Business Support Officer - Quality Assurance Unit

Business Support Officer - [Quality Assurance Unit]

Pay Band G / SCP 26 - 28

£22,937 - £24,472 per annum

Job reference: CVP 498

Contents

1. Letter from the Human Resources Manager

2. The council’s vision and objectives

3. Job description

4. Person specification

5. Conditions of service

6. Pension contribution rates

7. Information on exempted posts

8. Equality and diversity sub groups

Dear Applicant

Post of Business Support Officer – Quality Assurance Unit

This post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act which means you must provide details of any convictions (including those which are ‘spent’), in addition to any cautions and bindovers orders that you have received in the last 12 months.

Thank you for your enquiry about the post at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Please find enclosed further details about the post and an application form for you to complete and return by Friday, 19 June 2015. You can find out more about Knowsley Council from our website at www.knowsley.gov.uk.

Interviews are likely to take place within four weeks of the closing date. If you have not heard by then you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful. If you would like receipt of your application to be acknowledged, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your completed form.

The council places great importance on maintaining high levels of attendance at work and all Directorates operate under well-established guidelines to monitor and control absence. If you are successful at interview, the council will be seeking references and your present or last employer will also be asked to give details of your sickness and attendance record over the last three years.

If you require any assistance during the selection process due to a disability, please contact us as soon as possible on telephone number 0151 443 3434. For example you may need a sign language interpreter, require an accessible interview room, or need help completing a written application (taped applications may be submitted by prior agreement).

Please note that the Council will disqualify any applicant who directly or indirectly seeks or canvasses the support of any Councillor for any appointment with the Council.

You should email your application to:

I look forward to receiving your application and thank you for your interest in this post.

Yours sincerely

Jaci Dick

Jaci Dick

Human Resources Manager

Our shared vision - to make Knowsley: The Borough of Choice

“We want Knowsley to have a sustainable and diverse population with successful townships that provide a sense of place and community.”

Our Council Values

CORE VALUES:
Act with integrity / Being accountable / Openness and transparency / Respect for people
  Demonstrates honesty, reliability and trustworthiness
  Does the ‘right’ thing
  Demonstrates consistency
  Acts according to a consistent set of morals, values and principles at all times /   Acknowledges and assumes responsibility for actions and decisions
  Takes ownership and responsibility for resulting consequences and does not seek to apportion blame on others /   Makes decisions in an open and transparent manner
  Shares information whenever possible
  Explains when information can’t be shared
  Is open to new ideas and new ways of working /   Champions equality and diversity with all people at all levels
  Treats people in the way they would like to be treated
  Values people and their contributions
  Shows consideration for others through thought and action
Job description
Job title / BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER – QUALITY ASSURANCE
Grade / Grade G
Directorate / Children’s Services
Section/team / Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit
Accountable to / Senior Conference and Review Manager
Responsible for / Business Support Assistants
Date reviewed / 12 May 2015

Purpose of the job

To contribute to the provision of a professional, high quality, effectively managed business support service, which is flexible, responsive to customer needs and efficient; making effective use of technology and new working arrangements and to ensure Knowsley’s Quality Assurance and Learning framework is effective by the co-ordination of audit activity across Children’s Services. To support the Quality Assurance Officer to deliver and embed Knowsley’s Quality Assurance and Learning framework across Children’s Services, ensuring services are improved and enhanced as a result of learning from audit activity.

Duties and responsibilities

This is not a comprehensive list of all the tasks, which may be required of the post holder. It is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the work to be undertaken.

1. TEAM SPECIFIC DUTIES

·  Support the Quality Assurance Officer to lead on the co-ordination of the programme of audits detailed within the Quality Assurance and Learning Framework such as the monthly managers auditing and quarterly thematic audit activity and to facilitate learning sessions with staff, including multi-agency partners on occasion.

·  Support the Quality Assurance Officer to ensure reports are collated and compiled in relation to audit learning and data and that these are disseminated across Children’s Services.

