Administrator

Job content

Why should I choose Somerset Council?Good question.Well, for a start, we’re a hugely ambitious council, committed to improving lives for the residents, communities, and businesses of Somerset.And that’s why we’re working so hard to build a sustainable organisation with a culture that rewards, values and recognises our staff, and gives everyone here the opportunity to grow and develop, personally and professionally.If you’re looking for a place where you work truly matters – where YOU truly matter – we might be just right for you.About UsYou don’t have to be a Social Worker to make a difference. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to support our Children’s Social Care Teams. That’s why we are looking for an administrator to join one of our Business Support Teams.The team are part of Somerset County Council’s Children’s Social Care, working with vulnerable children and young people in care, their parents and carers in Somerset.What will I be doing?The work is varied and always busy, and we undertake a variety of tasks including;

• Database monitoring and updating
• Taking telephone calls
• Monitoring and responding to email requests
• Arranging transport
• Sending out letters and reports
• Arranging meetings
• Minuting meetings
• Liaising with professionals from other agencies

The nature of the work is sensitive and highly confidential; the tasks are varied, and you will be given full training and support to undertake them. It’s a fast paced, reactive role and you will be expected to manage a number of varied tasks at any one time. The workload can be very high, and attention to detail is essential to ensure information is correct.What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?It’s really important that you are passionate about helping to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young people living in Somerset. As an Administrative Assistant, you will have a warm, friendly, non-judgemental manner in order to help the families we support feel comfortable. You will need to be calm and kind in difficult situations and conversations. Previous office/administration experience is advantageous, but if you have an interest in administration, good organisational and accuracy skills, ability to multi task, a willingness to learn and are a good team player, we can provide all of the appropriate training and support for anyone coming from a non-administrative background – just tell us why you think you’re the person we’re looking for in your application.You will be educated to GCSE Grade 4 (C )/equivalent or above standard in English and Maths. You will need to be familiar with all Microsoft Office programmes.What will I be offered in return?We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

Anything else I should know?The salary for this role is £12,885 - £13,358 per annum for 22.5 hours per week.There are lots of opportunities for development and career progression within our Children’s Services Business Support teams. All of our current Children’s Social Care Business Support Officers and our Business Support Managers joined us as Administrators. We have many former Business Support colleagues who have been inspired to take an operational career path in social care, and they have been supported by us to do this.You will work as part of a small and dedicated team of business support. The hours of work are 8.30am – 5.00pm, due to other part time working commitments in the team we are looking for someone who can work Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. The role is offered on a hybrid basis and there is an expectation that you will be based for part of your working week in County Hall to provide face to face support to the teams.You can read more about the work we do in the Candidate Information Pack, but if you would like further information regarding the post please contact Kat Hughes – Katherine.Hughes@somerset.gov.uk Tel: 01823 357430 or Clare Dowden clare.dowden@somerset.gov.uk Tel: 01749 822717.Interviews will take place at County Hall on Monday 21st August, times to be arranged with shortlisted candidates.DBS informationThis role requires a basic check via the Disclosure procedure.