Personal Advisor

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a full time Personal Advisor to provide ongoing support and advice to care experienced young people between the ages of 16 and 25 who have been in care and are either in the process of leaving or have already left care.

The role of a Personal Advisor (PA) is interesting, varied and rewarding. We are looking for someone to join our team who is willing to go the extra mile to support, advise, befriend and assist young people to learn the skills they need to prepare for adult life and to help them to reach their individual goals.

This position is being advertised for Buckinghamshire Council internal and agency employees only.

About us

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.

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

You will be the designated Personal Advisor and take responsibility for the reviewing and updating of Pathway Plans every 6 months, or when a major change of circumstance occurs in the young person's life.

In addition, you will develop and implement flexible and innovative ways of working with care experienced young people, enabling them to develop practical and emotional life skills and acquire self-esteem and confidence.

The team is now well established with a great team ethos. We have supportive and experienced practitioners and managers throughout the team who will be able to guide you in the role. We are always looking for ways to improve the service and this is a particularly exciting time to join the team as we have several new projects and developments underway which will give you plenty of opportunities for learning and development within the team.

A ‘mobile’ role gives you the flexibility to schedule your own diary, so you can meet with colleagues and clients in a variety of locations. You’ll access digital folders and resources on your laptop and be able to use the network wherever you are based. Working from home will be common, as well as meeting your team in the office where necessary.

About you

You will have experience of working directly with vulnerable young people, their families, and carers.

You should also have the ability to adapt readily to change and work effectively in a variety of situations, groups, or with individuals.

Where our roles are customer-facing and you are required to speak to members of the public, the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the role.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Bukky Oginni at:

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.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

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

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.