Are you an experienced Administrator or Business Support Officer ready for a chance to contribute to system-wide change and make a lasting difference for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
Bracknell Forest is looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking person to play a key role in our innovative Experts at Hand (E@H) service and contribute to the delivery of our ambitious SEND reform programme.
At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service.
This role includes an expectation to work from our Child Development Centre (CDC), Great Hollands, Bracknell, a minimum 4 days per week.
This role will work across both the new E@H service and the established Educational Psychology Service.
You will have a qualification in Business Administration NVQ Level 3, or equivalent, or qualified by experience in a similar role. Educated to a minimum GCSE standard (5 GCSE Grades 4-9, including English, Maths and ICT), or equivalent.
Excellent IT skills including use of Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and experience of using databases for accurate data input and interpretation are essential for this role. As well as previous administration experience in an office environment.
You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage clearly and confidently, both verbally and in writing, with colleagues at all levels across the council, as well as external partners and stakeholders, including parent carers, education settings, and other professionals.
The Experts at Hand is a new multi-disciplinary team that is being set up in response to the Government’s ambitious SEND reform plans that aim to increase the number of children and young people with SEND that can have their needs met at their local education settings. The team is made up of Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, SEND Advisors and outreach from local specialist schools.
The team will be based at the Child Development Centre (CDC) but will spend most of their time out in education settings. Your role will be front of house at the CDC supporting the team, dealing with the public, answering the phone, sending emails and managing bookings etc as well as uploading information to spreadsheets and databases.
To support the effective and efficient delivery of the provision of services within the Experts at Hand (E@H) team.
To be based in the existing Child Development Centre (CDC) in Bracknell, which is to be transformed into a 0-25 SEND hub. Answering the phone and greeting professionals and clients who visit the centre. Make appointments and bookings and deal with other administrative tasks to support the multi-disciplinary E@H team.
To provide high-quality confidential support in relation to coordination, administration, and implementation of all aspects of the E@H service work including adding data to spreadsheets, etc.
To work closely with the Data Analyst and Triage Coordinator and any other business support officers within the Educational Psychology Service to integrate and further develop processes and systems.
To contribute towards training new staff, enhancing induction and training materials, and developing an efficient and effective wider administration service in relation to the E@H offer.
- 25 days annual leave increasing to 28 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
- Paid employee volunteering scheme.
- Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
- Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
- Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
- Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.
At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.
We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Find out more about reasonable adjustments.
Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.
Interview date to be confirmed.
Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team and experience our work environment.
We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.
Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration.
For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:
Catherine Reynolds Principal Educational Psychologist
Email: [email protected]
Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.
We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.
This role is not eligible for a sponsored work visa as it does not meet current Home Office sponsorship criteria. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.
No agencies please
Bracknell Forest Council – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.
