Trainee Democratic Services Officer

Cotswold District Council; Cirencester; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading local government council in Cirencester is seeking a Trainee Democratic Services Officer. This role offers a chance to engage with the community and support elected officials in transparent decision-making processes. Full training is provided, making it ideal for those new to public service. The position includes flexible working arrangements and generous leave, fostering a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Agile working

Flexible working arrangements

27 days paid annual leave

Health cash plan

Generous pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Salary sacrifice car lease scheme

Generous sickness cover

Qualifications

• No prior experience required; full training provided.
• Ability to travel/access a vehicle for work purposes.

Responsibilities

• Assist with organization and administration of meetings.
• Prepare and publish agendas and reports.
• Take accurate minutes and provide procedural advice.

Skills

Communication

Customer Focus

Organizational Skills

Resilience

Calmness under Pressure

Job description

Join to apply for the Trainee Democratic Services Officer role at Cotswold District Council

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Join to apply for the Trainee Democratic Services Officer role at Cotswold District Council

Permanent

Cirencester

Proud, passionate, ambitious - it couldn’t be a more exciting time to work for Cotswold District Council. We’re searching for the very best people to join us.

The Cotswold District is a great place and we are rightly proud of our businesses, communities and residents. We’re busy recreating a council that’s pro-active and responsive to the needs of our residents and businesses in a fast-changing environment. That means we need to be ‘fleet of foot’ and look for innovative and creative ways to deliver against our Corporate Plan priorities.

The Council has an ambitious Council Plan focused on a range of important priorities including climate action, strong local communities, and a vibrant district economy.

About the role…

Are you passionate about public service and looking to start a meaningful career in local government? We have an exciting opportunity for a Trainee Democratic Services Officer to join our dedicated and fast-paced Democratic Services team at Cotswold District Council.

In this role, you’ll be at the core of the Council’s democratic process, helping to ensure transparent, efficient, and accountable decision-making. It’s your chance to support elected councillors, engage with the public, and contribute to the smooth running of local government.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Assisting with the organisation and administration of Council, Cabinet, committee, and working group meetings
• Preparing and publishing agendas and reports
• Taking accurate minutes and providing procedural advice during meetings
• Helping deliver live webcasts to increase public access to local democracy
• Learning the ins and outs of democratic services with full training and mentoring

No prior experience in Democratic Services? No problem. This is a trainee role, and we’ll provide all the training and support you need to succeed.

You will need…

• Communicate effectively at all levels
• Customer focused and responsive to their needs
• Well organised, prioritises workload and ability to manage time effectively
• Demonstrate commitment and resilience to succeed
• Ability to remain calm and confident when dealing with challenging customers and environments
• Ability to travel / access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• BPSS Check
• This post designated as politically restricted in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Politically restricted post holders are restricted from canvassing on behalf of a political party or for a person who is, or seeks to be, a candidate for election to a local authority, the House of Commons, or the European Parliament.

For more information about this role please see the Job Description/Person Specification.

What can we do for you…

• Agile working allowing a mix of home and office working
• Flexible working arrangements (depending on the role)
• 27 days paid annual leave (pro rata if you are working part time) plus bank holidays, which increases to 30 days after five years of service
• In addition you will have an extra two volunteering days a year for you to support a charity of your choice
• Renewed again for another year there is a Health cash plan giving you cash back on health, dental and eye care
• Generous contributory local government pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, providing positive, preventative and supportive advice and counselling to deal with everyday events and issues
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car lease scheme with significant tax and NI savings to be made on electric cars
• Generous sickness cover above statutory entitlements

Terms and conditions apply

These are just a handful of the benefits that you can enjoy when you join us!

To apply for this position please click on "apply now" within this page to complete an application form and supporting statement together with your CV. Your CV will not be available to the hiring manager unless you are shortlisted for interview to assist with our non-biased screening process so please ensure you complete the application form in full.

It is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our community, and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders and sexual orientation, those from Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Accredited of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies - Please state this within your covering statement or in a separate email.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable adults, young people and children. Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies

Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies. Successful candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire; provide references; proof of identity; nationality and immigration status; three years’ employment or education history (if applicable) and, in some cases, verification of criminal record.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Not Applicable

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Administrative

• Industries

  Government Administration

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