Business Support Statutory Panel Co-ordinator

Job Title: Business Support Statutory Panel Co-ordinator
Starting Salary: £31,537 opportunity to progress to £34,434 pa per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 18.5
Location: Stevenage/Hybrid
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Resources

About the team

Statutory Panel Co-ordinator role in the Adoption and Fostering Panels team. Adoption and Fostering Panels team is part of the Business Support Service - Children’s Services Spoke.

The Fostering and Adoption Panels team consists of Business Support Officers, Statutory Panel Coordinators, Business Support Supervisor, Panel Advisers and a Service Manager.

The team interacts with colleagues across Fostering and Adoption services including Business Support colleagues, Social Workers, Team Managers, Service Managers, Head of Service, Independent Panel members including Panel Chair and Vice Chairs,

Statutory Panel Coordinators attend panel meetings to take accurate minutes of Fostering, Adoption and Children’s Best Interests cases within statutory timescales.

There are administrational tasks to complete including letter writing, taking minutes for statutory Panel Management Meetings, recording statistics, data analysis, supporting with panel member expenses.

This supports the Fostering and Adoption service with the approval of foster carers and adopters, long term matches for children and changes of approval for carers.

PART TIME 18.5 HOURS

Monday 9.30-5pm

Tuesday 9.30-4.30pm

Wednesday 9.30-4.30

About the role

Attend Adoption and Fostering panels on a weekly basis, taking minutes of meetings and completing post panel tasks ensures approval of new Adopters and Foster carers is completed to statutory timescales.

Responsible for own time management to meet statutory timescales for completing minutes and ADM decision letters and to be sent to the Agency Decision Maker for approval.

Share a full range of administrative duties such as letter writing, booking in cases and creating process documents.

Deal with all complex correspondence relating to panel such as ‘Appeals’ and Panel Member technology queries.

Liaise with Independent Panel Members, Team Managers and Social Workers who are presenting cases to panel.

Update and manage computer databases and spreadsheets, provide reports such as online feedback data, approvals data and statistical data relating to panel business. Contributing data to the Panel Adviser annual reports for Adoption and Fostering panels.

Respond to enquiries and provide required information to internal and external clients maintaining confidentiality and adhering to data protection.

Provide professional support to Managers, undertaking an ambassadorial role dealing with confidential and sensitive matters, first point of contact for Senior Managers.

Provide expertise in software packages such as Microsoft Office, production of documentation according to local procedures and statutory/legal requirements and present to colleagues when required.

Minuting fostering and adoption quarterly panel management meetings.

Support Panel Advisers with organising training events for independent panel members.

Maintain appraisals spreadsheet for Panel Advisers, relating to Independent Panel members.

The duties and responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present. The post holder is expected to accept any reasonable alterations that may from time to time be necessary.

About you

Essential:

• Competent administrator with previous experience of taking accurate minutes using a laptop
• Experience of using Microsoft Office package including excel.
• Develop confidence in your knowledge of regulations and processes as the first point of contact for Social Workers and Managers
• Excellent customer care skills
• Self-motivated, professional, and approachable, always providing excellent team support and best practice.
• Willing to undertake a variety of administrative tasks, operating within departmental policies and procedures.
• Work flexibly around panel meeting times, for example may be required to attend an afternoon panel so work start and end times may need to be altered occasionally.

Desirable:

• Good level of education: GCSE, A-level or Vocational equivalent. There are no specific qualifications required for this role, previous experience in service delivery or a business-related qualification would be beneficial.

Fostering and Adoption Panels team is an inclusive, friendly, hardworking team, who strive to deliver best practice in all areas of work. Being able to work as part of a team is vital to ensure the smooth running of panel business. There will be the opportunity to attend fostering and adoption panel training days and many online courses available to develop your knowledge and skills further.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Business Support Services, level BUS8 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles: Business support services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact

Rebecca Clarke, Business Support Supervisor, Fostering and Adoption including Panels Rebecca.Clarke1@hertfordshire.gov.ukfor an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: between 2nd September to 12th September

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, using your own mode of transport to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.