Service Support Officer

West Sussex County Council; Chichester; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking a Service Support Officer to strengthen the Refugee, Resettlement and Migration service within the Resettlement property team. This fixed-term role supports operational delivery through proactive admin duties, diary management, and documentation for families facing housing and integration challenges.

You will work closely with the Property Pathway Sustainment Officers, handle databases, and participate in property viewings as required, while maintaining high

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent level literacy/numeracy.
• Office skills qualification or admin qualification at level 2/3 or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide self-directed administrative support for operational delivery.
• Update databases and produce written records from meetings.
• Remind families of upcoming appointments and assist with housing viewings.
• Support Property Pathway Sustainment Officers and Property & Accommodation Team with documentation.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Communication

Time management

Attention to detail

Education

GCSE English and Maths

Office skills qualification or admin qualification

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

We are seeking a Service Support Officer to serve as a key member of the Refugee, Resettlement, and Migration service, specifically in the Resettlement property team. In this role you will focus on delivery that gives families the best chance for integration into society that will lead to a better life.

About the job

Salary: £27,254 to £28,598 per annum

Location: County Hall, Chichester

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31/08/2027

Working pattern: Full time 37 hours

You will need to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.

The role day - day

You’ll be providing self-directed and proactive, confidential professional business and administrative support to assist with operational delivery. This will include directly supporting the work of the Property Pathway Sustainment Officers by updating databases, attending complex meetings to produce written records, and reminding families of upcoming appointments, as well as supporting the Property and Accommodation Team with recording documentation and occasional housing viewings.

You will also deliver assistance to the senior leadership team to enable them to deliver their strategic objectives and key outcomes.

What you’ll need to succeed

You’ll need to be able to work independently, confidently, flexibly and in close partnership with others in the Directorate and wider organisation. You’ll need to be able to balance priorities and deadlines as well as responding to or redirecting enquiries, using your initiative to deal with unexpected problems and situations.

You will be able to demonstrate both political and personal awareness (e.g. identifying what can be said, when and to whom, and understanding the impact of your behaviour).

You’ll need excellent Word and Excel skills, and the ability to concentrate over long periods of time ensuring all information added to systems are accurate and comprehensive, whilst being aware of the complex and sensitive nature of this material. Demonstrate resilience and excellent interpersonal skills when dealing with vulnerable individuals or those with complex problems, and occasional challenging behaviours from those accessing the service.

There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

This role will be mainly office based, but with flexible working.

You will be expected to undertake property viewings or required to work from a different West Sussex hub location. You need to be able to travel independently around the county.

Required experience and skills

Key Skills:

1. Ability to build strong working relationships to negotiate and influence across the organisation.
2. Ability to demonstrate an understanding of risk and recommend appropriate course of action.
3. Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, complicated or sensitive information to a range of audiences to achieve positive outcomes.
4. Highly accurate IT and keyboard skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint and be adept and proactive at picking up new technologies quickly.
5. Good time management to manage short deadlines and conflicting priorities.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent qualification or experience operating at this level of literacy and numeracy.
• A recognised qualification in office skills or administration, or a business‑related subject at level 2 or 3 of the National Qualifications Framework or have acquired equivalent experience within the workplace.
• Experience of providing business support, advice and/or guidance to others.
• Experience of forming effective working relationships.
• Experience of administrative tasks and processes, including inputting data and using databases.
• Experience of working in a fast paced, innovative work environment, whilst remaining calm.
• Experience of applying relevant legislation, policies and/or procedures to individual pieces of work.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work‑life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

You will benefit from 25 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years’ service plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme.

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is (CPP01398). For further information regarding the role; please contact [e-mail]

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.