Scrutiny and Support Officer

WMJobs; Stafford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council is seeking a Scrutiny & Support Officer to assist in delivering the overview and scrutiny function. You will help hold decision makers to account, develop and review policy, and support residents of Staffordshire.

This is a politically restricted post in a small, dedicated team. You will manage committee work programmes, undertake research, and coordinate meetings using mod.gov, contributing to better local services.

Qualifications

• Negotiation and influencing at all levels to ensure successful outcomes.
• Strong communication, IT and team-working skills.
• Ability to work flexibly, adapt to changing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and delivering excellent service.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and delivery of committee work programmes and lead elements within timescales and resources.
• Undertake research and strategic intelligence gathering to support investigations by Members.
• Coordinate meeting management and minuting for Member committees using mod.gov.

Skills

Negotiation

Influencing

Communication

IT skills

Teamwork

Adaptability

Initiative

Attention to detail

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Tools

mod.gov

Job description

The Ideal Candidate

Staffordshire County Council,
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Scrutiny & Support Officer to join our team to assist in the delivery of the overview & scrutiny function.
This role is part of a small team supporting elected members to fulfil their democratic role within the Council by holding decision makers to account; developing and reviewing policy; as well as considering how the Council is delivering on its commitments to the residents of Staffordshire.
This is an excellent opportunity for the right individual looking to make a positive difference and take that next step in their career, taking on additional responsibility and accountability.
Please note this is a politically restricted post.

Main Responsibilities

The main responsibilities for this role will be:

• Supporting the planning and delivery of committee work programmes, taking responsibility for particular elements (within the appropriate timescales and available resources) and directing the contribution of colleagues and partners.
• Undertaking research and strategic intelligence gathering to support the investigations undertaken by Members through Scrutiny and other Member forums within the County Council including analysis, interpretation, presentation and dissemination of information.
• Co-ordinate the meeting management arrangements for Member committees and forums including agenda management and minuting of meetings using mod.gov.

The Ideal Candidate

Minimum Criteria

• Someone who is comfortable with negotiating and influencing at all levels to ensure successful outcomes, with a positive attitude and passion for excellent service who is well organised, calm under pressure and able to work independently on their own initiative.
• Responsible for a busy and varied workload, you will need experience in managing meetings along with excellent communication, IT and team working skills.
• Working as part of a small but talented and friendly team, you will also need the ability to work flexibly, adapt to changing priorities and meet tight deadlines with an attention to detail and innovative approach to service delivery.
• We are also looking for someone proactive who has a commitment to continuous improvement for themselves.

With experience in a directly comparable role and/or an ambition to demonstrate what you have to offer; you will have had exposure to delivering in an overview and scrutiny environment.

Candidates will be qualified to a degree level or equivalent and have experience of working directly with local authority members, senior officers and partners.

Interviews will be held during the week starting 2nd November 2026.

Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role.

Please note: The minimum criteria in the ideal candidate section detailed above will be used if you are applying under one of our Interview Guarantee Schemes, detailed below.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities.
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.