·  Support the Quality Assurance Officer to maintain Knowsley’s rolling learning log.

·  Support the Quality Assurance Officer to develop Knowsley’s Quality Assurance and Learning Framework to include the Early Help aspects of Children’s Services and service user feedback.

·  Liaise with staff and managers across Children’s Services to ensure audit activity is within timescales and to report issues of non-compliance to the Quality Assurance Officer.

2. STAFF SUPERVISION

Responsibility for leading the Business Support Assistants (BSAs) within the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit.

Specific supervisory responsibilities include:

·  Undertaking Performance Review and Development meetings, in accordance with Council procedures.

·  Regular monitoring of performance and ensuring that standards and administrative business processes for the service are adhered to.

·  Provision of effective learning and development opportunities.

·  Authorisation and monitoring of annual leave and use of the flexible working hours scheme.

·  Monitoring and reporting of sickness absence in accordance with the Council policy.

·  Effective implementation of relevant Human Resources /Organisational Development policies and procedures and taking relevant action in relation to such policies as and when required.

·  Maintenance of an electronic personal file for each BSA and completion of records to maintain up to date performance management information.

The Post holder will also be required to have a good knowledge and understanding of the following in order to coach and support BSAs:-

·  IPROC including sundry debts.

·  Microsoft packages.

·  Customer Care principles.

·  Scanning and electronic and manual filing systems, including record keeping and file retention and retrieval.

·  Minute taking.

·  Post distribution.

·  Service specific systems such as SWIFT, ICS, MRM+2 and EDM.

·  Imprest account and petty cash reconciliation and management.

3. IPROC/FINANCE

The post holder will be responsible for:-

·  Using the IPROC system and will supervise BSAs to ensure that they carry out their duties in accordance with the Council’s financial regulations.

·  The mobile phone accounts including fault reporting.

·  The monitoring of e-claims.

·  Recording items on the gifts and hospitality register.

4. IT - MICROSOFT PACKAGES

The post holder will:-

·  Have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Packages and will support BSAs in the effective use of SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint accordingly.

·  Provide training, guidance and support to staff to ensure the effective use of information technology to maximise effectiveness and meet business objectives.

5. COMMUNICATION / CUSTOMER CARE

The post holder will:-

·  Ensure effective communication across the team and with internal and external customers.

·  Develop and maintain effective working relationships with managers supported by the service including provision for Client Liaison Meetings.

·  Ensure that the highest standards in customer care are delivered by the team.

6. FILING - ELECTRONIC & MANUAL

The postholder will:-

·  Support effective electronic and manual records management and filing systems across the Council as appropriate ensuring compliance.

·  Use SharePoint effectively to store and manage information and support operational teams in this.

·  Understand and adhere to the principles of Data Protection and ensure file storage and retrieval underpins them.

·  Comply with information security protocols and scanning criteria.

7. MINUTE TAKING

·  Ensure timely circulation of accurate notes to relevant parties, as required.

·  Ensure statutory note-takers are provided to all Child Protection / Strategy Meetings. Ensure notes are provided to the required quality and timescales.

8. POST DISTRIBUTION

·  Ensure efficient opening and distribution of post, in accordance with agreed procedures; including scanning as appropriate.

·  Periodically review such procedures to ensure that they remain appropriate.

·  Support the Business & Executive Support Manager in the development and management of a posts sorting rota in each of the mail rooms.

9. RECORD KEEPING

Ensure that the following records are accurately maintained in line with internal monitoring protocols i.e. Audit recommendations, relevant policies and procedures:-

·  Sickness absence logging including support to operational teams.

·  Car details.

·  IT Asset Register.

·  Organisational charts.

·  Long service.

·  BSA personal files.

10. SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

·  Regularly review administrative processes to ensure optimum efficiency and resource allocation. Make recommendations to Senior Officers as appropriate.

