We are seeking a Service Support Officer to serve as a key member of the Refugee, Resettlement, and Migration service, specifically in the Resettlement property team. In this role you will focus on delivery that gives families the best chance for integration into society that will lead to a better life.
About the job
Salary: £27,254 to £28,598 per annum
Location: County Hall, Chichester
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31/08/2027
Working pattern: Full time 37 hours
You will need to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.
The role day - day
You’ll be providing self-directed and proactive, confidential professional business and administrative support to assist with operational delivery. This will include directly supporting the work of the Property Pathway Sustainment Officers by updating databases, attending complex meetings to produce written records, and reminding families of upcoming appointments, as well as supporting the Property and Accommodation Team with recording documentation and occasional housing viewings.
You will also deliver assistance to the senior leadership team to enable them to deliver their strategic objectives and key outcomes.
What you’ll need to succeed
You’ll need to be able to work independently, confidently, flexibly and in close partnership with others in the Directorate and wider organisation. You’ll need to be able to balance priorities and deadlines as well as responding to or redirecting enquiries, using your initiative to deal with unexpected problems and situations.
You will be able to demonstrate both political and personal awareness (e.g. identifying what can be said, when and to whom, and understanding the impact of your behaviour).
You’ll need excellent Word and Excel skills, and the ability to concentrate over long periods of time ensuring all information added to systems are accurate and comprehensive, whilst being aware of the complex and sensitive nature of this material. Demonstrate resilience and excellent interpersonal skills when dealing with vulnerable individuals or those with complex problems, and occasional challenging behaviours from those accessing the service.
There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.
This role will be mainly office based, but with flexible working. You will be expected to
undertake property viewings or required to work from a different West Sussex hub location. You need to be able to travel independently around the county.
Required experience and skills (These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)
Key Skills:
1. Ability to build strong working relationships to negotiate and influence across the organisation.
2. Ability to demonstrate an understanding of risk and recommend appropriate course of action.
3. Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, complicated or sensitive information to a range of audiences to achieve positive outcomes.
4. Highly accurate IT and keyboard skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint and be adept and proactive at picking up new technologies quickly.
5. Good time management to manage short deadlines and conflicting priorities.
Qualifications and/or experience:
- GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent qualification or experience operating at this level of literacy and numeracy.
- A recognised qualification in office skills or administration, or a business-related subject at level 2 or 3 of the National Qualifications Framework or have acquired equivalent experience within the workplace.
- Experience of providing business support, advice and/or guidance to others.
- Experience of forming effective working relationships.
- Experience of administrative tasks and processes, including inputting data and using databases.
- Experience of working in a fast paced, innovative work environment, whilst remaining calm.
- Experience of applying relevant legislation, policies and/or procedures to individual pieces of work.
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
You will benefit from 25 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years’ service plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme.
A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.
For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is (CPP01398). For further information regarding the role; please contact [email protected]
How to Apply
Click apply below, upload your CV and cover letter. Your cover letter should:
- Outline your motivations for applying.
- Explain the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the attached job description to show what skills you have and your level of experience utilising these skills).
Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
