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Communities and Welfare Officer

Surrey County Council

Victoria Gate, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6JD£36,873 per annumFixed Term36 hours per weekCloses: 2026-06-14
Job Introduction We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all. The starting salary of this role is £36,873 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed term contract / secondment opportunity until March 2029. We have a great opportunity to join the Communities Service as a Communities and Welfare Officer. We support hybrid working with the right balance and come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home arrangements. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. About the Service The Communities Service at Surrey County Council is committed to fostering vibrant and resilient communities where everyone can flourish. We aim to strengthen the feeling of community across Surrey, so that more people are participating, engaging and living a healthy and fulfilled life. To help ensure no one is left behind. Our focus is on empowering communities, so people feel connected, and confident they have a say over the places in which they live and the services they use. About the Role The Communities and Welfare Officer is a specialist business support role within the Communities Service, responsible for coordinating and enabling the effective delivery of welfare, community engagement and resilience programmes. The role supports senior leadership by managing key processes such as grant funding, commissioning activity, contract oversight and performance reporting, ensuring services are delivered to a high standard and aligned with wider organisational and public health priorities. It plays an important part in maintaining strong relationships with partners and providers while using data, research and insight to support decision-making and continuous service improvement. This role will be essential in the delivering Surrey County Councils key priorities set out in the ‘Surrey Way’. Day to day responsibilities: Manage and coordinate grant funding processes, including maintaining accurate financial information and supporting the monitoring of large funding programmes. Support commissioning activities, including drafting contracts and working with resilience and crisis programme teams. Provide direct business support to the Communities Leadership Team across key priority areas (e.g. welfare, community engagement, multiple disadvantage). Maintain, analyse and report on performance, finance and management information data, ensuring providers meet reporting requirements. Liaise with delivery partners, stakeholders and service providers to monitor outputs and resolve issues. Organise and coordinate meetings, workshops and engagement events, including preparing agendas and taking minutes. Produce reports, briefings and documentation for senior leaders to support planning and decision-making. Undertake research and data collection to inform service development, policy alignment and strategic priorities. Ensure high standards of customer service when interacting with colleagues, partners and members of the public. Help maintain efficient processes, systems and administrative functions to support service delivery and continuous improvement. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours: Experience providing project support and coordination, including working across multiple priorities and stakeholders Strong ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder and partnership relationships Experience supporting grants, commissioning, or contract management processes Ability to collect, analyse, and report on data and performance, using insights to inform decisions Well-developed organisational, digital, and communication skills, with attention to detail and accuracy Proactive, outcome-focused approach with a strong commitment to delivering excellent service for customers and communities To apply, we request that you submit a CV and a 1 – 2 page personal statement. Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Louis Perry via email. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 14/06/2026 with interviews planned to follow. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.