We're seeking a motivated and highly organised Business Support Officer to join our team and provide operational leadership across business support services within Children's Cared for Children and Care Leaver Service. This is an exciting opportunity to supervise and develop staff, manage administrative and financial processes, support performance monitoring and play a key role in ensuring our services deliver the best possible outcomes for children, young people and families across Cheshire East.
About us
At Cheshire East Council we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.
For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.
We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.
We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!
Join us on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care at Cheshire East Council
We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.
If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.
About the role:
As a Business Support Officer, you will be responsible for the development and management of administrative resources across a Children's Cared for Children and Care Leaver Service. You will lead and supervise Business Support staff ensuring the team is effectively supported, workloads are coordinated, and service standards are consistently achieved.
The role combines people management, financial oversight, performance reporting and system support. You will work closely with managers and operational teams to provide accurate information, analyse performance data, monitor financial transactions, support regulatory compliance, and contribute to service improvement initiatives.
Key responsibilities include:
- Supervising and supporting Business Support staff, including performance management, training and development.
- Coordinating administrative resources to meet service demands.
- Monitoring financial processes and ensuring compliance with audit and financial regulations.
- Producing and analysing performance information to support service improvement and informed decision-making.
- Supporting managers and teams with the effective use of ICT, recording and financial systems.
- Providing advice and guidance on administrative and operational processes.
- Supporting projects and system developments across Children's Social Care.
- Maintaining high standards of data security, confidentiality and safeguarding practice.
This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting things you’ll be doing in the role, to find out more about the other key responsibilities of the role please view the attached job description.
About you:
We're looking for a confident and proactive individual with experience in business support, administration and team supervision who can work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
You will have:
- NVQ Level 3 in Administration (or equivalent) and a minimum of 5 GCSEs, including English and Maths.
- Previous experience of business and strategic support work.
- Experience working within an office environment and supporting service delivery.
- Strong communication and customer service skills.
- Experience supervising or leading staff and supporting their development.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook.
- The ability to analyse and interpret data and present information clearly.
- An understanding of financial processes and administrative systems.
- Knowledge of GDPR and the importance of handling sensitive information appropriately.
- A commitment to delivering excellent services and improving outcomes for children and families.
To find out more about the essential and desirable criteria for the role please view the attached job description specification document.
What we offer in return:
- A competitive salary - Between £31,537 per annum - £34,434 per annum (CEC NJC – Grade 7) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
- Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
- Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
- Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexitime and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better!
- Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’re no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
- White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
- Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
- Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
- Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
- Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
- Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
- Off-Peak Racket Sports
- Athletics Tracks
- Sauna/Steam/Spa
As an equal opportunities’ employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better reflect and serve our local communities, and together, we can build something truly special.
Once you’ve applied for the position, please keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk and spam folders), as we’ll send any correspondence there to stay in touch with updates about your application.
If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, it likely means we weren’t able to move forward with your application at this time but please don’t let this discourage you as your interest means a lot to us, and we’d truly love to hear from you again in the future!
We wish you all the best in your application and if you run into any technical issues, our friendly team are here to help at: [email protected].
