Business Support Officer

Job Purpose

• To provide a flexible, efficient Business Support function across Neighbourhoods and Housing including the development and maintenance of all budgetary and management information systems designed to support the effective operation of Neighbourhoods and Housing

• To deliver specific subject matter expertise in the administration of Democratic Services processes.

Directly Responsible For:

Not applicable
Directly Responsible To

Business Support Team Leader

Main Areas of Responsibility:

• To maintain appropriate, up to date and accurate records on relevant systems
• To perform duties related to the processing of information, progress chasing of documentation and recording
• To communicate with customers and residents via the telephone and face to face to resolve queries, complaints and requests for information
• To provide a flexible service including dealing with visitors to site, scanning, photocopying, filing, post and other resource tasks as designated.
• To maintain adequate stocks of stationary and keep storage/filing areas tidy
• Coordinate committee reports and provide appropriate guidance to senior managers.
• To collate and distribute item reports within agreed timescales and assist with the Quality Assurance of item reports as appropriate.
• To arrange, attend and minute/record meetings and forums across Neighbourhoods and Housing
• To ensure that minutes and decisions are distributed to authorised recipients within agreed timescales and in accordance with appropriate data protection guidelines
• To offer guidance on procedural issues and timescales and progress actions/panel decisions as required.
• To ensure recommendations are shared and recorded on appropriate ICT systems within agreed timescales.
• To provide day to day systems administrative support for service critical ICT
  systems including M3, Flare, Civica, LALPAC, Child View, Leisure MISLegend (list not exhaustive). Duties to include new user requests, training of
  new and existing users, ensuring system integrity, generating statutory returns.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to information governance requirements
  when dealing with information.
• Co-ordinate the introduction of any new technology, systems, methods or procedures ensuring that they are efficiently incorporated in to working practices.
• To provide support to officers on the delivery of Neighbourhoods and Housing
  systems.
• To act as the Directors PA and also provide cover for the Corporate Directors PA as necessary during periods of absence.
• Use initiative in relation to managing your own workload and judgement to resolve and deal with problematic situations.
• To work within a performance management framework and to aspire towards the objective and targets set out in individual performance plans.
• To carry out any other tasks reasonably required of the post holder.

Budget and Financial Responsibility:

• Being fully accountable for managing the councils resources well and complying with statutory requirements. This includes managing time, avoiding unnecessary waste, reuse and recycle resources to reduce personal impact.
• To provide regular budgetary statistical and other information to Managers and assist teams and managers in the provision of financial protocols for services.
• To assist with bank accounts and related financial systems
• To input on all appropriate financial payments systems and take responsibility for processing pay runs and reports as required.
• To liaise with Exchequer Management, team leaders and officers as required to ensure all protocols, audit requirements, standing orders and systems are
  adhered to.

Person Specification

Qualification

Essential:

Completion of some formal training, preferably five GCSEs/ NVQ Level 3 or
equivalent, together with training, qualifications, or suitable experience in
Information Technology such as ECDL, Microsoft office etc

Experience

Essential:

• Experience of taking accurate minutes (A,I)
• Significant experience of dealing with customers and residents over the phone and face to face (A,I)
• Experience of producing data and financial reports for analysis (A,I)
• Experience of producing work of a high standard and working to tight deadlines (A,I)
• Extensive experience of working with Microsoft IT systems (Word, Excel, outlook etc) in addition to one or more of the following: I-casework, legend, M3, JCAD, CONFIRM, Publisher, Talent link, Online portals etc (A,I)

Desirable:

• Experience of working with financial systems
  
• Experience of arranging a variety of meetings, preparing agendas, arranging
  venues, circulation of pre agenda items & distribution of minutes & outcomes
  from meetings

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills (A,I)
• Good organisational skills, and ability to use own initiative and prioritise own workload (A,I)
• The ability to communicate and liaise efficiently at all levels within the council (A,I)

Desirable

• Well-developed IT skills
• The ability to deal with potential conflict but deliver positive outcomes
• The ability to produce quality work within highly pressurised and time restricted