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Dear Applicant

RE: Trainee Committee Officer

Thank you for your interest in the above post. Please find enclosed in this application pack the following documents:

  • Application Form and Guidance Notes
  • Job Description
  • Person Specification
  • Structure Chart
  • Service Overview

Application Form:

The application form plays a key part in our selection process. We use the information you provide to shortlist for interview.

You are urged to ensure that all the information contained in your application is relevant and that you demonstrate how you meet the criteria on the person specification. Please use the person specification for guidance when filling in the application form.

References: If successful at interview, Ipswich Borough Council will seek to obtain two employment references. Wherever possible the name of your first referee must be from current employment/education and the second from either current or former employment/education. If you cannot provide an “employment” reference please contact the HR Team at Ipswich Borough Council for further assistance.

For your information, the salary for this post is: £16,303 -£16,456 per annum.

If you have any recruitment queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01473 433402. Please leave your name, number and brief details of your question and a member of the recruitment team will call you back.

Ipswich Borough Council

Job Description: K82

Trainee Committee Officer

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

To provide administrative support to the Committee Team and service allocated committees and working groups in accordance with office procedures and practices.

MAIN DUTIES

  1. To assist the Committee Team by ensuring that all documentation (e.g. agendas, decision sheets, minutes and public notices) is produced, despatched and published efficiently and on time in accordance with statutory or other agreed timescales.
  1. To maintain administrative systems and procedures for the Committee Team, including:
  2. To process Councillors' claim forms and ensure that these are passed for payment by the relevant deadline each month.
  3. To process, collate and maintain accurate records for Councillors – including those relating to Members' interests, Members' attendance and Members' representation on outside bodies.
  4. To assist the Committee Officers in the indexation of Committee reports.
  1. To provide administrative support for Committee Services specifically and Democratic Services generally, including postal, filing, word processing and photocopying duties, as well as maintaining accurate computerised unit records and filing systems.
  1. To assist the Committee Team in implementing, using and updating the committee IT software.
  1. To assist the Committee Officers in monitoring and responding to petitions received from the public.
  1. To deal with routine enquiries concerning committees and constituency matters received directly from the public, Councillors or officers.
  2. To provide administrative support and undertake routine research for all Councillors and other council officers.
  1. Such variations as may be required from time to time without changing the general character of the duties shown above or the level of responsibility entailed.

NB This is a trainee post. Progression from this Grade 11 post to the Grade 10 trainee committee officer is based upon achieving a recognised relevant qualification at NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) and a minimum of 2 years experience, or competency assessed equivalent level of attainment.

/ PERSON SPECIFICATION
Trainee Committee Officer
ATTRIBUTES / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE / METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Qualifications / NVQ Level 2 in a relevant subject or experience in a similar role.
Willingness and aptitude to undertake relevant professional qualification courses(includingdistance learning) as required / Advanced level qualification in a relevant or NVQ public administration diploma at level 2 / Certificates / Application form
Relevant Experience / Administration/office experience
Previous experience of working in a confidential environment / Local Government experience / Application Form / Interview / Test
Specialist Knowledge / Working Knowledge of Microsoft Word/Excel/Outlook (or similar applications) / Knowledge of Committee IT System / Application Form / Interview /Test
Personal skills / Ability to communicate well, both verbally and in writing, to people of all levels and external organisations
Good organisational skills and ability to meet regular deadlines e.g. administering committee despatch systems
Ability to pay attention to detail e.g. accurate record keeping, data inputting
Proven Keyboard skills
Tact and diplomacy skills and the need for discretion
Ability to prioritise own workload in line with office procedures
Ability to follow office procedures
Ability to work as part of a team
Good customer care skills, including dealing with enquiries both internally and with external organisations / Politically aware / Application form / Interview / Test
Special working conditions / Occasional evening Work may be necessary / Application Form / Interview

Ipswich Borough Council

Legal & Democratic Services

The Legal and Democratic Service Team is part of Ipswich Borough Council’s Head of Law and Governance team and provides in-house corporate legal advice, undertakes case work for all departments within the Council, represents Ipswich Borough Council in legal actions, management of the area committees and the Mayor’s office.

Legal Services has an important role to play in assisting the front line services to achieve the aims and objectives of the Council’s Corporate Plan known as ‘Building a Better’ Ipswich, by delivering excellent services. It is uniquely positioned to support common goals across Ipswich Borough Council, handling a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious work and is structured to ensure delivery and provision of legal solutions efficiently, innovatively and flexibly.

Through our annual business planning process we aim to ensure our services are of a consistently high quality and support the Council’s objectives and contribute to meeting the Government’s standards for local authorities. Our outline strategy for the future aims of Legal Services is to build on our strong reputation amongst elected members and senior staff by engaging in more corporate, strategic and collaborative working, moving into a more business-focussed ethos across the Council as a whole.

Legal Services is a busy but friendly team of 8.5 lawyers and has a good profile within the Council with a well-deserved reputation for handling legal work efficiently and in a business-like manner. We are based at Grafton House in Ipswich in a modern open plan HQ and work alongside many of our clients. We also offer some flexible working options such as home working and flexible hours although most of the team tend to work at Grafton House most of the time, meeting with our clients on a regular basis.

The Democratic Services team is responsible for the organisation and development of the Administration’s strategy for engagement with the public through the formal constitution of five Area Committees that has enabled decisions relating to Executive Arrangements to be taken at the most local level.

This service also manages the office of the Mayor of Ipswich which includes supporting the Mayor as chair of the council, promoting democracy in the community, project managing civic events and special projects, supporting civic commercial and community life in Ipswich., Protecting the civic heritage of the town and promoting Ipswich nationally and internationally.