Job info	Job info details
Job title	Business Support Officer – Asylum Seekers & Refugees
Strategic team/Directorate	Adults & Community Services
Service	Community & Customer Services
Business unit	Community Safety
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Asylum Seeker & Refugee Lead
Accountable to (line manager)	Asylum Seeker & Refugee Lead
Salary grade	E
JE ref	ADC052

1. Key purpose of job

• Act as the first point of contact of enquiries from the public, partner agencies and staff at all levels, promptly efficiently and courteously while ensuring that accurate information is provided.
• Manage and co-ordinate the business of the team, ensuring the smooth and efficient running of, readiness, prevention and response, including timely progress of actions and work programmes as required. 

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• The Team works efficiently and effectively and in accordance with Council policies, delivering best possible service to Torbay’s residents and wider community.
• All enquiries from the public and staff at all levels are dealt with promptly, efficiently and courteously, ensuring that accurate information is provided.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• Manage and co-ordinate the administration and financial payments for Ukrainian Refugee programme.
• Manage placement allocations and transfers between homes when placements break down. 
• Manage communications with host families and refugees including newsletter, general queries, and coordination of courses, e.g., Trauma Informed practice training. 
• Deal tactfully and professionally with potential anti-social behaviour from members of the public relating to the refugee work.
• Creatively problem solve to deal with issues raised by refugees or host families to ensure developing risks are identified and dealt with rapidly. 
• Respond to different emerging priorities, relating to different functional areas, at short notice, e.g., to respond to refugee issues.
• Develop or amend procedures, as required, to ensure smooth running of service, e.g., refugee placements.
• To support the team with quality assurance activity.
• To ensure an effective customer-focussed approach.
• To gather, collate and analyse reports to enable the team to make decisions in responding to residents and the wider community.
• To provide advice and guidance to the public as required as first point of contact.
• To be responsible for the maintenance of effective and efficient business support procedures for use across the service.
• Use of central government database for the Homes for Ukraine scheme (Foundry).
• Use of central government system for raising service tickets (JIRA) related to issues pertinent to Ukrainian refugees.
• To be responsible for the effective organisation of meetings (including attendance for minute taking purposes when appropriate), conferences, including booking of venues, dealing with attendance requests and responses
• To work with colleagues within the team, to ensure online systems are used to their full potential.
• To support the team with gathering and analysing information and data to inform management decision making and contributions to management reports.
• To achieve a high standard of presentation and layout in the production of letters, reports, documents and online materials.
• To be responsible for the liaison with suppliers, including external agencies, organisations and venues to ensure goods and services are supplied on time and appropriately meet the needs of the service. 
• To deliver a high standard of customer service both with internal and external 'customers' when using any communication media including telephone, email and face to face.
• To follow the practice standards for the team complying with timescales as far as possible.
• As an employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Manage and co-ordinate the administration and financial payments for Ukrainian Refugee programme.  This includes physical handling of cash when distributing welcome payments (£200 per person) and school uniform grants (£100 per eligible child) to Ukrainian arrivals.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working environment and conditions which includes hybrid working – working in both an office and home environment.
• To work outside normal office hours as and when required including evenings (and occasional weekends and Bank Holidays in the event of an emergency or for a pre-planned event where notice will be provided).

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. Transporting training equipment and materials.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal office equipment.

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: 
  • NHS. 
  • Home Office. 
  • Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). 
  • Police. 
  • Torbay Communities and other Voluntary Community Service & Enterprises (VCSE). 
  • Clearsprings Ready Homes. 
  • Southwest Strategic Migration Partnership. 
  • Other local authorities. 
  • Devon and Somerset Fire Service. 
  • Members of the public. 
  • Other partner agencies. 
• Internal: 
  • Torbay Council staff. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is This post is office based at Tor Hill House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date and is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Business Support Officer – Asylum Seekers & Refugees
Strategic team/Directorate	Adults & Community Services
Service	Community & Customer Services
Business unit	Community Safety

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Effective interpersonal and communication skills including telephone manner with a customer focussed approach to work.
• Ability to interpret information, data and to format to present at meetings.
• Ability to research, analyse and evaluate.
• Able to convey technical information and data clearly and accurately.
• Ability to be flexible and diplomatic, with good interpersonal skills when dealing with people at all levels. 
• A customer focused approach to service delivery with the ability to continuously improve service levels and the customer experience.
• The ability to influence and negotiate to reach desired outcome.
• Ability to cope with a wide range of tasks within a short time scale and work to deadlines.
• Ability to manage own workload and future plan.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail within written, oral and numeric work.
• Ability to take accurate minutes/ action points at meetings.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member – ability to take initiative.
• Methodical and accurate approach to work.
• Ability to take initiative and be a self-starter with a logical and methodical approach to problems.
• Effective organisational skills.
• Proven effective ICT skills.
• Demonstrate a high level of tact and professionalism in dealing with members of the public who may be anxious or expressing anger. 
• Creativity and problem solving, identifying and responding to emerging problems quickly. 
• Decision-making, within a framework, on issues with political and practical consequences (e.g., homelessness, reputational damage). 
• Financial management skills including payments and accounting. 
• Diplomacy skills in dealing with anxious members of the public or anti-social behaviours. 
• Develop expertise and work within different functional areas, moving between priorities as needed. 

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Ability to provide, understand and analyse statistical information.
• Able to identify, propose and implement improvements to processes and procedures. 

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Experience of working with a range of IT software including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). 

Desirable knowledge

• Understanding of local authority processes and systems. 
• Knowledge of local area. 
• Government guidance and policies relating to:
  • Homes for Ukraine (HfU). 
  • Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS). 
  • Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES). 
  • Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE). 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience of working within a team and on own.
• Experience of working in a busy office using a range of administration procedures. 
• Experience of managing the business of a team.
• Maintaining accurate systems and records.
• Experience of dealing with a range of enquiries via telephone, email and face to face. 
• Demonstrable experience of providing administrative support.
• Experience in producing timely reports.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Project management experience. 
• Experience of working in a Local Authority. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to A Level standard or equivalent, such as NVQ in Business and Administration or equivalent or demonstratable work-related experience in appropriate areas.
• European Computer Driving Licence or equivalent. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

N/A

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling). 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours including weekends. 
• Ability to accommodate homeworking.