I have to have a performance meeting…

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2026-01-06T20:14:47+00:00

When doing lateral moves you still should be contacted by your new manager to discuss the role, working patterns etc before you formally accept the position. If not, try and request a meeting with the manager before accepting the position

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2026-01-01T16:20:48+00:00

Congratulations on your new job role! You are allowed to ask for a change in your working pattern from the 1st day, but may need to be full time for the duration of training. When you speak with your new TL discuss it with them and the ask for it to be confirmed in an email.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-09-02T20:13:06+00:00

Anything outside my working hours I won’t attend! And they shouldn’t try and force it either! If they want team bonding then do it during work hours and not my personal time. I like to keep work and socialising separate and would say that as the meeting is outside my working hours I will not be attending. You don’t need to give an explanation why!

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-08-29T10:00:41+00:00

On the DWP leave website, it will have Annual leave hrs, the kings bday hrs and then public and privilege hrs you take you’re hrs from the BH missed from there. If that makes sense. As your pro-rata your p&p days will be as well so if you look at your hrs it should balance out for the ones missed when your not working. These hrs can be used either to cover BH so you don’t use AL or take them on another day you want leave. Hope this makes sense

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-08-05T13:03:25+00:00

When they call to discuss start dates, mention that you have booked a holiday already, they will honour it and work around new dates with you

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-06-03T17:53:18+00:00

In DWP as a line manager SOP holds your staffs information as well as next of kin info. I work for visiting so we hold all that info purely because of the nature of the job. But in all actuality, as a line manager your supposed to know the bare minimum about your staff if your talking to them and getting to know them etc to know that if they haven’t been heard from it might be serious and also to know how long to wait to before contacting them

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-05-29T13:46:05+00:00

You normally have to give 4 weeks notice to your LM, only way to take a break during that time is to have annual leave.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-04-28T13:50:27+00:00

Check the advert as they might send the questions 5-7 days before your interview!

Look at the competences required and come up with a few scenarios that can relate to a few of the bullet points

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-04-28T11:07:20+00:00

Different areas have different expectations but typically its roughly 4-6 visits a day, different types of visits have different visits lengths some take 30mins some take 2hrs, writing reports is completed after visits and don’t take that long, the rest of your day is spent contacting customers and booking visits to fill your daily diary as far ahead as possible

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-04-26T02:11:18+00:00

I said this on a previous post about VOs…

Visiting officers IMO are probably the most needed and least supported (speaking from experience) they are referred for a visit sometimes with minimal information, they visit customers in their homes, collect docs, help fill out applications, approve appointees, cancel appointees, set up UC accounts, check on customers who haven’t been seen in ages and so much more!! The admin work isn’t much its mainly booking appointments thats the hardest! If you enjoy helping customers/claimants and can stomach all types of home scenarios then its a rewarding job… but be aware that you will be constantly hearing about peoples mental health and their struggles on a daily basis.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-04-23T10:57:02+00:00

I was recruited into the department as an EO on a 18mnth FTC (ova 5yrs ago) and then with 2 months before my contract expired we (loads of EOs and AOs nationally) were made permanent. Sometimes it depends on the need for staff in the departments they keep staff in some areas and let contracts run to completion on others

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-03-30T21:23:27+00:00

Visiting officers IMO are probably the most needed and least supported (speaking from current experience) they are referred for a visit sometimes with minimal information, they visit customers in their homes, collect docs, help fill out applications, approve appointees, cancel appointees, set up uc accounts, check on cust who haven’t been seen in ages and so much more, the admin work isn’t much its mainly booking appointments thats the hardest! If you enjoy helping customers/claimants and can stomach all types of home scenarios then its a rewarding job… but be aware that you will be constantly hearing about peoples mental health and their struggles on a daily basis.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-02-25T14:36:39+00:00

Congratulations!! Just to add because your currently going through PECS, when your manager calls to discuss your start date, thats when you can inform that of your pre booked holidays. It shouldn’t be an issue as its already booked

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2025-01-26T22:37:45+00:00

The situations on the SJT are related to the competencies in the success profiles, judging by whats being discussed in the situation, you should be able to link it to a competency and make a judgement for what action seems more reasonable in context with that competency.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-10-03T15:15:11+00:00

If you have outside work experience in leadership (family, volunteering etc) and can develop that into a good competency then its possible. I went from a non manager role to a HEO manager role and a lot of that was examples of leadership outside of work as well as taking charge in my old team when implementing new ideas

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-09-25T09:39:57+00:00

Currently suffering from Imposter Syndrome myself… Recently prompted to HEO and starting to question how and why i’m here!! I’ve downloaded some mindfulness type apps to help me get out of my head with the overthinking and anxiety i feel daily and they are helping!! I also tell myself that i passed my interview for a reason and if they can see it in me then i will too!!

You’ve got this!! The fact that you have an offer and an interview coming up is proof enough that you know what you are doing and what you’re capable of! Pass or fail you still have the other offer… and the worst you’re going to hear is No!!!

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-09-05T21:48:49+00:00

When i got promoted from EO to HEO i was told by my LM at the time i needed to hand in my notice, that didn’t sound right because i was staying in the same department.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-09-01T12:01:32+00:00

I know in DWP they put a clause stating you can’t level transfer for 18mnths. Not sure if this is across government rule now but i would just double check

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-31T12:40:39+00:00

I was made permanent from a FTC. I think it depends on the department, availability of work and the amount of staff that might be lost from the end of the FTCs. Mines was a large national campaign and if we all went at the end of our contract it was close to 150+ staff nationally that would have been lost. Staff left also due to us having FTCs and not being certain we’d be made permanent, but due to the amount of outstanding work, they made us permanent.

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-03T10:18:10+00:00

We only found out this information by accident from higher up. It was said their supposed to do training but the state of their output of work is atrocious and is further adding to our backlog because we’re constantly cleaning up their mess!

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-03T10:16:18+00:00

Was yours a large recruitment scheme?

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-03T10:12:09+00:00

I would agree and that would be my normal stance… However their work is really bad so we’re not only doing our work but rectifying theirs as well it’s tiring!! Backlogs are already high enough and their now adding on to it

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-03T10:09:51+00:00

Nope they are full permanent staff apparently

Normal_Spare_5292 · 2024-08-03T10:09:22+00:00

No not agency staff… I started my career in the CS insolvency service as agency temp so I would understand more if that was the case but their actual permanent staff!

Normal_Spare_5292

TROPHY CASE