Personal Assistant

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council seeks an experienced Personal Assistant to provide high-quality administrative and executive support to the Children’s Services Senior Leadership Team across Social Care and Education. You will act as a trusted point of contact for senior leaders, elected members, schools and partner organisations, handling a varied workload with discretion and professionalism.

Core duties include diary and inbox management, meeting coordination, document preparation and

Qualifications

• High-quality administrative and executive support experience.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion.
• Strong organisation and proactive approach in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Comprehensive diary and inbox management, including scheduling meetings and events.
• Prioritising tasks and managing competing demands in a busy environment.
• Preparing documentation, correspondence and meeting papers to a high standard.
• Demonstrating exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
• Using Microsoft Office applications proficiently (Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

Skills

Diary management

Discretion

Stakeholder management

Microsoft Office

Tools

Outlook

Teams

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

About the Role

*PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY*

This is a pivotal role within Children's Services, providing high-quality administrative and executive support to the Children's Services Senior Leadership Team across Social Care and Education. As a trusted Personal Assistant, you will play a vital role in ensuring senior leaders are effectively supported, well-briefed and able to focus on delivering high-quality services and positive outcomes for children, young people and families.

You will act as a key point of contact for a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, elected members, schools, partner organisations and regulatory bodies. Managing a varied and fast-paced workload, you will demonstrate professionalism, discretion and the ability to build effective working relationships at all levels.

This role requires someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, can anticipate needs, and takes a proactive and highly organised approach to managing competing priorities. You will be confident working independently whilst contributing to the effective operation of the wider Children's Services Senior Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Comprehensive diary and inbox management, including scheduling and coordinating meetings and events.
• Prioritising tasks effectively and managing competing demands in a busy environment.
• Preparing documentation, correspondence and meeting papers to a high standard.
• Demonstrating exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Using Microsoft Office applications proficiently, including Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

This role is ideally suited to a highly organised, proactive and professional individual who is passionate about providing outstanding executive support and contributing to the effective leadership and delivery of Children's Services.

Please see Appendix A (page 10) for a full copy of the Job Description and Person Specification.

The closing date for this vacancy is Sunday 8th November 2026 (or earlier in the event of high volume of applications being received).

Provisional interview date Tuesday 17th November 2026.

Equal Opportunities

Sefton Council strives to ensure that our workforce is inclusive and representative of our communities. A diverse workforce is important to us, our staff bring with them a wide range of experiences, views, ideas, and innovations, and we are committed to providing an environment that recognises, respects, and values everybody's identity, where individual differences are strengths and where everyone can thrive and maximise their potential. We are always open to learning and growing as an organisation, and we welcome new ideas and initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer; all candidates will receive equal treatment. Our decision to appoint will be based upon whether an individual's skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities make them the most suitable candidate for the role.

GUARANTEED INTERVIEW SCHEME

Please note that all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for these jobs (as given in the Person Specification) and who want to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme will be invited to interview.

If you are currently in care or have previously been in care, we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for care experienced people if you meet the essential requirements for the role.

Consider registering for Sefton@work

If you're an unemployed Sefton resident, register with our Sefton@Work service for free support to help you into employment. You may be eligible for extra assistance such as funding for travel, work clothing, or vouchers to make starting your new job easier. Call Sefton@Work on 0151 934 2610 or visit seftonatwork.net to find out more and get started today!