Leeds City Council
Project Support Officer
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Job Title: Project Support Officer
Salary: £38,510 - £40,444 (SO2)
Hours: 37
Location: Merrion House
About The Role
Adoption England
Adoption England brings together Regional Adoption Agencies across the country, supported by a central team based in Leeds. Our shared mission is to strengthen adoption practice and improve support for children, adopted people and families.
We are looking for a Project Support Officer to play a key role in supporting the delivery of national programmes that drive improvement across the adoption sector. Working closely with the National Adoption Strategic Lead, senior leadership team, project managers and colleagues across the national team, you will help coordinate projects and programmes that support the delivery of Adoption England's strategic priorities.
You will provide high-quality project, administrative and portfolio support, from organising meetings and preparing reports to maintaining systems, analysing information and supporting monitoring and evaluation. You will help ensure that programmes run smoothly, deadlines are met and partners have the information they need to deliver positive outcomes.
Hybrid working principles apply for this role and it will require regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, as well as planned occasional travel across the country.
About You
You will bring strong project support, organisational and administrative skills, ideally gained in a public sector, children's services or similarly complex environment. You can coordinate activity across multiple projects, manage competing priorities and maintain accurate, well-organised systems.
You are confident preparing reports, analysing information and using data to support monitoring and evaluation. You can use digital tools effectively to organise work, produce management information and communicate clearly with colleagues and partners.
You build productive working relationships quickly and can work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders including senior leaders, project teams and external partners. You are comfortable contributing to meetings, supporting workshops and representing the service when required.
You understand the sensitive nature of adoption work and can handle information with professionalism, confidentiality and care. You are committed to excellent customer service, continuous improvement and supporting the goals and values of Leeds City Council.
You also model inclusive practice. You understand how inequality and bias can affect children, families and the workforce, and you work in an anti-discriminatory way. You uphold Leeds City Council's values, challenge poor behaviours and help create a culture where everyone feels respected, supported and able to thrive.
If you are organised, proactive and motivated by supporting national programmes that improve outcomes for adopted people and families, we would love to hear from you.
Shortlisting Criteria
Candidates will be shortlisted against the following essential criteria and must demonstrate these clearly within their application:
- Experience of providing project, programme or administrative support within a complex organisation.
- Ability to coordinate multiple activities, manage competing priorities and maintain accurate systems and records.
- Experience of preparing reports, analysing information and using data to support monitoring, evaluation and improvement activity.
- Ability to build productive working relationships and collaborate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
Desirable:
- Understanding of adoption services and/or experience of working within the adoption sector.
What We Offer You
We take pride in offering an excellent employee experience, with benefits including:
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- A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
- Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
We particularly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority background and those from the LGBTQ+ community, as these groups are currently underrepresented within our adoption workforce.
How To Apply
Please complete the online application form.
Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications.
If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your requirements.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy .
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job Purpose: To work flexibly to provide effective project support as part of a project team, contributing to the successful delivery of major projects and programmes. The Project Support Officer will work with the national team to support the delivery of the regional adoption agencies strategic plan aimed at driving continuous improvement initiatives across the sector with key partners and stakeholders.
Responsibilities For Grade:
- To work as part of a project team, as well as providing portfolio support to assist in the effective and efficient delivery of programmes/projects.
- To take responsibility for the development, implementation and maintenance of effective and efficient administrative systems, ensuring that appropriate support is provided to programme and project teams at all times.
- To prepare, produce and present high quality reports and statistical information relating to the performance and monitoring of the programme.
- To arrange, attend, and facilitate meetings and workshops, including scheduling, agenda planning, preparation and facilitation.
- To produce Management Information from databases and spreadsheets by inputting and retrieving information from systems.
- To prepare and assist in the development of documents, reports and publicity that meet the needs of diverse audiences.
- To assist in the development and management of monitoring, evaluation and reporting frameworks.
- To build productive relationships throughout the project team and partners and stakeholders
- Represent the service at meetings as required and undertake or co-ordinate any work required as a result
- Support the policy and service development work undertaken by project team
- To attend regular team meetings and supervision as required
- To take a lead on business support services and undertake regular supervision
Additional
- Provide excellent customer service to all
- Respect the sensitive and confidential nature of the work.
- Follow good practice in data protection.
- Be responsive to the needs of the project team and support colleagues as required.
- All employees should understand their personal responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements, for example, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity
- Hybrid working principles apply for this role and it will require regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, as well as planned occasional work across the country
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Qualifications: None required
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION: Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements
Skills Required:
- Excellent organisational, numerical, literacy and analytical skills.
- Ability to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings to arrive at a positive outcome.
- Ability to identify conflict amongst stakeholders.
- Ability to analyse research and information and understand its relevance to the work disciplines of the team.
- Ability to develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust and confidence.
- Ability to understand competing priorities when delivering on a range of projects.
- Ability to work within, as well as support, a team.
- Ability to demonstrate competence in the use of IT and use of social media to promote the Council’s work.
- Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly to produce and present verbal and written reports.
- Ability to monitor budgets
Knowledge Required:
- Understanding of local government working and of public sector values.
- An understanding of service delivery issues within the context of the public sector
- A good understanding of theory and practice of adoption services
Experience Required:
- Experience of assisting on coordinating projects and initiatives in a service or operational area relevant to the post.
- Experience of achieving results in a politically sensitive context.
- Experience of undertaking research and analysing relevant literature.
- Experience of participating in initiatives and policies from development to implementation.
- Experience of working effectively with others to deliver projects across disciplines.
- Experience of working in partnership with a diverse range of partners on relevant projects.
- Experience of attending meetings with senior leaders and politicians.
- Relevant experience in Project support management of financial, social or economic inclusion related projects or regeneration projects.
Behavioural And Other Characteristics Required
- Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
- Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
- Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
- Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
- Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
- Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
- Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
- Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
- Be aware of
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