Job Description
* Suffolk County Council
* Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX
* Salary: £34,434 per annum
* Hours: 37 hours per week
* Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment until March 2026
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Suffolk County Council (SCC) Customer First as a Team Leader working from Endeavour House.
* would you like to work in an incredibly varied, challenging and rewarding role?
* are you passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of children and adults in Suffolk?
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your role
Reporting directly to the Customer First Team Manager, the successful post holder will be responsible for delivering high quality professional front line services to both internal and external customers. You will take daily operational lead on resource allocation and managing demand, acting as a point of escalation as required.
You will be:
* a key point of contact for the Independence and Wellbeing advisors' queries and any escalation around their calls
* expected to manage demand within the contact centre (calls, webchat, portal, and emails) ensuring that all tasks are covered
* working closely alongside the Team Manager and Change Manager, escalating where appropriate
* confident in decision making and prioritising workload
* a key contact in ensuring that Suffolk's residents and those referring them, receive the best service possible
* responsible for the line management of a team of Independence and Wellbeing Advisors.
This is an exciting opportunity for anyone wanting to utilise social care knowledge in a management position.
Your responsibilities
* manage a Team of Independence and Wellbeing Advisors - managing performance and identifying improvement opportunities
* manage allocation of tasks throughout the day and take responsibility for managing demand within the contact centre
* be able to remain calm during stressful situations or unfamiliar circumstances, escalating to Customer First Team Manager where appropriate
* document performance conversations, including 121's and PDR's in line with Suffolks ASPIRE values
* be passionate about social care and be able to engage people in working together
* clarify tasks, plan work in advance and be able to prioritise work to achieve deadlines
* understand budget constraints and appropriate management of resource
* support with recruitment, training and the induction of new staff within the Customer First and Emergency Duty Service Teams
* respond to complaints or escalation in a timely manner
* oversee and manage the Emergency Duty Service rota and Customer First rota, approaching staff where needed for shift cover / swaps
* lead on Team meetings and training sessions
* be involved in monthly forecasting meetings - working closely with Intraday Analyst to identify any concerns with staffing levels / call volumes
* be responsible for leading on Business Continuity where appropriate.
You will need
Successful candidates will have the following:
* be passionate about social care and providing exceptional service
* a good level of literacy and numeracy skills
* evidence of continued professional development
* relevant compute literacy (Explorer, Chrome, Word, Excel, Outlook)
* the ability to problem-solve and define a problem systematically
* demonstratable understanding of data protection and safeguarding legislation
* the ability to clarify tasks and prioritise work to achieve deadlines
* the ability to make decisions in pressurised situations
* line management experience is desirable but not essential.
You can view a full list of requirements in Job and Person Profile (JPP). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The Team
Customer First works as a team to support one another; we work together to ensure a high standard of service is achieved. We have a variety of individuals within the team at differing stages in their careers and we can support career development opportunities.
In your training you will work closely alongside Team Leaders shadowing tasks and working alongside the Customer First Team Manager.
We will offer you:
valuable experience working with Adult and Community Services / Children and Young Peoples Services.
* career development and support
* opportunities to expand on knowledge, shadow other teams, training sessions.
Empowering Everyone
We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
For an informal discussion about this role,please contact Amy Winchester, or Katie Edwards,
If you want to apply for a secondment, read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager before submitting your application.
How to apply
Step 1 - read the advert and the Job and Person Profile (JPP).
Step 2 - complete the Supporting Statement template
Step 3 - complete the online application and upload your statement.
Your statement needs to indicate how you meet the criteria in the 'Person Profile' section of the (JPP)
Your statement should:
* be no more than 2 sides of A4 in Arial font size 11
* use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted)
* be uploaded on your online application, as without this, your interest will not be progressed.
For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site.
We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.
If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by calling If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 19 November 2025.
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #on-site
About Us
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you'll enjoy:
* up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
* membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
* travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
* performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
* training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
* a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
* diverse and active staff networks
* flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more
If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website ).