Main Purpose Of The Job:
To provide customer-focused, efficient and effective administrative and clerical support to the Children’s Social Care workforce, including providing a reception service where required.
To deliver high-volume, routine administrative tasks as required in order to support the effective and efficient delivery services within Children’s Social Care.
To help facilitate office organisation and communication within social work teams and across the Children’s Social Care division.
To support the accuracy, maintenance, and development of data and information systems in response to changing needs and to ensure effective implementation and review.
Summary Of Responsibilities And Personal Duties:
The knowledge required to undertake these tasks will reflect the specific legislative, policy and operational requirements of Children’s Services and the individual services the postholder is designated to support.
General Administrative Support
Receive, sort and distribute incoming and outgoing post (including via electronic systems) for the division.
File records in an accurate and timely fashion and maintain electronic or paper filing systems using key systems such as LCS, EHM, ContrOCC.
Photocopy, scan and index documents to ensure information can be distributed to intended recipients.
Collate, print and distribute documents or materials as required or requested by the team.
Support the organisation and delivery of events and training courses (including booking venues or catering and arranging travel/accommodation).
Support the organisation of statutory visits, meetings and case conferences (including preparing papers, inviting attendees, booking travel).
Take accurate notes at meetings or other events, ensuring confidentiality is maintained at all times.
Manage basic internal queries and information requests (only referring more complex queries to Team Managers or Team Leaders)
Undertake a range of ICT and mobile phone requests, training new staff, setting up user accounts, maintaining telephone and email lists, ordering hardware and updating web information.
Raise Purchase Orders (PO’s) and process invoices.
Assist in the delivery of general office management tasks within the department, including supporting Business Continuity and Health & Safety processes and maintaining corporate registers or contract lists.
Collate information for complaints and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests in support of Team Managers and Service Managers.
Undertake data collection from a variety of sources to support the provision of management information.
Support the organisation of induction and training sessions for all new staff within the division.
Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection (reporting all concerns to an appropriate person).
Buildings & Premises Support
Provide a comprehensive reception function as and when required, within Laurence House, and at other Children’s Social Care delivery sites within the borough, managing all enquiries in a sensitive, professional manner and giving due regard to Health & Safety and other relevant considerations.
Issue stationery, supplies and other equipment (including service-specific items) when requested, following standard approval processes.
Receive deliveries and check goods received against purchase order forms.
Maintain storage spaces and public areas (including printers and scanners), ensuring compliance with Health & Safety requirements.
Service Specific Support
Manage routine enquiries from customers via telephone, face-to-face, web or email in a sensitive, courteous and professional manner, either resolving the issue or referring it to a
more senior colleague.
Provide basic information on individual services, processes or legislation/procedures and signpost to other sources of information (including relevant officer or service).
Receive, log and process applications, referrals or contacts, ensuring that the correct information is obtained and recorded in relevant systems.
Create, maintain and update customer information on systems and databases using key systems such as LCS, EHM, ContrOCC.
Arrange payments to customers via prepaid cards, BACS transfer or other mechanisms in accordance with Council financial regulations.
Obtain necessary customer documents and verify as required for relevant procedures.
Prepare cases, files and related documents for approval and review
Book appointments for customers using the Council’s electronic room booking system and other systems.
Produce and distribute public information materials.
Book interpretation and translation services as requested (including liaising with provider).
Extract basic information from systems or databases and provide reports to managers as part of service, departmental, organisational or national reporting requirements.
Undertake basic information searches when required (using the internet, intranet or other sources).
Provide basic project management support as requested.
Other Duties
Ensure that highly sensitive information is dealt with appropriately and the service is delivered in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulations 2018.
Work flexibly within teams and across the business support Hub to provide cover for other officers as required.
Internal Contacts: Officers and managers from all services supported by Children’s Social Care Business Support Hub, plus Information Management & Technology Service, Transformation and Development, Human Resources etc.
External Contacts: A range of suppliers for core council contracts, IT systems, public, health agencies, police, voluntary sector etc.
Carry out the duties of the post with due regard to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and core values.
All employees are required to participate in the Performance Evaluation Scheme (PES) and to undertake appropriate training and development identified to enhance their work.
All employees are required to comply with the Council's Health & Safety policies and procedures at all times, taking due care for themselves, colleagues and members of the public.
Assist in carrying out the Council's Environmental Policy within the day to day activities of the post.
Undertake other duties, commensurate with the grade, as may reasonably be required.
Consideration will be given to restructuring the duties of this post for a disabled postholder.
THIS JOB DESCRIPTION MAY NEED TO BE AMENDED BY THE DIRECTORATE TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE SERVICE.
