Role Responsibility

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a
Business Support Officer
to join the Child Protection Service within the
Safeguarding, Quality Assurance and Practice Standards Unit
. This vital role supports safeguarding processes across the South and East of the county and contributes directly to protecting children and young people.
We are seeking an organised, proactive and detail‑focused individual who is confident working in a fast‑paced, sensitive environment and who values high standards of administrative practice.

About the Role

The Business Support Officer plays a key role in ensuring that
Child Protection Conferences
are effectively coordinated and delivered in line with statutory requirements. You will provide high‑quality administrative and organisational support to Conference Chairs and the wider Safeguarding, QA & Practice Standards Unit, working closely with internal teams and partner agencies.

Key Responsibilities

Duties will include, but are not limited to:
Coordinating and scheduling Child Protection Conferences for the South and East of the county, ensuring all required professionals and family members are invited within agreed timescales
Processing requests for initial conferences, booking appropriate meeting rooms, and communicating any changes to dates or arrangements promptly to district teams
Monitoring conferences that are out of timescale and accurately tracking actions
Providing comprehensive administrative support to Child Protection Conference Chairs and the wider unit
Undertaking minute‑taking for complaints or appeals meetings, producing clear and accurate records
Ensuring statutory timelines, performance measures and quality standards are consistently met, with exceptional attention to detail
Handling sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of professionalism and discretion
Responding to enquiries from internal services, partner agencies and families in a clear, supportive and respectful manner
Contributing to continuous improvement, quality assurance and best practice within safeguarding services
Participating in team meetings and collaborative working across the service

About You

You will ideally have:
Proven experience in an administrative or business support role
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
Confidence working with sensitive and confidential information
The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
Resilient and able to remain calm, professional and empathetic approach when dealing with complex or emotive situations
Good IT skills, including experience using standard office systems
Experience within safeguarding, social care or a public sector environment would be advantageous, but is not essential, as training and support will be provided.

Why Join Us?

Work in a role that makes a genuine difference to children, families and communities
Be part of a supportive, knowledgeable and committed safeguarding team
Opportunities to develop your skills within a specialist safeguarding environment
Option to enrol in the Local Government Pension scheme with employer matched contributions
29 days paid annual leave per year (rising to 30 after 5 years’ service) + bank holidays + a concessionary day
A range of flexible leave options to help you manage your work/life balance such as Carers leave, Maternity leave, Personal Leave, Timeout/career break, Study leave, Religious observance
Flexible working – work from home or office as per business need and we’ll provide you with the kit needed to work remotely
Staff discounts on a range of leisure products and services through our Kent Rewards programme.

About your application - PLEASE READ

Within the ‘How you meet the requirements of the role’ section of your application, please demonstrate how you meet the criteria within the person specification attached to the Job Description.
This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Contact Details

For further information, please contact Harrison Seal,
harrison.seal@kent.gov.uk

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!
KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.
Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.

Job Description & Person Specification

Business Support Officer - Practitioner Support.pdf