Business Support Officer

We are looking for a committed Business Support Officer to join our Fostering Team, providing high‑quality administrative support that keeps the service running smoothly and professionally.

This is a great opportunity if you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy variety, and want to play a meaningful role in supporting foster carers, social workers and the wider service.

This is a Fixed Term contract for up to one year.

The Role

As a Business Support Officer, you will provide essential administrative and customer-service support to the Fostering Team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Taking accurate minutes for meetings and fostering panels (often confidential or sensitive)
• Supporting the service in readiness for Ofsted inspections
• Entering and maintaining information across databases and case management systems
• Producing reports, statistics and performance information
• Handling telephone, email and face‑to‑face enquiries
• Coordinating purchase orders and processing invoices
• Booking appointments, organising meetings, and supporting training events
• Maintaining files, documentation and correspondence—including confidential material
• Providing administrative support to Fostering Panels in line with statutory requirements
• Offering cover across other Business Support roles within the service when required

The ideal candidate

You will be a strong administrator who can work well under pressure, prioritise effectively and communicate with professionalism and empathy.

You will need:

• Experience in an administrative or customer‑focused role (Children & Families experience is desirable)
• Excellent minute‑taking skills for complex and sensitive meetings
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Confidence handling a wide range of enquiries with empathy and professionalism
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage your own workload
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Competence with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and in‑house databases
• Ability to collate and present statistical information
• Awareness of Data Protection, Information Governance and Safeguarding principles
• The ability to work flexibly and as part of a team
• Experience of diary management

You will be someone who champions excellent customer care and is keen to improve processes and ways of working.

Please ensure that you download and read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement on your application.

Please note:We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Hybrid working arrangements: Working from Civic Offices during probation period, once competent to progress hybrid working.

Interview Details:Interview will be held on 23rd April 2026

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Our Recruitment process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it

We are a disability confident employer and have an Armed Forces Covenant. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under one of our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, this is not always possible, and we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Safeguarding

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles.