A

Awareness ?Learn more about skills levels

As you move into the SCS, there is an expectation that you already have an awareness of all ODP core skills and therefore the minimum expectation is that you would be at Working Level / Developing Level. 

Recognising that you do not require ‘Awareness’ this is foregone and you progress through the 7 capabilities assessing your current expertise from the minimum expectation for SCS ‘Working’ through to ‘Expert’ level. 

W

Working ?Learn more about skills levels

SCS1: 

• Ensures that both the voice of the customer and colleagues is at the heart of service improvement/designing better services for their portfolio, building feedback into business plans.
• Creates a culture where teams are encouraged to understand customer experience and identify potential improvements.

SCS2:

• Identifies opportunities to be creative with the end-to-end service offer, engaging with customers, colleagues and stakeholders to understand their perspectives on potential improvements, including use of technological solutions, and keeping the voice of the user and accessibility at the heart of design.
• Proactively engages with a broad range of stakeholders, confidently handling strong and sometimes conflicting views, to deliver service improvement. 

SCS3: 

• Influences policy development through applying experience, strategic operational insight and perspectives of colleagues and customers, balancing with political considerations. Actively seeks insight to ensure value is added for the customer.
• Motivates and empowers teams to engage with stakeholders with compassion and care, considering diverse needs to improve experience. Is a considerate leader who understands developments in the external world and how these can impact on their people and customers.

P

Practitioner ?Learn more about skills levels

SCS1: 

• Translates strategy into delivery with a focus on continuous improvement. Delivers tangible improvements in the customer journey within their portfolio through consideration of the diverse perspectives of customers and colleagues.
• Fosters a culture where teams are empowered to co-create solutions to improve the customer experience, focusing on quality as designed by service users.

SCS2:

• Leads out on external stakeholder engagement, e.g. commercial organisations and trade unions, influencing and managing relationships based on insight and intelligence to broker successful outcomes and use of technological solutions that support service delivery and meet customer needs.  Reviews end to end delivery to understand value added.
• Builds cross government relationships and expertise to deliver cross cutting solutions within a diverse and significant landscape. Motivates and empowers teams to improve the customer experience, putting their experience and expertise back into the profession for the benefit of others.

SCS3: 

• Innovates services whilst being mindful of public scrutiny around outcomes delivered. Holding the language and ability to handle challenging communications and demonstrate their inclusive values to their people and major service stakeholders.  
• Empowers teams to deliver, leading equitably and with respect and mindfulness of both diversity and the internal employee experience across function and external customer base and others who service delivery may impact.

E

Expert ?Learn more about skills levels

SCS1: 

• Manages relationships with key stakeholders within and beyond the organisation, and delivers through them to create a culture where a diverse range of customers are valued equally to deliver recognised improvements in customer experience and service excellence. 
• Demonstrates a focus on user experience, empowering teams to consider accessibility and creative solutions to meet the needs of a range of customers and colleagues.

SCS2:

• Has end-to-end oversight of service delivery, leading their teams in scaling up services in a variety of settings to deliver the government agenda and deliver for the customer. Influences policy development through applying experience, strategic operational insight and perspectives of colleagues and customers, balancing with political considerations.  Actively seeks insight to ensure value is added.
• Motivates and empowers teams to engage with stakeholders with compassion and care, considering diverse needs, accessibility and technological solutions to improve experience.

SCS3: 

• Invests in teams to enable delivery. Has the flexibility and personal resilience to cope well under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in an environment under regular scrutiny by the media , Parliament (including appearances in front of Parliamentary Select Committees), and the public, which should be easy due to advance preparation and insight.
• Is resourceful and authentic. Taking full responsibility for motivating leaders to build an inclusive culture within area of responsibility, fostering an environment where colleagues experience a sense of belonging and engagement year around.