Your New Organisation
Southend on Sea City Council is a Unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the local community. We employ around 1,800 staff who are working alongside our partners and local communities to deliver the city vision and make lives better for the people of Southend.
Working for Southend on Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in local government within a collaborative and innovate environment, with the benefit of flexible working practices to support a positive work life balance. As a Unitary Authority we are responsible for all local government functions ranging from social services, transport, public health and parks through to planning, trading standards, community safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy and communities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference.
Your new role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Coordination and Admission Officer in the School Admissions Team on a part time (15 hours) and fixed term contract (6 months with potential to become permanent). The School Admissions Team are responsible for delivering an effective and efficient admissions service to customers and schools and ensuring the best interest of children and families within the City are met.
As a Coordination and Admission Officer you be responsible for duties related to children’s access to education. This role carries out a range of diverse functions including advising and guiding both schools and parents through the regulations, the publication of material, processing applications, verifying details on applications forms such as address/sibling, ranking applications according to the admission arrangements for each school, managing offers and refusals, managing vacancies in schools, coordinating admissions with schools and other local authorities, advising schools, advising parents, resolving complaints, providing accurate reports and information for casework, and many other related tasks outlined in the Job Description.
N:B – The advertised salary for this post will be pro rata
What you’ll need to succeed
To be successful in this role, you need to have experience working in a highly regulated environment, be able to work independently, as well as in a team and delivering identified tasks to strict timescales. You must have the ability to seek out and understand the needs of internal and external customers and the experience of being pro-active and working well in direct contact with customers. You must have experience of following processes while also applying knowledge and understanding to adapt to changing circumstances. You will need to be highly organized and able to communicate effectively across all levels. You must be experienced and able to work to tight deadlines, establish good relationships with clients, customers and staff and be responsible for accurate and timely data input and export, which is essential for this role.
As a Coordination and Admission Officer you will need to be able to keep clear, comprehensive and accurate records, run accurate reports, have good attention to detail and be able to communicate effectively in writing and in person. Previous experience of working with schools and the public, experience working with statutory guidelines and use of Capita ONE/database would also be an advantage. You will need to have excellent customer service skills and will need to demonstrate listening skills and the ability to challenge where necessary with confidence and explain your reasoning whilst ensuring compliance with regulation.
This post is demanding, challenging, vast and varied, and it is desirable that as well as experience of working with databases, communicating effectively with a wide range of people and you will also need to have experience of working within legal frameworks. Training will be provided however, this role requires an experienced candidate with a proven track record of working with legislation, with a drive for knowledge seeking and an attitude to regular reflection, review and improvement as legislation is updated. This is an excellent opportunity to make a difference.
It is essential that a certificate is provided to evidence a minimum of five GCSE passes (including English and Maths at grade A-C or 9-4). It is also advisable that the essential requirements on the job description are evidenced both in the CV and at interview.
What you’ll get in return
When joining the council, you can enjoy a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave, flexible working and excellent training and development opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that you are supported in this varied and challenging role with the appropriate level of training. A full list of benefits provided by Southend Council can be viewed on the “Why Work For Us?” tab.
What you need to do now
If you are interested in this role, please click ‘apply online’ to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.
If you would like a copy the Job Description, please click here
Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.
The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.
Southend-on-Sea City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants for this role will require an enhanced DBS already on the update service.
