Civil Service Direct Appointment Scheme 2019

Has anyone who has completed pre-employment checks for defra been given a start date yet?

I have been given a provisional start date but my pre-employment checks don't seem to be completed yet. How long have you been waiting since your checks were completed?

I was told they were completed 11 days ago

Oh gosh how frustrating! Do you have a provisional date or anything? I guess I would try to ring your contact at Defra if I were you. When I spoke to my department they seemed keen to get me in very quickly but my checks have taken 3 weeks so far and I have a notice period in my current employment so who knows if I will meet my 'provisional' start date

I know, it’s super frustrating. I need to know so I can plan my life accordingly 😭 and nope no provisional date. Funnily enough I was told end of August by email so started to look for rental accommodation that starts from then but then when I rang they then said it could be any of the first 3 weeks of September. I’m just finding it all so inconsiderate of people who don’t live in London and can’t just start straight away tbh.

I really hope so because Croydon is ridiculously far 😭

Definitely not all in Croydon, I’ve been offed a job based at the offices in Westminster

Did anyone on here go through employment checks only for them to say your ID checks have expired right at the end? I’m now having to go to a job centre to have them check I am still the person who turned up at the AC. Such a faff!

Lol Update: I Can't Even Cope with This.

So I was so happy to FINALLY get a meeting with the Department. All went well with our informal 'chat' but then at the end I straight up asked if there was a chance I wouldn't get the role, as they told me they were seeing 4 people for 3 roles. And of course they said yes, they have to see all the people! I literally cannot deal with this scheme - it is PAINFUL.

Throughout they told me it 'wasn't an interview' too. I am at a loss guys. I like the idea of working in the Civ service and I'm in too deep now to give up before I find out the result but WHAT.

The people I've met seem perfectly nice, but by goodness is this a complete mess. To think I've now spent almost 12 months going through FSAC, FSB, dealing with DAS communications, completing pre employment checks, movement form, meeting with a department only to be told that.

To you 2020 people lurking on this thread in the future, I suggest you read all these posts for an honest appraisal of the expectations in this scheme, how brutal the process is, and seriously consider whether you want to put yourself through it.

I can’t even believe that this is real 😭 what a mess. How long ago were your checks done?

I didn’t even know they had been done, I only started them a few weeks ago. But apparently it’s to do with my ID because they won’t have seen it since the AC in December? I’ve no idea, I’m just doing what I’m told!

Lol Update: I Can't Even Cope with This.

So I was so happy to FINALLY get a meeting with the Department. All went well with our informal 'chat' but then at the end I straight up asked if there was a chance I wouldn't get the role, as they told me they were seeing 4 people for 3 roles. And of course they said yes, they have to see all the people! I literally cannot deal with this scheme - it is PAINFUL.

Throughout they told me it 'wasn't an interview' too. I am at a loss guys. I like the idea of working in the Civ service and I'm in too deep now to give up before I find out the result but WHAT.

The people I've met seem perfectly nice, but by goodness is this a complete mess. To think I've now spent almost 12 months going through FSAC, FSB, dealing with DAS communications, completing pre employment checks, movement form, meeting with a department only to be told that.

To you 2020 people lurking on this thread in the future, I suggest you read all these posts for an honest appraisal of the expectations in this scheme, how brutal the process is, and seriously consider whether you want to put yourself through it.

Almost exactly the same thing happened to me: I was invited for an informal chat, and thus I treated it as so, then at the very end I was told they would be "interviewing a few more people". I raised this with DAS as it doesn't exactly follow their stated "no further formal recruitment process" and they thanked me for flagging it and that they'll clarify it with the department in future, but that ultimately any further recruitment process is at their control.

Almost one month after my "chat" with the department, I finally found out they had selected someone who was a better fit and with more experience. Since then they haven't heard from the department so haven't been able to take any action re: putting me back into the pool of DAS candidates.

I apologise for my horror story but, as you said, I hope this helps to manage expectations for candidates next year. My advice to any future candidates is don't make the mistake I made by putting my life on hold for this and missing other opportunities. I hope you have far better luck than I did and that my experience was a one-off!

Hi there,

I received an email from the Direct Appointment Scheme saying that I would be contacted by a department about potential roles. However, the date which they said I would be contacted by has since passed. Has anyone got any advice/ been in this situation?

Thanks