Responsibilities

Provide administrative and clerical support to the Grants & Adaptations Team, supporting delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants and other assistance schemes to residents across the county.

The FTC/Secondment is until 31st May 2025.

About us

The role will be based in the Grants & Adaptations Team, part of the Housing Service, which is responsible for delivery of Disabled Facilities Grants and other housing grants and loans. We are a friendly and supportive team who strive to offer excellent services to our residents.

The wellbeing of our colleagues is very important to us and we encourage you to take control of your work-life balance and adopt a flexible approach where possible. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

This important and pivotal role includes supporting officers handling a very high case load of grant and loan applications.

The Grants & Adaptations Support Officer will:

• Respond to enquiries from residents, colleagues and external partners such as contractors and solicitors.
• Assist with collating supporting documentation to confirm eligibility for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
• Update and maintain specialist database systems, ensuring records are accurate and up to date.
• Prepare letters and documentation, process payments and support officers with all the administrative functions of the grant process.

The role will require you to learn about the Disabled Faciltiies Grant law and processes which will allow you to develop your skills in advising residents and get more involved in processing enquiries and applications.

The role will bring you into contact with a wide range of people and partners, including residents, building contractors, architects and Occupational Therapists and therefore your communication skills will be key to your success in the role.

This role is extremely rewarding as you will be making a positive difference to the lives of our residents.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will be experienced in providing administrative support to a busy and geographically dispersed team. A good standard of numeracy and literacy is required, and attention to detail is essential.

You will be a courteous and tactful communicator, having experience of dealing with vulnerable residents, and able to be assertive as well as sensitive to the sometimes difficult circumstances faced by our customers.

You will have good time management and IT skills, able to work on your own initiative and able to quickly learn new specialist IT systems.

Ideally, you will have an understanding of the Disabled Facilities Grant application process but this is not essential as full training will be provided.

Other information

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

Number of positions available: 1 FTE until 31st May 2025.

Closing date: 12th January 2025

Interview date: week commencing 20th January.

Interview-type / process: In person at The Gateway.

For an informal chat about this role in more detail, please contact Rebecca Roberts on 01296 585357 or email [email protected].

You will be required to apply for a DBS at a basic level. Further information about the DBS Scheme can be found at GOV.UK

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Able to problem solve, adapt and support customers and staff based on their needs
• Able to demonstrate appropriate professional levels of empathy and understanding to customers/residents
• Able to assess and evaluate information / situations /cases. Consult as necessary on issues with wider implications. Assess and mitigate any associated risks
• Broad inter-personal, communication, persuasion and negotiating skills. Ability to deal sensitively, often with vulnerable people
• Broad knowledge and understanding of the service area including, legislation, regulations, systems, policies, procedures, professional guidelines and best practice
• Openness to collaborate, build relationships, influence and engage successfully with colleagues, partners and customers at all levels in complex situations
• Good time management, planning and organisational skills, with ability to prioritise workloads and achieve deadlines
• Good ICT skills – including use of Microsoft applications and ability to quickly learn specialist systems required for your role
• Educated to GCSE / NVQ 3 standard or equivalent experience

Desirable:

• Relevant experience in large/complex organisation with knowledge in housing
• Working towards a relevant professional qualification
• Full driving licence and use of a vehicle