Apprentice Direct Payment Support Officer
Post Ref: CC105
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Direct Payment and Monitoring team, which is part of our System and Finance service within Integrated Commissioning and Partnerships, at Calderdale Council. The team supports the Adults and Children’s Social Care directorates and is responsible for ensuring that Direct Payments are set up for individuals that have been assessed via social care and want to manage their personal budget, and for monitoring that spend is appropriate and accounted for.
Study towards a Level 3 qualification in Business Administration.
We are looking to recruit a professional, friendly, and customer-focused Direct Payments Support Officer to join our busy Direct Payment and Monitoring team. The Direct Payment Support Officer will work across multiple teams to support with the administration duties, including sending out letters and emails, contacting individuals and professionals, arranging and collecting information for meetings, minute taking, answering the duty phone, updating records and other tasks relating to individual Direct Payments.
The role will work closely with individuals in receipt of a Direct Payment, promoting and maintaining a customer-focussed, high-quality service, and ensuring all queries are dealt with in a timely and professional manner, and in line with Adult’s and Children’s policies and procedures.
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they have Maths and English at Grade 4/C or willingness to work towards, in addition to.
• Knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulations
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to be flexible and complete multiple tasks
• Ability to remain calm and effective under pressure
• Strong attention to detail, particularly with numerical information
• Ability to organise own workload
• Willingness to undertake any further training as required
• Ability to follow processes accurately while using judgement to resolve routine issues
• Proven ability to use IT packages including standard Microsoft Office software
The successful candidate would desirably also have.
• An understanding of Adults and Health Services in the provision of care and support, particularly around Direct Payments.
• An awareness of a Person-centred approach
• An awareness of a timely service provision
• Experience of working in a fast paced, customer focused or administrative environment.
• Work independently with limited supervision while contributing effectively to a team environment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. Applicants to posts that are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act will require a DBS from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.
Closing Date: 29th November 2026
Interview Date: week commencing 7th December 2026
To be eligible for this apprenticeship you must meet the criteria set out by the Department for Education in the Apprenticeship funding rules, including:
• Be aged 16 or over on the day the Apprenticeship starts.
• Having a valid and eligible residency status and the right to work in England which will last for the duration of the apprenticeship (as described in Annex A of the Apprenticeship funding rules).
• Meet the essential qualification criteria in the role profile and be able to provide original qualification certificates at interview.
• Not be enrolled on any other programme or qualification which means you are not eligible under the Apprenticeship funding rules.
• Not have prior learning and experience (including qualifications at the same or higher level in the same or a closely related field) which duplicates the learning and experience to be provided under the apprenticeship. The Council will assess this via an assessment of prior learning and experience.
A full copy of the Apprenticeship funding rules is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6875204b55c4bd0544dcae08/Apprenticeship_funding_rules_2025_to_2026_v2.pdf
We may utilise digital interview methods.
As part of our Vision (https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision/) we aim to be a talented, resilient and inclusive community. We welcome applications from all and offer a variety of flexible working / job share opportunities.
All applications are anonymised before being seen by the selection panel.
As part of our fair recruitment process, we ask that all applications are written by the candidate and that Artificial Intelligence (AI) use is limited, unless assistance is required as a reasonable adjustment for a disability. Content should be truthful, accurate, evidence based and not embellished – see guidance.
For support on your application please read our Application Booklet or visit our Employment Hub.