PA to the Speaker & Councillor Support Team Manager

Placed: 06/12/17
Region: United Kingdom
Category: Jobs


Content of the advertisement:

Purpose of the job

To work in a highly sensitive, political environment, handling confidential information and requests for opposing political groups in a professional, non-political and unbiased manner.

To provide a comprehensive, coordinated and efficient support service to Members with special responsibilities in carrying out their role, constituency and casework.

To provide a comprehensive, efficient and high quality administrative support to all non-executive members.

To provide efficient support services to all members of the council at all levels and across all political parties in respect of the members allowances system, surgery arrangements, and the members information system incorporating members timesheets and web pages.

To provide full range of cover for The Speaker and Deputy Speaker as necessary.

Major Duties and Specific Responsibilities

To work in a highly sensitive political environment handling confidential information and requests from opposing political groups, ensuring support to all parties, while respecting the confidentiality of each party or Member, and ensuring that each is not aware of the activities/requests of the other.

To ensure the provision of an effective, efficient and pro-active support service to Members with special responsibilities.

To carry out constituency and casework on behalf of Members with special responsibilities and non-executive members.

To ensure, in collaboration with others where necessary, that the Members with special responsibility are briefed fully and within appropriate timescales on all significant matters that arise within the Council and from other official organisations with whom they are associated.

To maintain the diaries (electronic and/or manual) for Members with special responsibility and, in so doing, make effective use of his/her time and ensure that they are promptly notified of any changes or additions to the diary.

To facilitate and enable links between Members with special responsibility and all others both internally and externally to the organisation with whom it is necessary to communicate in order to conduct the Councils business.

To undertake, sensitively and confidentially, with the assistance of other council officers as necessary, investigations and enquiries into any matters relevant to the role of the Member with special responsibility.

To brief, as required, Corporate Directors, and other senior officers as appropriate to raise awareness of emerging issues, clarify agreement, resolve any misunderstandings, identify outstanding issues to be agreed and support the Members with special responsibility in achieving and progressing decisions and policy.

To manage and deal with the official correspondence of Members with special responsibilities and non-executive members.

To assist in ensuring that appropriate, effective and robust office systems are established and operate.

To provide high quality and efficient administrative support to all non-executive members, across all political groups, in carrying out constituency and other casework and correspondence.

To assist Members in arranging their ward surgeries ensuring the information is circulated as necessary and published.

To maintain the accuracy of Members web pages on the Councils website and update as necessary.

To ensure that timesheets supplied by councillors are entered and uploaded promptly and accurately onto the Councils website.

To check and progress all members allowances claims in accordance with statutory and local requirements.

To provide full support to the Speaker/ Deputy Speaker in the absence of the Speakers PA; including diary management, transport arrangements, meetings etc., and to provide advice and guidance on protocol.

To operate appropriate bring forward/monitoring systems to ensure that issues requiring action are dealt with.

In liaison with other Members Support staff to provide stationery, mobile telephones, PCs and related equipment to members and to arrange for their repair or replacement in the event of breakdown and damage.

To exercise a high degree of tact, sensitivity, diplomacy and confidentiality across all the duties of the post, with special emphasis on confidentiality between councillors of different political parties.

To contribute to the introduction of effective computer based and manual administrative and management information systems.

With other members of the Councillor Support Team staff to ensure office and telephone cover within the office at all times during normal office hours and at any other times as determined by the Members Support Manager or Councillor Support Team Leader.

Job Activities

To maintain the diaries of Members with special responsibilities to ensure effective time management.

To process correspondence for Members with special responsibilities and non-executive members, and casework including both routine and complex items.

To research and compile statistical and other information as required. To collate data and co-ordinate background information for enquiries/complaints, either written or verbal, from members, MPs, council directorates, external agencies, residents or any other sources, and:
to ensure that such enquiries are dealt with in accordance with any prescribed target times:
to monitor progress and chase outstanding casework and correspondence to conclusion: and
to send final responses from outside bodies..

To use, monitor the effectiveness of, and modify where appropriate, the office systems set up to support the Members with special responsibilities, i.e. diary management, correspondence management, information retrieval etc.

To be the contact point between Members with special responsibilities, senior officers and outside bodies and identify issues arising from these contacts.

To liaise with others both within the council and externally to obtain any information necessary to brief the Members with special responsibilities.

To prepare briefing notes both at the request of the Member with special responsibilities and as a result of identifying forthcoming issues.

To arrange and attend meetings with the Members with special responsibilities, as appropriate and within the resources available, take notes, give advice where appropriate and take any necessary follow up action.

To carry out enquiries which may be of a sensitive or confidential nature, draw conclusions and present results to the Members with special responsibilities.

To summarise, collate and prepare information to brief corporate directors and senior officers.

To liaise and coordinate activities with corporate directors offices, other senior staff and key partners.