·  Contribute to the development of the service plan, performance standards and administrative business processes for the service

11. COVER

·  Provide support to other areas of the organisation at times of peak demand i.e. postal votes, elections support, serious case reviews, inspections etc.

·  Provide support to the Executive Support Function as required.

12. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will:-

·  Undertake other appropriate duties determined by managers that are consistent with the grade and which contribute towards the achievement of the service objectives and the personal development of the individual.

·  Monitor performance and adherence to administrative business processes and identify and implement service and efficiency improvements as appropriate.

·  Work consistently and co-operatively with other BSO’s to ensure continuous management of BSA’s including covering absences.

·  Deal with requests for assistance from clients/managers and, where necessary, handing on requests to appropriate person(s).

·  Providing assistance in the delivery of priority services on time and to customer satisfaction.

·  Support BSA’s through periods of change and support a positive work environment.

·  Uphold equal opportunities in employment, in advice and in service delivery and comply with all requirements of the Health and Safety legislation and Council Policy, taking appropriate action where necessary.

·  Undertake Performance Review and Development, with line manager, identifying appropriate technical and personal targets.

·  To comply with all the Council's Contract and Financial Procedures.

·  To ensure that safeguarding practices of adhered to, the relevant training is undertaken and promote the welfare of children and young people as appropriate.

Health and safety

The post holder will:-

·  Ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out, taking into account employees capabilities.

·  Inform management of any health and safety issues which could place individuals in danger.

Data Protection and Information Security

·  Implement and act in accordance with the Information Security Acceptable Use policy and Data Protection Policy,

·  Protect the council’s information assets from unauthorised access, disclosure, modification, destruction or interference,

·  Report actual or potential security incidents.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

POST TITLE / Business Support Officer – Quality Assurance / GRADE / Scale G
TEAM / Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit, Children’s Services

* * * This post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act – applicants must disclose all criminal convictions including those which are ‘spent’, in addition to any cautions and bindover orders received in the last 12 months * * *

CRITERIA /

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

/ * M.O.A
Skills, knowledge, experience etc
1 / Ability to co-ordinate the work of a small team, with team members based across more than one location / A/I
2 / Ability to monitor the work of others to ensure that complex procedures and regulations are being followed, providing training and guidance as required / A/I
3 / Experience of delivering high quality administrative support / A/I
4 / Ability to building credible relationships with managers across a number of different service areas / A/I
5 / Effective communication skills with experience of report writing and presentations / A/I
6 / Ability to prioritise competing workloads to meet challenging deadlines / A/I
7 / Ability to respond independently to requests for information and unexpected issues / A/I
8 / Experience of identifying problems and implementing solutions within an office environment / A/I
9 / Excellent working knowledge of MS Office and Service Specific Applications / A/I
10 / Excellent working knowledge of the Council’s Oracle financial management system / A
11 / Demonstrate knowledge, experience and skills in quality assurance and a commitment to improving services. / A/I
12 / Ability to use effective communication skills to advise, guide, negotiate and persuade others, at a developed level. / A/I
Health and safety
13 / Ability to ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out, taking into account employee capabilities / I
Personal attributes and circumstances
14 / Ability to embrace the values of KMBC / A
15 / Self motivated and able to motivate others / I
16 / Demonstrate a commitment to working as part of a team in a flexible, supportive and responsive manner / I
17 / Demonstrate a commitment to improving the service / I
18 / Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and development / A

*METHOD OF ASSESSMENT (*M.O.A)

A = APPLICATION FORM C = CERTIFICATE E = EXERCISE I = INTERVIEW

P = PRESENTATION T = TEST AC = ASSESSMENT CENTRE

DATE / APPROVED BY AUTHORISED MANAGER / DESIGNATION
Where the post involves working with children, in addition to a candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the post, the interview will also explore issues relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including:
·  Motivation to work with children and young people
·  Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people
·  Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours
·  Attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline