Role Responsibility
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Business Support Officer to join the Child Protection Service within the Safeguarding, Quality Assurance and Practice Standards Unit. This vital role supports safeguarding processes across the South and East of the county and contributes directly to protecting children and young people.
We are seeking an organised, proactive and detailfocused individual who is confident working in a fastpaced, sensitive environment and who values high standards of administrative practice.
About the Role
The Business Support Officer plays a key role in ensuring that Child Protection Conferences are effectively coordinated and delivered in line with statutory requirements. You will provide highquality administrative and organisational support to Conference Chairs and the wider Safeguarding, QA & Practice Standards Unit, working closely with internal teams and partner agencies.
Key Responsibilities
Duties will include, but are not limited to:
1. Coordinating and scheduling Child Protection Conferences for the South and East of the county, ensuring all required professionals and family members are invited within agreed timescales
2. Processing requests for initial conferences, booking appropriate meeting rooms, and communicating any changes to dates or arrangements promptly to district teams
3. Monitoring conferences that are out of timescale and accurately tracking actions
4. Providing comprehensive administrative support to Child Protection Conference Chairs and the wider unit
5. Undertaking minutetaking for complaints or appeals meetings, producing clear and accurate records
6. Ensuring statutory timelines, performance measures and quality standards are consistently met, with exceptional attention to detail
7. Handling sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of professionalism and discretion
8. Responding to enquiries from internal services, partner agencies and families in a clear, supportive and respectful manner
9. Contributing to continuous improvement, quality assurance and best practice within safeguarding services
10. Participating in team meetings and collaborative working across the service
About You
You will ideally have:
11. Proven experience in an administrative or business support role
12. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
13. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
14. Confidence working with sensitive and confidential information
15. The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
16. Resilient and able to remain calm, professional and empathetic approach when dealing with complex or emotive situations
17. Good IT skills, including experience using standard office systems
Experience within safeguarding, social care or a public sector environment would be advantageous, but is not essential, as training and support will be provided.
Why Join Us?
18. Work in a role that makes a genuine difference to children, families and communities
19. Be part of a supportive, knowledgeable and committed safeguarding team
20. Opportunities to develop your skills within a specialist safeguarding environment
21. Option to enrol in the Local Government Pension scheme with employer matched contributions
22. 29 days paid annual leave per year (rising to 30 after 5 years service) + bank holidays + a concessionary day
23. A range of flexible leave options to help you manage your work/life balance such as Carers leave, Maternity leave, Personal Leave, Timeout/career break, Study leave, Religious observance
24. Flexible working work from home or office as per business need and well provide you with the kit needed to work remotely
25. Staff discounts on a range of leisure products and services through our Kent Rewards programme.
About your application - PLEASE READ
Within the How you meet the requirements of the role section of your application, please demonstrate how you meet the criteria within the person specification attached to the Job Description.
This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.