Children's Services Support Officer

Milton Keynes City Council; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 28 days + bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme

Family friendly policies

Health cash plan

Bike purchase scheme

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is seeking a Children's Services Support Officer to provide essential business support across Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, Early Help and Protection services. You will coordinate statutory meetings, process safeguarding referrals and maintain accurate records.

This nine-month fixed-term role is site-based, 35 hours per week. You will join a dedicated team and support colleagues, with DBS checks required as part of pre-employment.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent essential.
• Clear and confident communication for sensitive information.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills and ability to learn new systems.
• Well-organised with the ability to balance priorities and deadlines.
• Reliable, respectful and collaborative in approach.
• Willingness to support colleagues and training.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate and timely business support across Children’s Services.
• Take minutes at complex meetings and follow up actions.
• Plan panels by coordinating diaries and venues.
• Process purchase orders, invoices and financial assessments.
• Act as first point of contact and escalate concerns.
• Induct and support colleagues, temporary workers and apprentices.

Skills

Communication

Organised approach

Adaptability

Team collaboration

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Introduction

We're recruiting a Children's Services Support Officer to provide essential business support across our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, Early Help and Protection services.

You’ll co-ordinate statutory meetings and panels, process safeguarding referrals, manage shared inboxes and maintain accurate and timely records. Your organisation, judgement and ability to prioritise will help safeguarding processes progress within required timescales. By providing reliable support, you’ll enable practitioners to focus more of their time on direct work with children, young people and families.

This is a rewarding role for an experienced administrator who can balance competing demands and handle sensitive information with care.

You’ll join a council where being dedicated, respectful and collaborative shapes how we work together to make Milton Keynes a better place to live.

This is a nine-month fixed-term role, working 35 hours per week.

Site-Based role

This is a Site-Based role, and you’ll be expected to work from the designated workplace.

Interviews for this role will be held on 9th November 2026

At Milton Keynes City Council, we aim to make a difference every day. We’re dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We act as one council, and we work hard to create cleaner, safer and healthier communities while tackling inequalities and supporting people to thrive.

Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk

Main Responsibility

• Provide accurate and timely business support across Children’s Services, updating databases and spreadsheets in line with relevant procedures and timescales.
• Take clear and accurate minutes at complex meetings, check that meetings can proceed and follow up agreed actions.
• Help to plan panels by coordinating diaries, arranging meetings and booking suitable venues for professionals.
• Process purchase orders, sales invoices and financial assessments using the council’s electronic finance systems.
• Act as a polite and professional first point of contact, sharing information appropriately and escalating concerns to the relevant manager.
• Work flexibly across Children’s Services and help to induct, train and support colleagues, temporary workers and apprentices.

The Ideal Candidate

• An NVQ Level 3 qualification in Business Administration, an equivalent qualification or significant administrative experience is essential.
• Clear and confident communication skills will help you work effectively with different audiences, including when information is sensitive or confidential.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills are important, along with the confidence to learn and use different databases and council systems.
• A well-organised approach will enable you to balance competing priorities, deadlines and targets in a busy working environment.
• Comfortable with change, you’ll work constructively with others, identify practical solutions and gather information when needed.
• Dedicated, respectful and collaborative in your approach, you’ll support colleagues and take responsibility for delivering accurate, timely work.

As part of the pre-employment checks, should you be offered the role, we’ll carry out a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can lease an electric or low-emission vehicle at a reduced cost through salary sacrifice, subject to National Minimum Wage and other eligibility requirements.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Why join us?

Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes

Roles are either 'site based' or 'home based'.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council, see attached.

Please note that this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have an independent and unrestricted right to work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship now or in the future.