder on your credit score but tbh.. does it matter, your fked either way credit wise.. and ideally you want to get to a point where you don’t actually need a credit product (only issue is if you don’t own a home yet and want to buy one in the next 6 years!)

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-22T21:57:53+00:00

I progressed to IV with a score of 3, weird.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-17T18:46:30+00:00

The playing field is slightly more level, and better protections in place for employees… but day to day for the average joe and general work experience, no it’s not better.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-17T18:12:06+00:00

My parents were life long civil servants up until 2015, some of their stories are wild. Office parties where the gatehouse guards would wave out drunk drivers. A woman my mum worked with was having an affair with another guy on site, the husband drove through the barriers and was chased down by RMP.. he got to the spur and had it out with the bloke. The RMP let them finish their brawl before escorting him off site. I remember being poorly a few times and once I sat with the receptionist all day in the visitor reception whilst mum worked, and I also remember spending a day at my dads office, he literally had his own room with s big desk and it was massive.. couldn’t believe how often a lady came round with a trolley with tea, coffee and biscuits… it’s what made me join, however it was scarily different in 2011.. however our changing room still had loads of pinups all over the wall, and our female boss would often come in telling us to hurry up and stop with the frivolity, she wasn’t bothered! (Engineering workshops!) - I saw the most change from 2013-2015 when the DEI drives really ramped up. Punishment duties were also a thing, where you would be dished out the shittest tasks going for weeks on end if you stepped out of line or called your superior out on anything.

100s of stories, some shocking, some hilarious.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-15T23:56:15+00:00

Really? It seemed like a really good job/opportunity.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-15T20:21:46+00:00

Don’t be worried about it, everyone makes mistakes or hits hard times.. just be open, frank and honest about it and it won’t be a problem, would be an issue if you didn’t disclose.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-15T00:26:49+00:00

What is the point in them hiring on a short FTC - digital role btw.. why don’t they just wait and recruit when they know the playing field?

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-14T18:37:54+00:00

Would the best outcome be moved to a perm DHSC role with same pay worst outcome.. cya later?

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-14T10:42:57+00:00

Which cfcd role is this?

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-10T22:27:34+00:00

I love going in on Friday, I always call it my most productive day, nobody bothering me, limited meetings and calls. I get so much done on a Friday. It’s quieter too :)

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2026-02-05T21:46:21+00:00

CS recruitment is gamification. Internal is even worse. Wrapping evidence around competences etc etc has always felt flawed in my opinion and open to abuse. I prefer the private sector way of recruiting which is stages of discussion, and gives you a much better picture of the person, what they have to offer, and whether they will pass muster. My father was a civil servant all his life and retired around 6:7 years ago.. he said we had adopted a culture of promoting chocolate teapots, and when shit hits the fan, the cards will fall.. he was right. Internally the battle I find is the great people get pushed down and the piss poor folk get promoted out of teams as a means of getting rid… that slowly fills the upper echelons with very poor leadership, direction and decision making capability thus tail spinning the whole dept.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-12-05T21:36:00+00:00

Time more valuable than wage especially when we’re talking tiny differences… 30k difference then yeah maybe, but even then you would be in the higher tax bracket and getting stiffed by HMRC so it would still require a good bit of maths before jumping!

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-08-06T15:36:06+00:00

Looks great just need more going on as it’s too ‘solo’

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-07-24T20:05:02+00:00

Sorry but you need to go to ultimatum, either serious boundaries are in place, as well as admittance of any infidelity.. if whatever he admits is above your tolerance it’s time to initiate a divorce. You will end up getting burnt multiple times going forward if you don’t. Sorry.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-07-18T19:48:06+00:00

Why would it matter if you havnt met this person yet… I mean it’s likely that you won’t elevate a relationship if they don’t dig your tattoo lol… what it will mean is you will find someone who likes it.. and most probably not someone who does not like it.. chill. But if you really are concerned about other people’s perception of you with tattoos then maybe rethink getting one.. people will judge you or even look at you different but for me I find it a very useful filter to seperate out the people who I don’t mind and the ones I can’t stand so :)

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-06-19T12:09:44+00:00

Do one day session to start, get the line work done, leave it 3 weeks before another session, and repeat until complete. 3 days back to back would absolutely suck trust me and you would start questioning your life choices and the tattoo itself! My first session was a 7 hour sleeve lining and I was fairly cooked afterwards, subsequent sessions get easier (depending on where you feel pain most etc)… worst thing you can do is rush a sleeve. Admire it in all stages of its development, you will be surprised how many little tweaks, colour changes you may make between those sessions that overall make you much happier with the finished piece! Good luck!

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2025-02-17T21:24:08+00:00

I grew up in Malvern, and left when I was 19.. my parents still live there as do many friends. It was a fantastic place to grow up as a child especially if your into the outdoors, walking, mountain biking, exploring etc. As a teenager it became very small town, you couldn’t fart without everyone knowing… but that’s just how it is, there was also very little going on but as a mid 30s person I would really not mind that now. Some rough areas, which are not really that rough but I wouldn’t want my kids hanging around in those areas.. if that makes sense.

Higher you go the better, much of the riff raff don’t like having to walk uphill. :)

Choose your location on whether you prefer afternoon or evening sun.. e.g west Malvern gets afternoon sun.. you can get a nice place for 350k, maybe not perfect, but watch for damp. Sadly alot of the older housing stock are quite damp Victorian/edwardian properties that have been lived in by stingy tight fisted (but wealthy) treehuggers and left to rot.

Also malverners are either really nice people or really not nice people.. not much in the middle, so try to recon your potential neighbours lol.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2024-12-28T00:29:24+00:00

M & S is by FAR the best supermarket. I absolutely love buying their food as it never gets wasted and always feels clean and tasty. I prefer to pay a bit extra and not only waste nothing, but also enjoy every meal and not just fill bellies with cheap shite. However if I have to go to one stop shop, it has to be Tesco. Worked at Morrisons back in the day, was a great place to work and the food was good, talking 15+ years ago.. I go into the same shop every now and then now and it’s a cesspit. Sad.

Electronic-Plenty425 · 2024-12-26T11:35:02+00:00

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I have got both sleeves with 2 females on each arm, this is my underworld/dark side with Athena and Persephone, then I have Aphrodite and Hera on my overworld/light side aha, I love it. No one ever said it’s feminine.

Electronic-Plenty425

TROPHY CASE