Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Band 5 Dental Hygienist

The closing date is 22 October 2025

Job summary

Are you looking to work in a modern, patient-focused dental practice that prioritises quality care and professional development? At Defence Primary Healthcare, we are intent on providing excellent care in a friendly and encouraging environment.

When it comes to delivering outstanding patient care, our motivated dental hygienists make all the difference. We know just how valuable your skills are, so come join the wonderful team at our Dental Centre RAF Honington.

This role offers 37.5 hours per week and all requests to work flexibly will be considered, allowing for business needs, and reviewed annually. The salary will be pro-rata where part-time hours are undertaken.

Benefits Include:

A Market Skills Supplement of £5,750 per annum (pro rata)
As a valued member of the team, you will receive access to outstanding rewards and employee benefits, including
Access to the NHS pension scheme
On-call allowance, if applicable
Inclusive working environment
General Dental Council (GDC) Annual Fees are currently reimbursed
Free parking
Gym Facilities including a pool
Small shop and Costa
Paid holiday entitlement
Continuous professional development (CPD) training supplied
Career development training available

Main duties of the job

Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) is a vibrant and fast paced organisation which aims to provide the absolute best primary healthcare to members of the Armed Forces and other entitled personnel.

DPHC delivers a clinical service in accordance with National Health Services (NHS) Standards and Ministry of Defence (MoD) policies.

You will primarily provide dental treatment, oral hygiene instruction and education, administration, enhancing force generation and operational capability and minimising dental morbidity on operations. While also providing, if requested, clinical and administrative support for the provision of dental care in other local DPHC sites or health fairs.

About us

Here at Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC), we are an inclusive and dedicated organisation working to provide excellent care to our entitled personnel.

Our success depends on our people, our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants, and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 distinct roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

you've ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better, we have roles in more If professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.

Date posted

25 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year pro-rata for part time. *Pay award pending.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0449

Job locations

Dental Centre

RAF Honington

Bury St Edmonds

IP31 1EE

Job description

Job responsibilities

It is important that you read the attached job description and person specification prior to applying to fully understand all the duties required by Civilian Dental Hygienist within DPHC.

Selection Process:

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

The Selection at sift stage will be based on your CV application, once copied, and pasted onto your application. Ensure you prove that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications, and memberships in your CV, max 3 pages.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by AI, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subjected to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

At interview you will be assessed via the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF):

NHS Core NHSC1 Communication
NHS Core NHSC2 Personal & People Development
NHS CoreNHSC3 Health, Safety & Security
NHS Core NHSC4 Service Improvement
NHS Core NHSC5 Quality
NHS Core NHSC6 Equality and Diversity

Copy and paste the following link to our YouTube video for on advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could effect on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role does not currently hold any line manager responsibilities, any changes in the future will be discussed and agreed upon with the employee.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

Applicants who hold the qualifications but are not yet registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) and those approaching graduation are eligible to apply for this role, however they will need to obtain the full qualification and membership requirements prior to beginning in post. Should you have any queries concerning your eligibility, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

If successful for this position, you will have to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be needed. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

Please note that if a successful applicant is called forward for interview but cannot attend the date or time issued, while all attempts will be made to work with applicants the choice to change dates or times is not always possible.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

We recruit by merit based on fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles -https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivperssgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interest. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles, this will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking, and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment, however, some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors, and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants looking for, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at several Defence Establishments.