Personal Assistant

Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking a highly organised Personal Assistant to provide dedicated support to senior leaders within the Children and Families Services team. You will manage complex diaries, coordinate meetings, oversee correspondence, and maintain confidentiality.

The role involves taking accurate minutes at board and partnership meetings, coordinating responses to enquiries, and supporting inspections and statutory reporting.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting senior leaders in a busy environment.
• Proven diary management and minute-taking abilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex diaries and coordinate meetings for senior leaders.
• Take accurate minutes at board, partnership and strategy meetings.
• Handle correspondence and support for Ofsted preparations and reporting deadlines.
• Coordinate responses to councillor enquiries and organise events.

Skills

Diary management

Minute taking

Microsoft 365

Stakeholder liaison

Organisational skills

Education

GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Tools

SharePoint

Outlook

Teams

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

We are seeking a highly organised and professional Personal Assistant to provide dedicated support to senior leaders within our Children and Families Services team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of a service that is committed to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families across Portsmouth.

About the Service

Children and Families Services is dedicated to helping children and young people enjoy safe, healthy, and happy childhoods. The service supports and protects vulnerable children, young people, and families while acting as the corporate parent for Portsmouth's Children We Care For.

About the Role

As Personal Assistant to the Deputy Director and Head of Service, you will provide high-level executive support within a busy and fast-paced environment. Working as part of a small team of Personal Assistants, you will manage complex diaries, coordinate meetings, oversee correspondence, and ensure senior leaders are fully supported in their day-to-day responsibilities.

You will proactively manage emails, telephone calls, and meeting requests, organise both virtual and face-to-face meetings, and maintain electronic filing systems using SharePoint. You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including council members, partner agencies, schools, and other local authorities.

The role also includes taking accurate minutes at board meetings, partnership meetings, and complex strategy meetings, often involving sensitive and confidential matters. You will coordinate responses to complaints and councillor enquiries, support preparations for Ofsted inspections, and help ensure statutory reports are submitted within required deadlines. You'll also play an important role in organising workshops, events, and service-wide activities that support frontline social care practice.

You will be an experienced Personal Assistant with a proven track record of providing high-quality support to senior managers, directors, or equivalent senior leaders within a busy and demanding environment. Experience of working within Children's Services or services supporting children and young people would be advantageous.

You will have excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, complex diaries, and competing deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Confident using Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

You will possess outstanding written and verbal communication skills, enabling you to build effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including elected members, schools, partner agencies, other local authorities, and members of the public. Your strong interpersonal skills will allow you to maintain a professional and approachable manner while representing the service at all times.

You will understand the importance of confidentiality, safeguarding, and data protection, and be able to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

You will demonstrate professionalism when dealing with complex and sensitive information and will have a genuine understanding of the challenges and responsibilities involved in improving outcomes for vulnerable children, young people, and families.

GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent) are required for this role