Administration Assistant

LEEDS CITY COUNCIL; Leeds; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Flexible working

Career development

Staff benefits

Job summary

Leeds City Council is seeking an Administration Assistant to support Adel Beck Secure Children’s Home’s day-to-day operations. You will manage front-of-house interactions and provide essential administrative support in a fast-paced environment.

The role emphasises accuracy, confidentiality and customer care, with flexible and hybrid working arrangements where appropriate. DBS checks are part of the recruitment process.

Qualifications

• Strong IT skills and ability to use MS Office effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Active listening and ability to check understanding with customers.
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently.
• Experience with administrative databases is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for visitors and telephone enquiries, providing a professional and welcoming front-of-house service.
• Promote a positive, customer-focused attitude and culture at all times.
• Perform a range of administrative duties including filing, photocopying, scanning, faxing, diary management, and mail handling.
• Ensure the reception area is well-maintained, organised and welcoming to all visitors.
• Work with a high level of accuracy when checking documents and recording information.
• Identify problems and propose practical solutions; manage workload and meet deadlines.

Skills

Strong IT skills

Excellent interpersonal

Active listening

Teamwork

Independent working

Education

NVQ/QCF in Administration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Access

Job description

Job title: Administration Assistant

Salary: B1 £26,016 - £26,847 (plus Secure Unit Allowance)

Hours: 25 Hours

Contract: Permanent - Part Time

Location: Adel Beck Secure Childrens Home

Are you an experienced administrator with a passion for supporting services that make a difference in young people's lives?

We are seeking a Administration Assistant to join our dedicated team. Under the guidance of the Office Manager, you will manage all initial front-of-house customer interactions, conveying a caring and respectful attitude to all visitors to the Home. You will be the first point of contact for telephone enquiries and play a key role in supporting the Home's administrative functions. This role is vital in ensuring that our service meets the standards set out in the Children's Homes Regulations, National Minimum Standards, Youth Justice Standards, and Leeds City Council's policies and procedures.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Administration Assistant, you'll thrive on working in a fast-paced environment and you will bring to the role:

• Provide a professional, positive, and welcoming front-of-house service.
• Promote and maintain a positive, customer-focused attitude and culture at all times.
• Identify problems and areas for improvement, offering practical solutions where appropriate.
• Manage your own workload effectively, working independently and meeting deadlines with minimal supervision.

About the role

As our next Administration Assistant, you'll play a vital role in supporting the day-to-day operations of Adel Beck Secure Children's Home. You'll thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same, and your work will directly contribute to the care and rehabilitation of young people aged 10-18.

You'll be responsible for delivering high-quality administrative support, ensuring compliance with national standards and Leeds City Council procedures.

What we offer you

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role contact Megan Sheridan - Office Manager via email [e-mail].

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children's or Adults' barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

Adel Beck is a 24-bed Secure Children's Home licensed by the Department for Education and managed by Leeds City Council. We provide integrated care, education, personal development, and health services to young people aged 10-18 who are either remanded or sentenced by the courts, or whose behaviour cannot be managed in other settings. Our vision is to inspire positive change in Attitude, Behaviour, Learning, and Emotions, helping young people contribute meaningfully to their communities and reduce youth offending. Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Office Manager, you will manage all initial front-of-house customer interactions, conveying a caring and respectful attitude to all visitors to the Home. You will be the first point of contact for telephone enquiries and play a key role in supporting the Home's administrative functions. This role is vital in ensuring that our service meets the standards set out in the Children's Homes Regulations, National Minimum Standards, Youth Justice Standards, and Leeds City Council's policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

As an Administration Assistant at Adel Beck Secure Children's Home, you will:

• Act as the first point of contact for all visitors and telephone enquiries, providing a professional and welcoming front-of-house service.
• Promote and maintain a positive, customer-focused attitude and culture at all times.
• Perform a range of administrative duties including filing, photocopying, scanning, faxing, diary management, and mail handling.
• Ensure the reception area is well-maintained, organised, and welcoming to all visitors.
• Work with a high level of accuracy when checking documents and recording both numerical and alphabetical information.
• Identify problems and areas for improvement, offering practical solutions where appropriate.
• Manage your own workload effectively, working independently and meeting deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Handle cash and support financial administrative processes as required.
• Collate and analyse data to produce accurate reports.
• Adhere to procedures and legislation relating to the handling of confidential and sensitive information.
• Work flexibly across different service areas and locations in response to operational needs.
• Comply with Leeds City Council's Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety policies.
• Actively participate in training and development to maintain up-to-date knowledge and support continuous professional growth.
• The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive, and the service may require the job holder to undertake duties commensurate with the level of the role. The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Qualifications

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Candidates must demonstrate the following:

Skills & Abilities

• Strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access (or other database systems), email, and internet use.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, including face-to-face and telephone interactions.
• Active listening skills with the ability to ask questions, clarify information, and check understanding.
• Confidence in dealing positively and objectively with challenging or demanding individuals.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and meet strict deadlines.
• Competence in developing and maintaining both manual and computerised administrative systems and databases.
• Proficiency in general administrative tasks such as filing, faxing, diary management, photocopying, and mail handling.

Knowledge

• A sound understanding of service delivery and customer care principles.
• Familiarity with standard office procedures and practices.

Experience

• Proven experience using IT systems including Microsoft Office and database software.
• Experience maintaining and retrieving data from databases.
• Background in administrative work, including customer service, filing, photocopying, and mail handling.
• Experience managing diaries and coordinating meetings or reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Experience handling enquiries in person and over the phone.
• Ability to work effectively in a time-sensitive environment.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee's responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements; however, these may be used to distinguish between candidates:

• Knowledge of National Standards for Youth Justice Services
• Knowledge of Children's Homes Regulations 2015
• Knowledge of the Secure Estate for children and young people
• NVQ/QCF qualification in Administration, Business Administration, Computer Skills, or equivalent (or willingness to achieve within 6 months of appointment)
• Experience working in a service catering to the needs of children and young people
• Experience working directly to the …
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