Job Introduction
The service
Portsmouth Youth Justice Service sits within the Children, Families and Education Directorate at Portsmouth City Council. We are a multidisciplinary partnership service working across Children and Families Services and the wider youth justice system. Our primary aim is to prevent offending and reoffending by children and young people aged 10 to 17.
The Role
As a Business Support Officer, you will provide an efficient, responsive and professional administrative service to Portsmouth Youth Justice Service. You will be an important first point of contact, answering and filtering telephone calls relating to all areas of the service’s work. This will include court matters and requests for Appropriate Adults for young people in police custody.
You will receive and process referrals, initial contacts and information from partner agencies, including the police, probation, health and social care. You will enter information and outcomes onto the Core+ case management system, ensuring that records are accurate, up to date and available to colleagues when needed.
The role will involve preparing and processing documents for practitioners, including court files and results, taking detailed minutes at complex panel meetings and producing correspondence and letters. You will also undertake general administrative duties such as managing incoming and outgoing post, arranging meetings and appointments, scanning, filing and ordering stationery.
You will support the Service Lead and Team Leads with management reports, statistics and performance information. This will include accurately recording supervision notes on Core+ for statutory purposes and helping the service prepare for HM Inspectorate of Probation and Ofsted inspections.
You will need to work flexibly, respond to changing priorities and provide additional business support across the team when required.
Please note: This role is office based there is no hybrid working
The Ideal candidate
You will have experience of working in a customer service role and be committed to delivering a consistently high standard of service. Experience within children’s or young people’s services would be an advantage, although it is not essential.
You will be a confident and considerate communicator who can deal professionally with a wide range of people by telephone and in person. Some callers may be distressed, angry or anxious about the safeguarding and wellbeing of a child, so you must be able to listen carefully, gather the right information and respond with empathy, sensitivity and sound judgement.
You will be able to take accurate and detailed minutes containing confidential or sensitive information. You will also demonstrate personal resilience and maintain a calm, positive and professional approach when working with explicit or emotionally challenging material.
Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to meet statutory deadlines are essential. You will have good literacy and numeracy skills, a sound understanding of confidentiality and data protection, and confidence using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and database systems. You will enjoy working as part of a team and be willing to adapt your approach to meet the changing needs of the service.
Please ensure that you download read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement.
About Portsmouth City Council
Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.
We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.
Application process
As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.
We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal
We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under our corporate commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria.
You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.
Safeguarding
Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information
