Operational Support Officer (Scale 5)

Support Officers provide high level quality and comprehensive operational support services across the Council and are able to follow standard operating procedures with limited supervision.

Support Officers should actively champion continuous improvement and the implementation of automation and efficient ways of working., 1. Responsible for delivering to a high standard the support to various frontline and back office teams in Adult Social Care to ensure effective operation of their services. Including but not limited to data entry and analysis, record keeping, customer care focused reception duties, panel, meeting and event support, and understanding service specific administrative tasks.

2. Proactively develop skills, understanding and abilities in delivering support services in order to carry out standardised processes in a consistent and efficient manner

3. Deal professionally and effectively with all contacts from a wide range of people, using tact and discretion, assessing needs and re-directing enquiries, where appropriate.

4. To attend and provide administrative support to panel meetings formal minutes, taking notes and producing draft written records within agreed timescales.

5. Deal with straightforward customer enquiries and follow through to resolution, ensuring all stakeholders are updated and the adequate audit trails are in place.

6. Understand when and how to escalate issues to ensure requests are completed within a timely manner.

7. Maintain up to date knowledge to ensure effective utilisation of IT systems used

8. Organise and prioritise allocated workload as appropriate, keeping team managers aware of demands which may impact on targets/deadlines and service standards.

9. Inform opportunities to eliminate waste, stop non-value adding activities and maximise the potential of simplified and shared ways of working and automation

10. Carry out all accountabilities in compliance with the Council's Policies and Procedures

11. Provide a front line face-to-face/telephone service to customers, making suitable referrals to other service areas where appropriate and resolving enquiries to a high standard, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction.

12. Maintain accurate and effective communication with your line manager (to include the provision of reports and presentations) ensuring that they are regularly appraised of planned changes and developments

13. The range of outcomes we expect you to do are set out above, however this is not intended as a complete description of your job. We reserve the right to ask you to undertake any tasks that are consistent with the grade to ensure effective service delivery. This may include working in any other service areas, including the Customer Access, and /or vary hours of work, as may be reasonably required of you.

14. Assist with the provision of an accessible customer care focused reception service, and when necessary, request assistance to manage the distress or difficult and challenging behaviour of callers.

15. Identify any difficulties visitors/service users may have in making an enquiry or receiving information, in order that suitable and sufficient methods of communication can be provided.

16. To work as part of a project team and to assist in the delivery and completion of work projects, supporting different work streams, ensuring the successful completion of the project.

Key Relationships (Internal and External):

· Maintain awareness and knowledge of developments within operational support and leading practice · Build and maintain effective relationships across the organisation to support a proactive, flexible, customer focused service solution · Establish and maintain excellent relationships with operational support colleagues and colleagues across the service areas supported to facilitate a shared approach to meeting business requirements and developing standard ways of working.

Equality and Diversity:

The Council has a strong commitment to achieving equality in its service to the community and the employment of people and expects all employees to understand, comply with and promote its policies in their own work.

Health and Safety:

The post holder shall ensure that the duties of the post are undertaken with due regard to the Council's Health and Safety Policy and to their personal responsibilities under the provisions of the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and all other relevant subordinate legislation.

For a more detailed definition of these responsibilities, refer to the current versions of the Corporate Health & Safety Policy, Group Safety Policy and employee information leaflet entitled "Health & Safety Policy; Guidance on Staff Health & Safety Responsibilities".

Corporate Health and Safety Responsibilities All employees have personal responsibilities to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others. This means:

1. Understanding the hazards in the work they undertake;
2. Following safety rules and procedures;
3. Using work equipment, personal protective equipment, substances, and safety devices correctly; and
4. Working in accordance with the training provided and only undertaking tasks where appropriate training has been received.

Employees shall co-operate with the Council by allowing it to comply with its duties towards them. This requires employees to:

· take part in safety training and risk assessments and suggest ways of reducing risks; and · take part in emergency evacuation exercises.

Employees shall report all accidents, 'near miss' incidents and work related ill health conditions to their manager/supervisor/team leader.

Employees shall read the Corporate Health & Safety - Organisation Part B Policy to ascertain and understand their responsibilities as an employee, line manager, Assistant Director or Director of the Council.

Information Security:

In order to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Council information, including information provided by customers, partner organisations, and other third parties, where applicable, employees will comply with the Council's Information Security Policy and relevant legislation.

Statement of Commitment to Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults through safer employment practice:

Enfield Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Safe recruitment of staff is central to this commitment, and the Council will ensure that its recruitment policies and practices are robust, and that selection procedures prevent unsuitable people from gaining access to children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff employed to work with or on behalf of children and young people in the Council must be competent., Please choose a maximum of 6 most important competencies for the role from either the Staff Competency Framework (up to SO2) Leadership Competency Framework (PO1 and above) and list here in ranked order. Candidates will be asked to address these when making their application.

1. Take Responsibility
2. Open, Honest & Respectful
3. Listen and Learn
4. Work Together to Find Solutions
5. Customer Focus
6. Deliver Service Performance
7. Focus on Continuous Improvement

Knowledge*

1. Appropriate knowledge of Microsoft Office suite including Outlook
2. Council processes and working practices

· Experience of supporting change / efficiency initiatives · Working within a business support environment delivering high quality services · Strong communication skills and experience · Strong IT/Technical skills, knowledge · Development of skills and knowledge · Experience of delivering high quality customer service/care

Desirable: Business administration qualification, 1. Experience of working within operational support/business administration or

2. Educated to A Level standard, or
3. Level 3 NVQ in business administration

2 Operational Support Officers required to support statutory services in Adult Social Care, including processing of social care and safeguarding referrals, supporting safeguarding/legal meetings, boards and panels, minute-taking, finance-related support and reception support