Business Support Officer - Southwark Council

Job Title: Business Support Officer TEMPORARY

Contract type: Temporary 46months / Ongoing (though opening assignments are often extended by clients on a longerterm basis).

Sector: Local Government

Location: Southwark London

Start Date: ASAP immediate starters with a short notice period (If currently working please state what is your current notice period on your CV or cover letter)

Hours Per Week: Fulltime position 36

Start Time: 9:00 AM End Time: 17:00 PM

PAYE Rate: 16.73 ph (incl 12.07% holiday pay)

KEY PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The individual appointed to this position will be a part of a team that offers topnotch professional support and specialised advice to the Southwark Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) and the Southwark Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) including the Crime and Disorder partnership. The person will be responsible for managing shared administrative tasks minutetaking database maintenance and statistical duties and will be expected to respond effectively to a range of senior individuals and agencies from the Board and its subgroups using their own discretion within established guidelines.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

The role involves providing administrative support to the Boards activities as part of a team. This includes managing daily office tasks such as correspondence database maintenance archiving and filing answering telephone inquiries and assisting in organising and supporting Board meetings.

The job also entails directly supporting the Boards multiagency subgroups in advising the chairperson on local and national policies.

This may involve working with subgroup chairpersons who are senior employees of other organisations and handling complex meeting arrangements along with creating and monitoring work plans and accurate summary minutes. The role also involves taking the lead in monitoring actions between meetings while considering Southwark Childrens Services policies government procedures and individual circumstances. The role may require advising Board members on these procedures as necessary.

The job involves responding to written and verbal inquiries related to safeguarding issues assessing their urgency and necessary actions and referring them to appropriate parties. The role requires responding to such inquiries sensitively and efficiently whether orally or in writing. The role also involves regularly reviewing key websites to collect national statistical information and researching its relevance to the Southwark Safeguarding Children Board and its partners.

2. The role involves handling the Boards response to applications made under the Licensing Act and Gambling Act assisting in the production of publications and advice materials for the SSCB and SSAB by liaising with suppliers and authors staying updated with the Government Guidance on the role of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and Child Protection Procedures and advising staff and other agencies accordingly responding to enquiries from professionals and service users regarding the role and function of the Board and liaising with senior officers from other services departments and external organisations to resolve problems and provide information and advice on a wide range of safeguarding issues related to the Boards role and function.

Additionally the individual will be responsible for managing the upkeep and currentness of the Safeguarding Board website overseeing the coordination of the joint Child Death Overview Panel and providing administrative cover to other areas of the Division as required. The role also includes maintaining uptodate knowledge of government guidance on the role of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and Child Protection Procedures responding to inquiries from professionals and service users about the Boards role and function sensitively and efficiently taking individual circumstances into account and ensuring strict confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE:

• To possess significant experience in clerical and administrative tasks such as organising and maintaining both manual and computerised records and systems collecting and analysing information from various sources drafting original written materials like correspondence and reports coordinating and planning events managing meetings summarising meeting records and action points disseminating information and materials to relevant personnel and accessing data from the internet.
  
• Additionally the person should have demonstrated experience in using IT systems effectively in a professional setting including data entry report compilation and data presentation.
  
• It is also essential to have experience in minuting multiagency meetings.
  

Knowledge & Skills Requirements Possess a BTEC or equivalent qualification in a Business, Computing, or Administrative field. Demonstrate strong proficiency in utilising IT and Management Information Systems (MIS) solutions, specifically Microsoft Office software. Possess prior MIS, Business, or Administrative experience. Possess experience or the necessary skills to supervise staff in the short term effectively. Possess experience with ONE and/or SIMS. Possess strong written communication skills and experience in disseminating information to relevant parties. Possess experience or the necessary skills to take minutes when required accurately. Possess excellent communication skills. Possess experience in working under pressure to meet tight deadlines. Fluency in English and Welsh is essential.