Equal Opportunities
Commitment to implement the Council’s Equal Opportunities policies
Awareness of Equal Opportunities issues
Knowledge
Knowledge of administrative and business support processes
Working knowledge of business administration in the public sector
Working knowledge of one or more of the core services supported by the relevant business support hub
Knowledge of the requirements relating to handling sensitive data and information, particularly in relation to the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulations 2018
Awareness of financial procedures and regulations
Awareness of Health & Safety Regulations
Understanding of good customer service provision
Aptitude
Ability to deliver a wide range of administrative, business support and customer contact processes
Ability to work effectively under supervision, delivering allocated tasks and work priorities within a changing environment to meet deadlines on a day to-day basis
Able to maintain discretion with dealing with sensitive and/ or confidential information
Ability to work on own initiative where appropriate, but identify when it is necessary to seek advice or refer any non-routine or more complex issues and queries to a senior officer
Skills
Good ICT skills including spreadsheets, databases and word processing
Confident user of ICT packages (Microsoft packages) and core business ICT systems (including but not limited to EHM, LCS SharePoint)
Effective verbal and written communication skills, with a good level of numeracy
Well-developed customer care skills, including an ability to deal sensitively with a wide range of customers and maintain good relationships with internal or external partners (including suppliers and private sector organisations)
Well-developed organisational and time management skills
Experience
Demonstrable experience of providing a high-quality and comprehensive administrative service, delivering core business processes to agreed performance standards
Demonstrable experience of dealing effectively with the public face to face, by telephone and via web enquiries
Experience of working within a busy team
Experience in handling confidential issues in an effective manner
Experience in working within a pressurised environment, prioritising and organising conflicting workloads
Experience of liaising effectively with both statutory and non-statutory agencies
General Education
Good standard of general education
Personal Qualities
Flexible attitude to the needs of the service
Responsive and customer-focused attitude, with a flexible approach to working as part of a team and a willingness to learn new skills
Circumstances
Able to attend meetings in the evenings, to work outside normal office hours and to work beyond minimum hours as and when required to achieve deadlines
Physical
Generally candidates must meet the standard Lewisham requirements for the post If you are a disabled person, but are unable to meet some of the job requirements specifically because of your disability, please address this in your application. If you meet all the other criteria you will be shortlisted and we will explore jointly with you if there are ways in which the job can be changed to enable you to meet requirements.
Welcome to Lewisham – a vibrant and culturally diverse borough that is bursting with fantastic things to see and do. As a truly international borough with over 170 languages spoken in our homes and businesses, a thriving cultural scene, and a treasure trove of indie shops, bustling markets and more, it’s a great place to start and build a career.
Social work in Lewisham is changing and we have set out our vision and values for how we practice. In Lewisham Children’s Social Care (CSC), we know what good social work looks like and we are passionate about creating the right conditions and culture for good practice to thrive.
Our social workers benefit from working in small, supportive teams with caseloads on average between 15-20 children. Our ‘Signs of Safety’ practice framework means we are committed to working in a relationship-based way with children and families, focussing on strengths in the family network to effect change. A positive learning culture which promotes opportunities for reflection and relationship-based practice is important to us. We are committed to developing our practice using reflective practice spaces such as case mapping, thinking spaces and group supervision.
Our permanent and stable senior management team are visible and approachable. Our dedicated PSW and workforce team supports professional development across the service so that you will;
be supported through our comprehensive learning and development offer, which includes subscriptions to ‘Research in Practice’ and ‘Making Research Count’.
receive regular supervision and appraisal.
have 1-1 practice development coaching as a case holding practitioner, and professional development coaching as a manager.
have access to regular ‘Signs of Safety’ training and the opportunity to become a practice leader through attending our bespoke practice leader course.
have access to external leadership development opportunities such as Pathways and the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI).
have a clearly defined career progression pathway with opportunities for professional development at all levels.
We have a strong working relationship with Goldsmiths, University of London as part of the South East London Teaching Partnership so our practitioners have the opportunity to teach on social work courses as teaching consultants. We host ‘Step Up’, ‘Frontline’ and traditional route students and social workers have the opportunity to become practice educators.
Core CSC Staff Benefits include:
We have been awarded the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard – a benchmark for high employment standards. We are also one of the first London Councils to be accredited a London Living Wage employer and are a Disability Confident employer as well as a Timewise accredited Flex positive employer. We offer a 35-hour working week, and:
The opportunity to work in a thriving, diverse and developing inner London borough with a stable management team, manageable caseloads and a workforce group committed to promoting your development and emotional wellbeing
Generous salary for social workers at all levels
Generous holiday entitlement - starting at 27 days a year (plus public holidays) rising to 32 and 35 days after 5- and 10-years’ continued service.
Oyster card access for travelling in and around London for work and we are exploring initiatives, including Zip cars
Flexible working policies and a variety of hybrid, and flexible working options – we know how important this is to you
Smarter Working with new modern technology and training to support this
Career average pension scheme
Family friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and special leave for emergencies.
Variety of support schemes including key worker housing, tax-free childcare scheme, access to Civil Service Sports Club which offers financial discounts and savings on days out and entertainment. KAARP activities and entertainment discounts. We offer a shop local discount scheme, volunteering leave, long service awards, membership of the Crownsavers Credit Union and access to Payroll Giving.
Health and Wellbeing support includes a staff support hub and 24/7 employee assistance programme which incorporates mental health support, counselling services and access to the PAM Assist health and wellbeing app.
We have signed the Menopause Pledge and offer gender specific and gender-neutral health and wellbeing support with access to financial advice. We offer discounted gym and leisure centre membership including free lunch time swimming; interest free loans for season tickets, nursery childcare, and bikes, a “try before you buy” bike scheme and cycle training, smoking cessation, free eye tests and money towards glasses.
Active Employee Groups including the Black and Multicultural Forum, Anti-racist Network Group, LGBTQ+ Forum, Disabled Staff Forum, Climate Emergency Staff Forum, Trade Union Memberships, and a staff-led Change Network
Staff tell us they feel valued and enjoy working in Lewisham and are well supported by their managers with regular reflective supervision and good access to training.
“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way”
Lewisham Social Worker
If you have any questions about applying for this role, or if you are interested in having an informal discussion about working with us, please contact our Recruitment and Retention Manager, Angela Main at angela.main@lewisham.gov.uk or Sara Taylor, our Principal Social Worker: sara.taylor@lewisham.gov.uk