As part of a high quality and pro-active support service to all councillors:

To arrange appointments and meetings, book rooms and notify other parties of the arrangements
To maintain manual or electronic diaries, open and sort incoming post and send replies/take appropriate action
To receive Members and MPs enquiries and send them for reply to Directorates or outside bodies using the relevant Council IT system
To receive and if necessary, re-direct personal calls and telephone enquiries from the public, outside bodies and MPs
To make arrangements for members surgeries including, where authorised by the Service Head, identifying and booking a venue and arranging payment and publicity.
To assist members to the extent needed to carry out constituency and casework.
To process members allowance claims in accordance with the Councils Constitution, checking details as necessary
To ensure that changes to members details are updated promptly on the Councils website and circulated as necessary.
To receive Members monthly timesheets and enter details onto the database for uploading onto the Councils website, promptly and accurately.

To support the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in carrying out their civic role in the absence of the Speakers PA; producing a four week rolling diary and a chauffeurs itinerary, managing the Speakers diary and liaising with other civic offices and community organisations.

To provide an efficient and effective secretarial support service to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the absence of the Speakers PA.

To create and maintain appropriate hard copy and electronic filing and record systems including confidential files.

To receive incoming post and/or allocate/delegate/distribute as necessary.

To maintain a good understanding and knowledge of current and forthcoming local government issues

To answer correspondence and, when required, to draft responses for approval and/or signature by Members with special responsibilities.

To use and maintain the information retrieval systems established in an effective manner.

To be aware of the role of the Mayors Office and the impact which the manner of its operation has on the interface between the political and managerial spheres within the authority.

To deal effectively, sensitively and tactfully with a wide range of telephone calls and letters including complaints and general enquiries from the public.

To undertake both complex and straightforward research using a variety of techniques.

To only undertake those tasks which reasonably relate to the office of Councillor.

To carry out all duties in a manner which ensures confidentiality appropriate to each matter and political group.

To provide a limited advocacy service to members of the public in their dealings with councillors and Council departments.

To deal effectively with a number of outside agencies including the Passport Office, the Home Office, the Department of Works and pensions and the Police on behalf of Councillors and members of the public.

To use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the office.

EXPERIENCE
1. Experience of working within local government or a similar environment; and of providing a service for elected members including research and members enquiries/casework or similar.
2. Experience of providing high quality secretarial and/or administrative support, including electronic diary management, correspondence, servicing meetings and/or arranging events.
3. Experience of working in a political environment and dealing with confidential and sensitive issues.
4. Experience of developing working relationships with senior figures within an organisation.
5. Experience of using ICT in delivering services.
KNOWLEDGE
6. Good understanding of the political nature of local government and the need for confidentiality and sensitivity when dealing with issues for elected members.
7. Good knowledge of the roles of executive and non-executive councillors and the Speaker of Council within the Mayoral system and the support required by members in each of those roles.
8. Knowledge of the key issues and opportunities facing local authorities and an awareness of current national and local policy issues.
9. Good knowledge of office systems, including IT packages such as MS Word, MS Outlook and Seibel.
10. Good knowledge of administrative and office procedures.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
11. Ability to work to the Core Values and Leadership and Management Framework.
ENGAGING WITH OTHERS
12. Excellent oral and written communications skills including an ability to communicate clearly and succinctly with members and colleagues at all levels within the council and externally.
13. Excellent writing skills including the ability to draft correspondence to communicate clearly and using good grammar, spelling and formatting.
14. Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships and trust with councillors from all parties, staff at all levels within the organisation and with partners outside the organisation.
ACHIEVING RESULTS
15. Ability to exercise a high degree of tact, sensitivity, diplomacy and confidentiality in carrying out duties.
16. Ability to work under pressure, balance conflicting priorities and achieve tight deadlines.
17. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to be self motivated;
18. Ability to process casework and members enquiries, undertake research, prepare briefing notes and reports and present information in a concise and timely manner.
19. Good organisational and administrative skills and the ability to resolve competing priorities;
20. Ability to use the Microsoft Office package and understanding of how ICT can be used to improve effectiveness and efficiency of working practices.
VALUING DIVERSITY
21. Knowledge of and commitment to equal opportunities amongst colleagues and within service delivery
22. Ability to work as part of a diverse team and establish effective working relationships.
LEARNING EFFECTIVELY
23. To keep abreast of changes in the Council and the community and how these might impact on the duties of the post.
24. Ability to achieve continuous improvement and enhanced efficiency in all aspects of the role; to embrace change and to implement new ways of working.
CIRCUMSTANCES PARTICULAR TO THE JOB
25. To be aware of the role of Councillors within the community and the impact which the service provided by the team may potentially have on the reputation of the Council and its Members.
26. Commitment and motivation to work such hours as maybe necessary to achieve the purpose of the post

Price / Salary: £17/hour