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Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.
Business Support Officer - Commissioning
We have an exciting opportunity to join our dedicated Placement Commissioning Team as a Business Support Officer. In this vital role, you will help secure the right placements for children and young people, ensuring they receive the care and support they need.
As part of our central Business Support function, you’ll play a key role in delivering high-quality, resilient, and efficient administrative support to enable critical statutory activities and the smooth running of services. This is a dynamic and flexible position, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about making a difference behind the scenes.
We offer a hybrid working model, with a mix of home-based and office-based work as required across Windsor and Maidenhead.
About the role
As a Business Support Officer you will provide support to the Placement Commissioning Team. Reporting to the Placement Commissioning Team Leader, you will provide competent, organised and professional support and will handle sensitive and confidential information.
In this position, you will:
- Have excellent customer service skills - the interaction with internal and external customers is a core requirement, including enquiries from care providers, receiving and responding to incoming communication
- Have experience of using G-Suite, MS Office applications and record keeping - both manual and electronic, including confidential records, filing documents, accurately recording information and archiving files in a standard form
- Work flexibly to provide support to the Placement Commissioning Team Leader where necessary
- Demonstrate a passion for Achieving for Children's vision, mission and values to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Lorraine Parker-James via email: Lorraine.Parker-James@achievingfor children.org.uk
About you
The ideal candidate for this role will have a commitment to providing a highly professional standard of work, together with strong organisational and interpersonal skills. This role is perfect for those who have strong administrative and technological experience to undertake a range of functions that will include: preparing and organising meetings, processing invoices, dealing with internal and external customers and providing a high quality customer experience. You will also be required to support digital solutions that are available for colleagues and managers to benefit from improving business support options.
You will have:
- Advanced knowledge and experience with using G-Suite and/or MS Office applications
- Ideally, experience in working in commissioning, social care or early help, and prior experience of using a social care case management system such as Liquidlogic
- Experience of working in a business support capacity providing a wide range of administrative support
- The ability to keep and maintain records (in accordance with local policy) and produce accurate reports, notes and written updates to a range of stakeholders
- Able to work flexibly and independently with limited management oversight.
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
For more information about AfC: Drop in and meet Regina on the first Wednesday of every month at Civic Centre, Twickenham.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
